In a fun offseason exercise, Josh Edwards of CBSSports.com compiled a list of the best players in NFL history at each uniform number.
For example, Tom Brady is the best player to wear No. 12, Dick Butkus for No. 51 and Jim Brown for No. 32, etc. Three New York Giants made the list but there were several others who were deserving that got shut out.
Naturally, the one and only Lawrence Taylor was the choice at No. 56, hands down.
“Taylor has two Super Bowl championship rings in his trophy case. He went to 10 Pro Bowls and was named a 10-time All-Pro,” writes Edwards. “The 1986 NFL MVP was the former No. 2 overall selection in the 1981 NFL Draft. The Giants viewed the linebacker position as a luxury when they selected Taylor. It was a gamble that rewarded them with a Hall of Fame career. He recorded 1,089 tackles, 132.5 sacks, 56 forced fumbles and nine interceptions.”
Another Giant linebacking great, Jesse Armstead, got the nod at No. 98.
“Former Steelers defensive tackle Casey Hampton and Armstead were on pretty equal footing here. Armstead went to five Pro Bowls and was a four-time All-Pro,” Edwards notes. “Neither player has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but both have been recognized individually by their respective organizations. Armstead recorded 967 tackles, 40 sacks and 12 interceptions during his career.”
Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton, who played quarterback for the Giants from 1967-1971, making the Pro Bowl four times, was ranked as the best player to wear No. 10.
“He was the gold standard at the quarterback position at the time of his retirement,” Edwards says. “Tarkenton threw for 47,003 yards and 342 touchdowns. A brief stop with the Giants broke up a career that began and ended in Minnesota….The other consideration for this selection was another Giants quarterback — Eli Manning.”
No. 92 did not go to Michael Strahan, but to another great NFL defensive end, Reggie White. Hall of Fame offensive tackle Roosevelt Brown was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection for the Giants in the 1950s and 60s, yet No. 79 went to Houston Oilers defensive tackle, Ray Childress.
Hall of Fame linebacker Harry Carson, a nine-time Pro Bowler for the Giants, was not the top choice for No. 53. That distinction went to Minnesota Vikings Hall of Fame center, Mick Tingelhoff.
Phil Simms, the Giants’ iconic quarterback from 1979-1993 whose No. 11 is retired by the team, lost out to Arizona Cardinals future Hall of Fame wide receiver, Larry Fitzgerald.
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