New York Giants: Top 15 first-round draft picks all-time
By Henry Buggy
William Roberts. 7. player. 31. . Offensive Lineman. Ohio State Buckeyes, 1984
The Giants have had many great offensive linemen throughout the course of the franchise’s history. Many times offensive linemen tend to go overlooked, but that’s surely not the case with Big Blue’s second first-round selection in 1984.
The G-Men took William Roberts out of Ohio State with the No. 27 overall pick. The 6-foot-5, 291-pound offensive lineman would spend the next decade playing guard and tackle for the Giants. Roberts started in 127 games, mostly at guard, helping the franchise hoist two Lombardi Trophies during the 1986 and 1990 seasons.
Roberts was named to the Pro Bowl in 1990 and continued to make an impact late in his career. After spending his first 10 seasons in the Big Apple, Roberts joined former Giants head coach Bill Parcells in the New England Patriots.
In two seasons, Roberts started 27 games for the Patriots and helped the team reach its second Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. Roberts would follow Parcells one last time to the New York Jets, playing in 12 games in his final season.
From 1988 to 1996, Roberts did not miss a single regular season game. He finished his career as a one-time Pro Bowler with 154 career starts and two Super Bowl rings.