New York Giants: Their best players since 1970

Giants With Two Pro Bowl Appearances

Sean Landeta, Mark Bavaro, Ron Johnson, Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Ron Stone, Joe Morris, Rodney Hampton, Antrel Rolle, Phil Simms, Leonard Marshall and Zak DeOssie.

Nine of these 13 players were drafted by the team. Landeta, Stone and Rolle were signed as free agents. Landeta came from the defunct USFL in 1985 and punted for the Giants until 1993. He made the Pro Bowl in each of the Giants’ Super Bowl years during that period (1986, 1990) and went on to punt for six other teams before returning to the Giants in 2006, where he ended his career. He was named to the NFL’s Team of the Decade for both the 1980s and 1990s

Stone was signed as an unrestricted free agent in 1996. A former Dallas Cowboy, Stone played right guard and made the Pro Bowl in 2000 and 2001. He left for San Francisco via free agency in 2003, where he was named to the Pro Bowl again. He finished up his career in Oakland.

Rolle was signed as free agent to a then-record deal for a safety coming over from the Arizona Cardinals, where he was coming off a Pro Bowl year. He made the Pro Bowl for the Giants in 2010 and 2013. Johnson was acquired by the Giants in 1970 in the Homer Jones trade. He became the first Giant to rush for 1,000 yards in a season in 1970 and did it again in 1972.

Bavaro is perhaps the best tight end in the history of the franchise. He peaked in his second season (1986), making the Pro Bowl and helping the Giants to their first NFL Championship in 30 years. He made the Pro Bowl again in 1987.

You likely know Pierre-Paul’s saga, but the DE out of South Florida was a dynamo from the time the Giants selected him 15th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft to the day he blew off the index finger on his right hand on the 4th of July in 2015. The Giants traded him to Tampa Bay before the 2018 season.

Tuck and Umenyiora were the cornerstone of the Giants’ pass rush during their Super Bowl years under Tom Coughlin. Osi is fourth on the Giants’ all-time sack list (75) and Tuck is sixth with 60.5. Osi is the Giants’ franchise record holder with 32 forced fumbles. Tuck is third with 18.

Hampton and Morris are the Giants’ second and third all-time leading rushers. Marshall’s 79.5 career sacks ranks him third all-time behind Lawrence Taylor and Michael Strahan. DeOssie is still the Giants’ long snapper to this day, playing in 188 games, sixth most in Giants’ history.

Simms is a Giants’ icon and revered in the eyes of fans ever since he led the Giants to their first Super Bowl win after the 1986 season. Simms’ 22-for-25 record-setting passing performance in that game earned him MVP honors. He was the first player to ever mutter the phrase ‘I’m going to Disney World’.