NY Giants Football: All-Decade team – Tackle

3. Kareem McKenzie

Kareem McKenzie served as an anchor at left tackle for the NY Giants for six seasons. He would begin the last decade at the position, starting all 16 games for the team in both 2010 and 2011. However, the results of the two seasons would be polar opposites, as he would finish 2010 as PFF’s third-best tackle while finishing dead last as the 72nd ranked tackle in 2011.

McKenzie, the 2001 third-round draft pick of the New York Jets, would play from 2001-2004 with the Jets before signing a free-agent contract in 2005 to come to the Giants. He would man right tackle for the Giants from 2005-2011. At 6’6″ and 328-pounds, he was a giant of a man at the position.

McKenzie would start at least 12 games every year of his tenure with the Giants. He was clearly on his last legs by 2011. Despite this fact, he was able to start every game in the regular season, as well as all four playoff games during the Giants Super Bowl run.

Following the 2011 Super Bowl championship run, New York would opt to not extend McKenzie following his dismal performance the prior season. He would not be signed by any team after that and would retire from the league in 2012.

McKenzie solidified the right tackle during his time with the Giants, protecting Eli Manning with an effectiveness that has been lacking in the majority of seasons for the team since his retirement. As a result of his solid performance, McKenzie finds himself on the top three tackles of the last decade for the Giants.