Top 15 draft picks in NY Giants history

NY Giants: 8. Defensive End Mathias Kiwanuka

Speaking of another two-time Super Bowl champion, Giants fans will always smile ear to ear whenever they hear the name Mathias Kiwanuka. He was a dual-threat defensive player that excelled either lining up as a defensive end or roaming as a linebacker. Kiwanuka’s speed and defensive abilities truly separated him from the rest during his eight-year career with the Giants.

Just like Banks, Kiwanuka joins him for also winning two Super Bowl championships with Big Blue back in 2007 and 2011. Kiwanuka totaled 412 tackles, 38.5 sacks, 13 forced fumbles, and three interceptions. Not bad for a first-round draft pick back in the 2006 NFL Draft that wanted to prove he could do it all for the Giants during a time they needed it to get back to their championship-winning ways.

Opposing offenses had to account for Kiwanuka since he was so versatile in either pass rushing or coverage that it opened things up for his fellow defenders to shine. He was a selfless player and simply let it be known that he would do anything for his team, his teammates, and Giants fans all across the globe.

Kiwanuka joins a list of other key defensive players that set the tone for the Giants that made them accomplish so much during the 00s and early 10s. It was quite the time to be a Giants fan as when they won both those Super Bowls during those eras, you could hear New Yorkers clapping, screaming, and honking their horns all across the city that never sleeps deep into the night.

NY Giants: 7. Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul

For eight seasons on the Giants, defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul called the franchise home. As a first-round pick back in the 2010 NFL Draft, the famous JPP made a name for himself as one of the best sack specialists in all of the NFL.

Not only did his ability to sack quarterbacks at will help the Giants win a lot of football games throughout his tenure, but it was also in his sophomore season that everything came together towards greatness. He was also a part of that legendary 2011 championship squad with Kiwanuka that helped bring that Vince Lombardi Trophy home.

JPP totaled 432 tackles, a whopping 58.5 sacks, and 13 forced fumbles with the Giants. Believe it or not, JPP is still playing to this very day as he recently won a Super Bowl championship with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He went from pressuring and sacking Tom Brady to joining forces with him in 2021 to win it all again.

There is no doubt that JPP will eventually find himself wearing a gold jacket and celebrating his prolific career in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Hopefully, it’ll be as a member of the Giants where it all began.