The NY Giants have been home to the plethora of talent on both sides of the ball. However, the phrase “defense wins championships” comes to mind often when thinking about all four of the team’s Super Bowl victories.
While the offenses of those teams were very solid, the most noteworthy part was often the defense and defensive line. Throughout the team’s history, the Giants have seen a remarkable amount of talent for the defensive line come and go. The choice for No. 1 on this list is obvious, but there’s still some other greats people can’t forget about.
This list was somewhat difficult to put together confidently, as the statistical keeping of sacks, tackles for loss, and even tackles in general are not very consistent with some of the older players on this list. With that in mind, some of the factors used in judging these players will be team success, player talent, statistical achievements and accolades. Here are the 10 best defensive linemen in NY Giants history:
10. Arnold Weinmeister
Accolades: four-time Pro Bowler, five-time All Pro First Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame member
Arnold Weinmeister is a player who made it very difficult to judge. While he made five All Pro teams and four Pro Bowls during his short six-year career, he has literally zero stats recorded to his name outside of fumbles recovered.
The combination of Weinmesiter’s lack of stats, limited team success, and era played in, made it difficult for us to justify putting him higher on the list. In addition to all of this, Weinmeister had a relatively short career, only playing six years in the league.
That being said, from what we gathered during research, Weinmeister was one of the first big names on the defensive side of the ball, becoming a fan favorite during his short time on the field. He turned plenty of heads at multiple spots on the field during his playing days, no doubt about that.
9. Keith Hamilton
Accolades: Second Team All Pro honor
One of the more underrated defensive linemen in NY Giants history is Keith Hamilton, who posted 63 sacks, 545 tackles and right forced fumbles in his career. He spent his entire 12-year career with the Giants, racking up the eighth-most sacks in Giants history, while also helping the team make a Super Bowl appearance in 2000.
After a slow rookie year in which he only tallied 21 tackles and 3.5 sacks, Hamilton would break out his sophomore season in 1993. That year, he posted 11.5 sacks, 51 tackles and two forced fumbles for the Giants.
Hamilton would remain a very solid piece of a contending NY Giants team for years. Arguably his best season came in 2000, with him posting 10 sacks, 57 tackles (11 for loss), which earned him Second-Team All Pro honors.
While he is no Hall of Famer or even necessarily an elite player, Hamilton was a vital piece in the NY Giants Super Bowl run in 2000 and was one of the better members of the NY Giants defense for nearly 12 seasons.
Number 8: Jason Pierre-Paul
Accolades: two-time Pro Bowler, First Team All Pro, 2011 Super Bowl Champion
Jason Pierre-Paul, who posted 432 tackles, 58.5 sacks and 13 forced fumbles, was arguably the best defensive player for the NY Giants during their 2011 Super Bowl run, racking up 16.5 sacks, 86 combined tackles, and 23 tackles for loss in that season. He earned First-Team All Pro honors, while coming in fourth of Defensive Player of the Year voting. He was massive for NY’s Super Bowl push.
Paul would continue to be very solid for the remainder of his tenure with the team, posting at least seven sacks in three of his finals six campaigns. Paul battled injuries during his time with the G-Men, most notably missing the first eight games of 2015 due to his fireworks accident.
Despite Paul’s eight-year tenure with the NY Giants being full of ups and downs, most fans of the team remember how dominant he was in his prime, recognizing just how important he was to the NY Giants 2011 Super Bowl victory.
7. Justin Tuck
Accolades: two-time Pro Bowler, two-time All Pro member, two-time Super Bowl champion
Justin Tuck, who recorded 60.5 sacks, 451 tackles and 18 forced fumbles, was a huge part for both of the NY Giants Super Bowl wins in 2007 and 2011. In the 2007 Super Bowl against the undefeated New England Patriots, Tuck racked up two sacks, six combined tackles and two tackles for loss. Tuck had a very similar performance in 2011, again, against the Patriots, taking Tom Brady down twice alongside three combined tackles and three tackles for loss.
In addition to this, Tuck was also great for the NY Giants in the regular season. For example, in Tuck’s nine-year tenure with the team, he had four double-digit sack seasons. He also had four seasons in which he racked up 60 or more tackles.
Whether it be the way he always turned up in the postseason, or his epic face mask, Tuck was a fan favorite among NY Giants supporters during his time with the team. It is unlikely that the NY Giants would have had the same amount of success without Tuck on the field.
6. Osi Umenyiora
Accolades: two-time Pro Bowler, two-time All Pro member, two-time Super Bowl champion, single season record for forced fumbles
Up next is another fan favorite from the NY Giants 2000’s Super Bowl teams, Osi Umenyiora. During his time with the team, he posted 75 sacks, 391 tackles and 32 forced fumbles. After being drafted in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft, Umenyiora would see little playing time his rookie year.
However, entering the 2004 season, Umenyiora was ready for a bigger role, racking up seven sacks and 66 tackles, showcasing his ability to be a star. Umenyiora would follow up his sophomore season tremendously, tallying 71 combined tackles, 14.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, and four forced fumbles. He made the Pro Bowl that year and finished No. 4 in DPOY voting.
This level of dominance would not stop for Umenyiora. During his nine-year tenure with the team, Umenyiora would have at least seven sacks in seven campaigns. He had double-digit sacks years three times.
What is likely Umenyiora’s best season came in 2010. That year, he racked up 48 combined tackles, 11.5 sacks, a record 10 forced fumbles and four tackles for loss. Umenyiora would remain with the NY Giants until he signed with the Falcons in 2013 where he would play two more seasons and then retire.
5. George Martin
Accolades: 1986 Super Bowl Champion
Older NY Giants fans will tell you just how dominant George Martin was during his time with the team, as he posted 95 sacks. After being drafted in the 11th round of the 1975 NFL Draft, Martin would begin his reign of dominance soon, recording his first of four double-digit sack seasons in his fourth year in the league.
Martin would continue his level of success in the postseason, helping the NY Giants reach and eventually win a Super Bowl in 1986 against the Denver Broncos. In this game, Martin would play a huge role in the Giants 39-20 win, racking up a sack and a safety.
In his 14-year career with the NY Giants, Martin had seven seasons with at least seven sacks, making his mark as a NY Giant legend. Despite somehow never making a Pro Bowl, Martin is undoubtedly one of the greatest NY Giants ever, ranking third all time in team sacks. Martin would remain with the NY Giants up until 1988, where he would retire at age 35 as one of the greatest players in team history.
4. Jim Katcavage
Accolades: three-time Pro Bowler, three-time All Pro member, 1956 NFL Champion, two-time NFL leader in sacks
Similar to Arnold Weinmeister, Katcavage, who posted 91.5 sacks, has very little stats to his name, only having his sacks recorded in nine out of his 13 years played in the NFL. However, considering there are four seasons worth of missing sacks, and Katcavage is fourth all time on the NY Giants all time sacks list, it is easy to say he would be much higher if they had recorded those numbers.
Katcavage was absolutely dominant on the defensive side of the ball, having four seasons in a row in which he had double-digit sacks. This includes 1963, where he had 20.5 sacks. That’s a head-turning number right there.
Despite going to the NFL Championship six times. Katcavage would only win the title once, which came during his rookie season. While Katcavage would not rack up a single sack in any of the championship games, he was still a very important member to the team.
In similar fashion to Martin, Katcavage is another career NY Giant, playing all 13 years of his NFL career with the team until his eventual retirement in 1968.
3. Leonard Marshall
Accolades: two-time Pro Bowler, two-time All Pro member, two-time Super Bowl Champion
During his 10-year tenure with the NY Giants, Leonard Marshall (79.5 sacks, 660 tackles and nine forced fumbles) was consistently one of the best defensive players on the entire team, racking up six eight-plus sack seasons in the process while also playing a huge roll in both of the teams Super Bowl victories in ’86 and ’90.
After being selected in the second round of the 1983 NFL Draft, it would not take very long for Marshall to begin his dominance. In only his third season in the league, Marshall would tally 15.5 sacks and 99 combined tackles. This led to Pro Bowl and All Pro honors.
Marshall would follow this season up well, putting up 63 combined tackles and 12 sacks in 1986: earning another Pro Bowl and All Pro selection. He also helped the NY Giants reach the Super Bowl against the Denver Broncos. In this game, Marshall would take down QB John Elway two times, helping the NY Giants eventually win the game 39-20.
This level of success would continue for Marshall for the majority of the rest of his career, even helping the NY Giants win another Super Bowl in 1990 where he would rack up one sack against the Buffalo Bills.
2: Andy Robustelli
Accolades: six-time All Pro member, five-time Pro Bowler, 1956 NFL Champion, Pro Football Hall of Fame member
In similar fashion to Katcavage (52.5 sacks), Andy Robustelli did not have sacks recorded for the majority of his career, only having them listed in the final five seasons of his 14-year career. Regardless, his accolades, combined with his championships, amount of sacks in limited seasons and his place in the Hall of Fame was enough to make him No. 2 on our list.
After being traded to the NY Giants from the Rams in 1956, Robustelli made an instant impact, making an All Pro First Team, a Pro Bowl, and even helped the NY Giants win the championship that season.
During his nine-year tenure with the NY Giants, Robustelli would make an All Pro team in all but two campaigns. Alongside this, in the five years in which Robustelli had sacks recorded, he posted 12+ sacks in three of them.
1. Michael Strahan
Accolades: seven-time Pro Bowler, six-time All Pro member, 2001 Defensive Player of the Year, 2007 Super Bowl champ, record holder for most sacks in a single season
There are no doubts that Michael Strahan is the greatest defensive lineman in NY Giants history. Not only is he second in team history for sacks, only behind the legendary Lawrence Taylor, but Strahan is also first all time in solo tackles. For his career, he posted 141.5 sacks, 854 tackles, 24 forced fumbles and more.
In addition to all of this, Strahan is the only player on this list to win Defensive Player of the Year. That just tells you how good he was for the G-Men. While it took Strahan a couple of years to catch on in the NFL, only gaining 18 sacks in his first four seasons, once he caught on, he was legendary. Strahan would have nine+ sacks in eight out his next 11 seasons in the league.
Strahan always kept up his elite level of play in the postseason as well. He was a crucial part to the NY Giants Super Bowl trip in 2000 and he was massive for the Giants taking down the Patriots for the Lombardi Trophy in 2007.
No one will forget his 2001, where he broke the NFL record with his 22.5 sacks. That of course led to the DPOY award. That same year, Strahan led the league with six forced fumbles. During his 14-year career, all with the Giants, Strahan set the example of what it means to be a Giant. He will always be an NY great and have the love of the fanbase.