The 10 best cornerbacks in the history of the NY Giants

Cornerbacks are often the unsung heroes of a football team. They might not get the praise that wide receivers do, but they arguably have the hardest job on the entire gridiron. We must recognize them for that.

The NY Giants do not have the longest line of prosperous corners across the team's illustrious history. However, there have still been a handful of G-Men over the years who made a lasting impact at the cornerback position. Therefore, we decided to rank the 10 best Giants corners all-time.

Criteria for selection

Cornerback is a position that cannot be dictated solely by statistics. Sometimes, the best corners do not fill up the stat sheet because the ball is hardly thrown their way. There are easier ways to gauge which players are more effective than others with the plethora of advanced metrics and PFF grades nowadays, but those didn't exist up until recently.

As a result, we primarily considered individual accomplishments, team success, and the eye test to determine our list. It might not be the perfect formula. Regardless, it is the most fair given how extensive the Giants' history is.

There are a handful of players, such as NY legends Emlen Tunnell, Jimmy Patton, and Carl Lockhart, who were classified as safeties during their playing days. Although they might have taken reps at cornerback here and there, that was not their primary position — thus, they did not meet the criteria to qualify for this list.

With that said, let's jump into the list of the Top 10 cornerbacks to play for the NY Giants.

The Top 10 cornerbacks in NY Giants history

10. Jason Sehorn

Starting off this list is Jason Sehorn, the hard-hitting and electrifying defensive back whose career hit the ground running when he switched to corner. Much of Sehorn's career turned into a "what-if" after he infamously tore his ACL and MCL on a kickoff return, causing him to miss the entire 1998 season.

Despite his knee issues, he still managed to turn in a few solid years post-injury. Sehorn caught 19 interceptions with the Giants and led the NFL with five forced fumbles in 1996. He could have finished much higher on this list if not for his injury history.

9. James Bradberry

The 30-year-old CB now plays for NY's rival in Philadelphia, but James Bradberry was a shutdown cornerback a few years ago. He signed with the Giants after spending four years with Carolina and lived up to his hefty expectations. Bradberry totaled seven interceptions, 35 passes defended, and 101 tackles across two seasons in royal blue.

While Bradberry's tenure in East Rutherford was not spectacular, he is one of only seven corners to make an All-Pro team or Pro Bowl as a Giant. He anchored one of the better defenses in the league in 2020 and could have made his way higher onto this list if not for the front office releasing him to free up money.

8. Corey Webster

Corey Webster did not take the field for any team besides NY during his decade-long NFL career. He was a consistent producer year in and year out, leading the league in passes defended in 2008 with 24. His best individual season came in 2011 when he tallied a career-high six interceptions.

His individual accolades are limited, but he was the top corner on two Super Bowl-winning teams and played a key role in the playoffs leading up to the big game. He caught an interception against the Buccaneers and Packers in 2008 and helped NY lock down the passing attack against the Patriots. Webster is remembered for how he performed in big moments against standout receivers Terrell Owens and Randy Moss.

7. Mark Collins

Mark Collins was a second-round draft pick by the Giants and carved out some solid years with the team. He played 112 games for NY from 1986-1993, recording 17 interceptions, seven fumble recoveries, and tallying 515 solo tackles.

Collins spent the bulk of his career with the Giants, manning the team's dominant defense in 1990 when they defeated the Bills in Super Bowl XXV. Collins locked down Jerry Rice in the playoffs, and he was a crucial piece to a pair of Super Bowl-winning squads. He played a big role in holding down the secondary for the Bill Parcells-led G-Men.

6. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie aka "DRC" was a journeyman who bounced around six teams across his 12-year NFL career. However, he might have enjoyed his best seasons with the Giants from 2014-2017. He made the Pro Bowl in 2015 and was later named a Second Team All-Pro in 2016.

Rodgers-Cromartie was a savvy veteran who was an essential piece to a loaded defensive backs room. He had an unfortunate falling out with the team due to some of Ben McAdoo's antics, but Giants fans know that DRC was respected in the locker room and was a great player during his time in East Rutherford.

5. Willie Williams

The Grambling State product began his career with the G-Men before spending one year with the Raiders. Willie Williams would later return to NY and had an extremely successful career. Williams reached a Pro Bowl in 1969 and reeled in four or more interceptions in each of his final six years.

Williams might not be a name that you hear often when referring to the franchise's greatest defensive backs, but he is deeply entrenched in the Giants' history books. He finished his career with 35 interceptions, tied for the most of any NY cornerback all-time. Williams was also the NFL interceptions leader in 1968 with 10 picks, the second-highest number for a Big Blue player in a single season.

4. Janoris Jenkins

After spending his first four NFL seasons with the Rams, Janoris Jenkins made his way to the G-Men to form one of the best defensive back rooms in the league. He had the prime of his career in NY, catching 12 interceptions and recording 150 tackles across four years.

Believe it or not, "Jackrabbit" might have been the best corner in the league in 2016. He propelled the second-ranked Giants defense to a playoff appearance while earning his first All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods. Things went down for the franchise as a whole after that season, and his exit in 2019 wasn't pretty, but fans will always recall the charisma and energy that the lockdown corner played with.

3. Mark Haynes

NY's first-round pick in the 1980 season was terrific the second he stepped foot in Giants Stadium. By his second year, Mark Haynes was a Second Team All-Pro and went on to garner three consecutive All-Pro and Pro Bowl appearances from 1982-1984. Haynes was a lockdown corner who was feared by the entire NFL.

Haynes never won a ring because he was ironically traded to the Broncos the same year the Giants defeated them in the Super Bowl. Had he and the front office been able to settle on a contract agreement in 1985, he could have become the most accomplished cornerback in Giants history. Instead, Haynes' career quickly spiraled downhill and he was never the same once he got to Denver.

2. Erich Barnes

At their peak, there might not be a better cornerback in Giants history than Erich Barnes. He was traded over from Chicago in 1961 and made the Pro Bowl in each of his four years as a Giant. Barnes was a two-time All-Pro whose best season came in 1961 when he intercepted seven passes with a league-leading two pick-sixes.

The Indiana native spent his prime in NY and was a top corner in the NFL for multiple seasons. He would later be traded to the Cleveland Browns despite his excellent play for the Giants, and he spent the rest of his career there. Barnes was outstanding during his tenure with Big Blue, but he did not spend enough time with the team to finish at our No. 1 spot.

1. Dick Lynch

Some players have an argument to leap to a higher spot on this list, but no cornerback in NY Giants history finished with a career as decorated as Dick Lynch's. He was consistently one of the NFL's best corners during his eight-year Giant tenure from 1959-1966, recording 35 interceptions and 11 fumble recoveries with Big Blue.

Statistics were recorded differently during the time period he played in. Still, he posted incredible numbers. He led the league in interceptions twice and enjoyed his best campaign in 1963, catching nine interceptions (three pick-sixes) and finishing third in MVP voting in addition to earning First Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors.

Not only is Lynch a legend for his NY playing days — he was the team's color commentator for radio broadcasts for over 40 years. Lynch is also the only Giants cornerback to be inducted into the franchise's Ring of Honor. No NY corner compares to the great Dick Lynch.