Over the years, we have seen some truly sensational players suit up on both sides for the NY Giants. While the G-Men have been more known for their defense, the offensive side of the ball for New York has become incredibly slept on.
Now, the Giants' all-time offense may not be as elite as a team like the 49ers or Cowboys. However, historically speaking, they're one of the better squads out of all the teams in the league. Let's take a look at our all-time starting O for the team from East Rutherford:
QB: Eli Manning
Out of all positions on offense, this had to be the easiest one to write about. I mean, with all due respect to the other QBs who have suited up for the Giants, it's not even close. Not only is Eli Manning the best QB the Giants have ever seen, but even his biggest haters have to respect him. This will be set in stone once he makes the Hall of Fame next year of course.
However, as for Manning's career as a Giant, it couldn't have been much better. Not only does he have two Super Bowl rings, but the context behind those rings make them much more special. Alongside this, Manning has been responsible for some of the most iconic moments in league history.
For his career, Manning completed 60.3 percent of his passes for 57,023 yards, 366 touchdowns, and 244 interceptions. In addition to this, Manning also made four Pro Bowls and was the Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2016. Considering that Manning ranks top 10 in nearly every passing stat and has all of his iconic moments, it's almost impossible to keep him out of the HOF.
RB: Tiki Barber
Similar to Manning, it was rather clear who the starting running back for this squad was going to be. We know fans aren't always the happiest with Tiki Barber due to his early retirement and trashing of Tom Coughlin. However, there's no doubting how talented Barber was and if he hadn't retired early, he'd likely be a Hall of Famer.
Barber had a bit of a slow start to his career, earning his first 1,000-yard season in his fourth season. However, once he caught on, Barber couldn't be stopped. Following his first 1,000-yard season, Barber posted 1,200+ yards in five of his next six seasons before retiring at the age of 31. For a career, Barber carried the ball 2,217 times for 10,449 yards and 55 touchdowns, averaging 4.7 yards per carry.
In his prime, Barber was arguably the best back in all of football. Especially in 2008, when he ran the ball 357 times for 1,860 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging a ridiculous 5.2 yards per carry. To be that efficient with the ball while receiving that heavy a volume of carries is just insane - especially when you consider that Barber was 30 years old.
Barber ranks first all time in Giants carries, rushing yards, yards per carry out of those who have run the ball 400+ times, and second in rushing touchdowns. It's unfortunate that he never got his Super Bowl win, but there's no doubt he should be the starting back on the all-time squad.
TE: Mark Bavaro
This one was a little more difficult, as the two main options for this spot were Mark Bavaro and Jeremy Shockey. Shockey may have better numbers. However, Bavaro won one more Super Bowl than Shockey and had a better prime.
In his best season, Bavaro caught the ball 66 times for 1,001 yards and four touchdowns. Alongside this, Bavaro made an All-Pro First Team, Pro Bowl, and ranked sixth in MVP voting. In that same season, Bavaro would also go on to help their Giants win the first Super Bowl in franchise history. During this playoff run in particular, Bavaro would catch eight passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns. Keep in mind this was all during his second season in the league.
For a career, Bavaro would catch 266 passes for 3,722 yards and 39 touchdowns. In addition to this, he also made two Pro Bowls, two All-Pro teams, and as mentioned before, won two Super Bowls. If injuries had not hampered the second half of his career, Bavaro would likely be the undoubted choice for TE.
WR: Amani Toomer
He may never have made a Pro Bowl. However, I don't think many would doubt that Amani Toomer is the best WR in Giants' history. He may not be the most talented, however, the consistency he brought for all 13 seasons of his career cannot be matched. Through the good times and bad, Toomer stuck with the Giants and would eventually help deliver the team a Super Bowl in 2007.
Toomer spent all of his 13 years in the league with the Giants and fans will forever be grateful for that. While the team had two Super Bowl appearances and even a win during his time here, there were certainly some very rough seasons record wise. In today's era, most receivers would have requested a trade. Despite this Toomer stuck with New York all the way and it paid off big time.
For his career, Toomer caught 668 passes for 9,497 yards and 54 touchdowns. Toomer ranks first all-time in Giants receptions, yards, and touchdowns by a notable margin. This makes him a very clear and easy choice for the all-time team.
WR: Odell Beckham Jr.
This choice is one of the rare occasions where we go off of pure talent as opposed to accolades and such. Odell Beckham Jr. may have played for some pretty bad Giants teams. However, there's no doubting how incredibly elite Beckham was during his time in New York.
Whether it be his speed, hands, route running, you name it, Beckham was great at it. There's not much stopping us from saying that Beckham was by far and away the most talented receiver the Giants have ever seen. His one-handed catch will forever live on in the memories of not only Giants fans, but NFL fans in general.
During his time with the Giants Beckham caught 390 passes for 5,476 yards and 56 touchdowns. Alongside this, Beckham also made three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro Second Teams. It's unfortunate that his time in New York ended the way it did. If only Dave Gettleman had the slightest clue about how to run a team.
LT: Rosey Brown
Considering how poor the Giants' offensive line has been over really the last decade, you'd be surprised about how good New York has been in the trenches historically. A great example of this is Rosey Brown, who is arguably one of the greatest players in Giants' history. He may not be a name most remember due to how long ago he played. However, Brown is easily one of the best left tackles the league has ever seen.
Brown's career spanned from 1953 to 1965 and he was elite in every season he played in. Throughout his 13-season career, Brown made nine Pro Bowls, earned six All-Pro First-Team selections, and helped the Giants win an NFL Championship in 1956.
LG: David Diehl
He may not be remembered for playing left guard, but due to a lack of jaw dropping talent at the position, David Diehl will have to do here. Diehl spent two seasons at guard, 2005 and 2006 respectively, and was pretty damn good as well.
Diehl spent his entire 10-year career with the Giants and was one of the key players on both of the Giants' Super Bowl wins in '07 and '11. Alongside this, he made a Pro Bowl and All-Pro Second-Team selection.
C: Mel Hein
The center position for New York has seen some insane amounts of talent. However, there's no doubt that Mel Hein is the number one guy here.
In his 15 seasons with the Giants, Hein made four Pro Bowls and earned five All-Pro First Team selections. In fact, he even won the first-ever Carr Trophy, which was the original MVP award. Hein split time between center and linebacker, but there's no doubt his impact lay on the offensive side of the ball.
For a while, Hein represented the Giants in a way no one else could. He was one of, if not the best players on the team's championship runs in the 1930s. His impact will never be forgotten.
RG: Chris Snee
It was very clear that Chris Snee was going to be in this spot. Not only was he arguably the best offensive lineman on the Giants' Super Bowl teams, but there's not much competition at right guard for Snee to go up against. The son-in-law of Tom Coughlin had quite the career.
During his nine-year career, all spent with the Giants, Snee made four Pro Bowls, an All-Pro First Team, and an All-Pro Second Team. Alongside this, Snee was an incredibly important part of both the Giants' Super Bowl runs in '07 and '11.
RT: Jumbo Elliott
For the right tackle spot, we had to do a little moving around. Surprisingly enough, the Giants don't really have a standout player at right tackle throughout their history. So, with that being said we thought it would be best to throw in fan-favorite Jumbo Elliott.
Elliott may never have been a conventional superstar. However, he was incredibly important to the Giants' 1990 Super Bowl victory. Alongside this, Elliott also made a Pro Bowl for New York in 1993. He may not have spent his whole career with the Giants but those eight years will never be forgotten.
At least when Elliott decided to leave the Giants he opted to stay in New York and play for the Jets. Regardless, with a name like that, you know Elliott was destined for greatness in the NFL. We're just glad he spent most of his prime with the Giants.