Countdown to Kickoff: Number 98 and the New York Giants Player Who Wore It Best

Jessie Armstead is one of the best Giants draft picks since 1990.

Jessie Armstead waves during Giants Fan Fest at MetLife Stadium to celebrate 100 Seasons of the New York Giants, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. | Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

 The countdown to the start of the New York Giants 2025 season is underway, as we’re now 98 days away from the opening kickoff against the Washington Commanders. To count down the days until then, we look at the best players to wear the corresponding number for the Giants.

Who Wore 98 in at Least One Regular Season Game*

LB Johnie Cooks (1988-90), LB Jessie Armstead (1993-01), DT Matt Mitrone (2002), DT Fred Robbins (2004-09), LB Adrian Tracy (2012), DE Damontre Moore (2013-15), DT Barry Cofield (2015), DT Damon Harrison (2016-18), DL Astin Johnson (2020-21), DL D.J. Davidson (2022-24) 

*Jersey numbers per Pro Football Reference.

Which Giants Player Wore It Best?

An argument can be made for three Giants in the team’s history who did No. 98 proud: linebacker Jessie Armstead and defensive tackles Fred Robbins and Damon Harrison.

Based on postseason honors and career production, Armstead gets the nod. An eighth-round pick back in 199. Armstead played well above his draft pedigree. 

As a member of the Giants' defense, he made five straight Pro Bowls and was named first-team All-Pro in 1997 and second-team All-Pro in 1999 and 2000. 

His best season might have been 1999, when he led the league in tackles for loss (21). Although he was on the only Giants squad to lose a Super Bowl (2000), Armstead developed into an indispensable leader on the Giants' defense, delivering 30.5 career sacks, 778 tackles, and 45 tackles for loss in his nine-year career for Big Blue.  

Who’s Wearing It Now?

New York Giants defensive tackle D.J. Davidson | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Defensive lineman D.J. Davidson, a 2022 fifth-round draft pick, wears jersey number 98.  For the most part, Davidson’s NFL career has been a roller coaster ride with, unfortunately, more valleys than peaks.

A torn ACL limited him to just five games as a rookie. The following two seasons, he contributed roughly 250 snaps on defense as a rotational interior lineman and was a regular on special teams. However, his 2024 season was cut short by a season-ending shoulder injury.  

Last season, his two highlights included a 2-sack game vs. Seattle and an 8-tackle performance vs. Pittsburgh. Although he showed more mobility and an attack mentality than he had in the past, he did very little to help stop the bleeding against the run, a big reason for that being an inability to shed blocks consistently.

Davidson still has enough to offer, particularly as a pass rusher. But with all the defensive help general manager Joe Schoen brought in this past offseason, Davidson might have difficulty surviving the 53-man roster cutdown. 

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