New York Giants Leonard Williams Earns Honorable Mention in ESPN's "Top 10" Poll

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler is currently rolling out the result of a unit-by-unit poll of coaches and football executives that identifies the top ten players league-wide at each spot.

Thus far, however, the Giants have not had a player land in the top 10 of the results published, though defensive lineman Leonard Williams did receive an honorable mention within the interior defensive linemen group.

Noted Fowler:

Williams had a solid 2021 season with 6.5 sacks and 81 tackles on a bad Giants defense. Many evaluators agree he'd be in the top five based on talent. "He's got more athleticism than most," an AFC executive said. "He's underachieved somewhat, but he's on a bad football team. Talented dude." Williams' 6.2% pass rush win rate (111th in the NFL) last season was unimpressive.

While it's hard to pinpoint many bright spots on a team that only managed four wins last season, Williams was indeed a valuable contributor. He even went so far as to play through a late-season triceps issue suffered in Week 14 that initially was feared to be season-ending.

He produced his best statistical season as a pro, but impact-wise, 2020 was his high-water mark. His 81 tackles were a career-high, but his sacks were down from last year’s career-high 11.5 to 6.5, as were his quarterback hurries and hits.

He also went eight straight games without a sack until the final week when he wrapped up the quarterback off an inside rush. But his run defense, a strength, really suffered. He did produce an 8-tackle effort in Week 17 and never stopped hustling or working, but it was obvious he wasn’t the same player.

Still, Williams toughed it out, contributing in 76 percent of the defensive snaps despite the sinking ship that was the Giants' 2021 season. He could have easily made a business decision and shut himself down.

Still, his refusal to come off the field is a true testament to his character and a comfort to know that the Giants have such a player on the roster--even if the NFL types think he's unworthy of top-10 status among his peers at his position group.

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