Lawrence Taylor Leads Six Giants Named to Sporting News' 140 Greatest Players Ever

From Mel Hein to Michael Strahan, New York's all-time greats earned recognition on a list where only four other franchises had more players included.

New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Giants are one of the most storied franchises in American sports. While they may not have won much in the last decade, the organization has the third-most wins in NFL history.

That level of historic success is built by star players spanning across eras. Some of the most prolific players in football history have suited up for Big Blue.

Vinnie Iyer of Sporting News noted the Giants' place in NFL history in his list of the 140 greatest NFL players of all time. Six Giants players made the list, with one cracking the top five.

Only four teams (the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Dallas Cowboys) had more players included in Iyer's list.

Lawrence Taylor Headlines Giants Included in Top 140 NFL Players of All Time

New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Most of the Giants players included in Iyer's ranking came long before the modern era of the NFL. Mel Hein, who played for Big Blue from 1931 to 1945, was the earliest player to make the cut, ranking 90th. Hein played both center and linebacker and remains the only offensive lineman in NFL history to win MVP.

Linebacker Sam Huff (ranked 136th), offensive tackle Roosevelt Brown (98th), and safety Emlen Tunnell (76th) all played together for the Giants in the 1950s, winning a championship in 1956. Each player is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Michael Strahan is the most recent Giants player to make Iyer's list. The NFL's sixth-leading sack-getter ranked 81st.

He held the record for sacks in a single season with 22.5 until T.J. Watt tied it in 2021 and Myles Garrett broke it in 2025 with 23. An icon of New York's Super Bowl run in the 2007 season, he has more than earned his spot as one of the greatest Giants of all time.

Of course, the crown jewel of Giants history is outside linebacker Lawrence Taylor. Taylor was an All-Pro in each of his first ten seasons, winning MVP in 1986 and taking home three Defensive Player of the Year awards (1981, 1982, 1986).

In his 13-year career, Taylor logged 142 sacks and 41 forced fumbles. Tackles were not an official statistic during his career.

Taylor ranked fourth on Iyer's list, going down as the greatest defensive player in league history. The only other defensive players included in the top ten were Reggie White (5th) and Aaron Donald (8th). Only Jim Brown, Jerry Rice, and Tom Brady ranked ahead of Taylor.

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