Ranking the Top-7 Greatest Defensive Backs in New York Giants' Franchise History

Football historian John Gidley winds down his greatest Giants players ever at each position with a look at the team's best defensive backs.

Author:
John Gidley
Publish date:
May 26, 2021 8:00 AM EDT

As we near the end of our all-time Giants rankings, this week counts down the greatest defensive backs in franchise history.

The names in this unit are not as legendary as those on the defensive line or linebacking corps, but there are still some big names on this list.

No. 7. Tom Landry, 1950-1955

Yes, that Tom Landry--the same Tom Landry that later coached the dominant Dallas Cowboys teams that beat the Giants 12 consecutive times between 1974 and 1980.

He’s enshrined at Canton because of his coaching career, but in his day, the former Texas Longhorn was a very good defensive back as well, intercepting eight passes in three different seasons and being selected as an All-Pro in 1954.

No. 6. Spider Lockhart, 1965-1975

Lockhart was picked by the Giants in the thirteenth round of the 1965 draft out of North Texas and was good enough to immediately earn one of the starting cornerback spots.

After two seasons at corner, Spider smoothly transitioned to safety in 1967. In 1968, one of his two Pro Bowl seasons, Lockhart intercepted eight passes, two of which were returned for touchdowns.

No. 5. Erich Barnes, 1961-1964

Despite only playing four seasons in New York, Barnes made his mark in that short span. Initially drafted by the Chicago Bears out of Purdue, Barnes came to the Giants in 1961 and immediately had a career year.

He intercepted seven passes and was chosen to the only All-Pro team of his career. One of those picks was returned 102 yards for a touchdown in a week five game at Dallas.

MORE HISTORICAL GIANTS POSITION GROUP RANKINGS

No. 4. Mark Haynes, 1980-1985

Haynes, unfortunately, had poor timing, leaving New York for Denver the same year that the Broncos ended up losing to the Giants in the Super Bowl.

Even so, his six seasons with Big Blue were very productive. The Giants’ first-round choice from Colorado in 1980 was voted to two All-Pro teams in his time as a starting cornerback.

No. 3. Dick Lynch, 1959-1966

In eight seasons with the Giants that followed one year in Washington, the Notre Dame alum intercepted nine passes in two separate seasons, 1961 and 1963. In the latter season, Lynch was an All-Pro and would return three picks for touchdowns.

Lynch is perhaps best remembered for his 40-year career as the Giants’ radio analyst, working alongside Marty Glickman, Marv Albert, Jim Gordon, and Bob Papa.

No. 2. Jimmy Patton, 1955-1966

Patton was another stellar member of the Giants’ terrific secondaries of the 1950s and early 1960s. Drafted out of Ole Miss in the eighth round of the 1955 draft, Patton was voted to five consecutive All-Pro teams between 1958 and 1962.

In 1958, he led the NFL with 11 interceptions. Patton’s 52 career picks are second-most in Giants history, only trailing the easy number-one selection...

No. 1. Emlen Tunnell, 1948-1958

Tunnell’s story could only occur in the Greatest Generation. The Philadelphia native originally attended the University of Toledo but broke his neck in a football game in 1942. Despite this, Tunnell helped the Rockets’ basketball team to the NIT Championship five months later.

He then enlisted in the Coast Guard during World War II and saved the lives of two of his fellow crew members on separate occasions.

In one instance, a crewman was set on fire in a Japanese bombing at Papua New Guinea, and Tunnell put out the blaze with his bare hands. Two years later, he dove into 32-degree water in Newfoundland to save a drowning shipmate.

After his honorable discharge, Tunnell transferred to the University of Iowa, where he played for two seasons before becoming the first African-American player in New York Giants history.

In his rookie year of 1948, Tunnell intercepted seven passes. The following year, he tallied ten picks.

By the time he left New York for Green Bay in 1959, Tunnell had set a franchise record with 74 interceptions, in addition to four All-Pro selections and a championship victory in 1956.

After three seasons with the Packers, he retired in 1961. He was elected to the Hall of Fame six years later, not only one of the greatest football players of all time but a legitimate American hero.