New York Giants' Top 10 Draft Successes: No. 1 ... Lawrence Taylor
by Ed Valentine on Apr 27, 2011 5:00 PM EDT
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PrintHow could this list of New York Giants' Draft Successes conclude without Lawrence Taylor, the greatest linebacker to ever play and possibly the best defensive player of all time, topping the list? Simply, it can't.
The Giants took Taylor in the first round (2nd overall) in the 1981 NFL Draft, and he lived up to every bit of that selection and then some. He went to 10 Pro Bowls, was All-Pro eight times and finished with 132.5 sacks. Beyond that, LT (the real LT) changed the way football was played. He changed the way defenses though about their linebackers, and he changed the way offenses worked their blocking schemes. No outside linebacker had ever done that.
We are all disappointed by what has become of Taylor's life, by the fact that he seemingly has never grown up and left the wild life behind. No one can say the drafting of Taylor by the Giants was a disappointment, though. The great run of the 1980s does not happen without LT. He belongs atop this list.
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I don’t recall your draft busts list having any 7th-rounders on it, so I don’t quite get why this counterpart list is filled with 1st-rounders, or in this case the 2nd overall pick. The most important Giant ever? Quite possibly. Still, he doesn’t fit my description of a draft success.
Considering how many first-round picks
never amount to anything, I wouldn’t discount this selection based on where LT was drafted.
wilddre22: why does everyone bring up Vick like its a given that that’s what EVERY player will do and respond from a prison sentence.
andiamo708: I have no clue... like going to prison is like going to LSU or something….
1st round picks are expected to succeed.
but at the end of the day
I don’t think they’re expected to become the greatest player ever at the position they play.
which is exactly what LT did….and may be the greatest Defensive player to ever have played the game.
when you take it to that level….well, i think it’s more than justified.
FIX IT
by andiamo708 on Apr 27, 2011 5:29 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
You forget that New Orleans passed on him
The Giants could have made the same mistake. 2 teams passed on Michael Jordan, right?
Success
The most important defensive player in the history of the franchise, a guy who was the centerpiece of two Super Bowl teams, not a draft success? I suppose I could have limited this to ‘non first-round’ selections. But, that wasn’t the criteria I chose.
I just can’t get over the disconnect between the two lists. Stoney Woodson wasn’t on the draft busts lists, because 7th round picks aren’t expected to make the roster. LT wouldn’t be on my draft success list because 2nd overall picks aren’t expected to be anything less than franchise players.
I just took it as LT was soemone the Giants drafted who was extremely successful
not as a “draft steal” or “best payoff” type like Brady
sigh...
I know I am sounding like a broken record, but clearly we differ on the importance we place on where a player is drafted. If that’s not a huge factor, we mind as well just make a list of the greatest Giants ever. After all, how many Giants greats weren’t drafted by the team?
you expect
2nd over-all selections to be good, franchise players. LT literally changed the way the game is played on a bunch of different levels. Think about that for a while. How could anybody be more successful than a guy who made the entire league stand up, take notice, and change the way they play, just to account for him. That’s even rarer than generational talent.
its a draft success
because as we have seen, plenty of high first rounder CAN bust.
The Giants did their due diligence and made the right pick. E.J. Junior and Mel Owens were LBs that went #7 and #9 respectively, and I’m sure if the Giants wanted a LB that year they looked at them too.
Point is, Giants drafted one of the best defensive players ever, therefore it was an EXTREMELY successful pick.
I’m guessing you wouldn’t call Peyton Manning a successful draft pick for the Colts then huh?
I see Blue, he looks glorious!
No, I wouldn’t put Manning atop my list of their biggest draft successes. You may have a differing opinion on how to value draft picks, but do you seriously not grasp the concept I am submitting?
I understand the position you're taking and it's completely valid...100%
We can look at it as judging the Giants’ draft decisions and rank those. If we are ranking the teams’ draft choices then this list is dead on. I’m not judging LT’s performance in the league as unexpected because he was a high draft pick but I do view the decision to pick LT by the Giants to be their best draft success…it would have been their biggest failure if they passed on him.
sigh...
exactly
regardless of where he is drafted, if your team drafts a player that could be considered the GOAT for his position (let alone he may be the greatest defensive player ever), then it should be considered the greatest draft success.
positional value isn’t weighted as much here as the bust list. That would be something like a “Greatest Draft Steals” list, and Stray and Tuck would likely be frontrunners for the top of that list.
I see Blue, he looks glorious!
An interesting curveball
Would have been to put Strahan ahead of LT, on the premise that he was a 2nd rounder, vs. 2nd overall. I can see that argument being made, but still agree with LT at #1
by pataroons on Apr 27, 2011 7:09 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
It wouldn't matter
Comparing LT and Stray’s drafting comparison is within a full round, but, LT revolutionized a position!
LT, ladainian tomlinson
N.Y. Giants allowed players to work out and use facility. They are also only team not to have collected money from season-ticket holders
The Jets trip other players, sexually harass reporters, and post foot fetish videos.
Yup, Jets are New York’s team. All those superbowls after 1969, the great class of the organization, the storied history, and all those great draft picks!
N.Y. Giants allowed players to work out and use facility. They are also only team not to have collected money from season-ticket holders
The Jets trip other players, sexually harass reporters, and post foot fetish videos.
I heard that the Jets are also the older brother of
The Rangers, Knicks, Mets, Yankees, and Islanders.
sigh...
i hate that tomlinson uses those initials
the real LT should have copywrited them
or
“bullshit LT”
Details of the operations of an interstate dog fighting ring were revealed, with some portions involving drugs and gambling. Gruesome details involving abuse, torture and execution of under-performing dogs ... He admitted to being involved in the destruction of 6–8 dogs, by hanging or drowning...
by Simms-McConkey on Apr 28, 2011 1:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Everytime I hear someone call Tomlinson "LT", all I can think of is this:
“Without you, there would have been a Lawrence Taylor. But without you, there would have never been an LT.”
He's still tragic
If he’d have stayed out of bars and didn’t use drugs he could have been better. near the end of his career he had a great game and told a reporter, “yea, I got some rest this week, didn’t spend my time in bars.”
i have a 29 year old friend that really thinks and argues with me from time to time that brain
dawkins is a better defensive player than L.T was!!!! LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
i told him i was concerned about his mental state of mind,and that he should seek help immediately.L.T IS THE GREATEST EVER HANDS DOWN,PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
by big blue born in philly on Apr 27, 2011 7:33 PM EDT reply actions
wow
just wow
"Sack-Forced Fumble-TD against any QB in the history of the NFL.... honestly, It would probably be Eli because I see him in pratice and we can't touch him (laughs)" - Justin Tuck
by The Always Well Dressed... on Apr 27, 2011 8:45 PM EDT up reply actions
Eagles fans smoke the most impure crystal meth on earth
Last night, a comedian died in New York. Somebody knows why. Somebody knows
I still wear my #56 with pride
LT was a once in a generation player and I feel sorry for those on the board that didn’t get a chance to see him create choas on the football field. If you liked Shockey trust me you would have loved LT. The guy didn’t lift weights partied all the time and oh yeah was the best Outside linebacker anybody has ever seen period.
As for the latest BS about his life, look the guy is guilty of going to prostitutes thats it. Marv Albert was assulting women in his hotel while wearing women’s panties and nobody complains when he calls a game jeez. Any way I digress LT deserves the No. 1 spot.
by Late for Dinner on Apr 27, 2011 7:46 PM EDT reply actions
I have no effing idea
why people are disputing LT here
World Series attitude, champagne bottle life, nothing every changes so tonight is like tomorrow night.
LT
Was the best ever defensive player. None was close in ability and desire. Period. To debate that is foolish and dishonest.
I feel sad for what has happened and I wish there was something we all could do to make things better. He gave us everything he had and more.
All the Giants should play like Mark Bavaro.
Tom Quinn Must Go!
On second thought, let's not blame players or coaches, they are not responsible. The unsupportive fans are to blame.
by UnknownJintsFan on Apr 27, 2011 8:00 PM EDT reply actions
Lucky enough to have been totally there at the beginning of the LT era
I haven’t seen every great defensive player, but the only guy that I have seen with LTs impact was Mean Joe Greene.
We are talking guys that totally took over games, forced OL into multiple false starts in a row. He made a QB false start. Lomax forgot the count and dropped back without the ball. He totally damaged the psyche of opponents.
These were guys that redefined things, not simply great players transcendent players.
Precisely how many guys are on the short list for GOAT, ergo in this case draft position is meaningless.
In defense of Ed....why not think this way...
That way is: “What would you rather have?”
LT @ 2nd ovrall? Or Strahan in Round 2. Easy answeri
Strahan in Round 2 or Simms at #7 ovrerall
Etc. It’s about drafting value for your team in retrospect. Ahmad Bradshaw in the 7th round is impressive, but not earth shattering!
LT also put an end to the I formation
He would come right off the edge and tackle the back for a loss. There were a plethora of other slow-developing plays that used to be run by offenses pre-Taylor that had to be thrown out of every offense because of him.
+56
LT is the reason left tackle became a premium position too.
by Late for Dinner on Apr 28, 2011 9:13 AM EDT up reply actions
Joe Gibbs scrapped his entire offense because of LT
He explained that because the Giants were in his division, he couldn’t run one offense for 14 of his games and a different one the other two. If you think about that one for a bit, it kind of says it all. No other defensive player ever had the impact on the x’s and o’s remotely like Taylor. The only other player in the game that he could ever be compared to LT in that regard is Jim Brown, who caused Tom Landry to create the 4-3 defense to slow him down.
LT is the best defensive player in football history.
Straight up. I think that at 8 years old I became a Giants fan because I was scared turdless anytime I watched him play. Before LT I imagined myself as a quarterback. After LT, I only ever wanted to play linebacker.
We should be thankful
that we even have someone to argue LT with
i love um both (Strahan)
by The Blood of Eli on Apr 27, 2011 11:16 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
"let's go out there like a bunch of crazd dogs!!!"
Best quote ever.
Problem was he was serious…problem for the other guys
My favorite
was after a sack of Ken O’Brien while kneeling over him LT said, “Son, y’all gotta do better than this.”
Classic.
"Sometimes you make a mistake and you get hit in the head." - Eli Manning
Talk about......
changing the game, some teams would sometimes put two guys on him and still run on the opposite side away from him.
I sort of wish
I hadn’t been so little during that period. I remember watching him play and being a huge LT fan, but I think I would have appreciated it more if I had been a little older.
I can’t think of anybody I’ve ever seen before, even today, that plays like that. He literally looks like he’s trying to maim people. Its like he’d do the “Osi strip-sack” move, but instead of going for the ball, he’d just aim to pound your head into your chest. He could have knocked trees over with that move.
LT was a little "aggressive"
Nice way to say a little crazy.
I saw him interviewed, think it was 60 Minutes. He said he liked to hit the quarterback and “watch the snot bubbles come out”. It was after he retired.
If he said that now with the attitude toward concussions, he would be roasted.
Great player but a bit twisted.
All the Giants should play like Mark Bavaro.
Tom Quinn Must Go!
On second thought, let's not blame players or coaches, they are not responsible. The unsupportive fans are to blame.
by UnknownJintsFan on Apr 28, 2011 9:45 AM EDT up reply actions
They actually banned that move when he did the bionic arm thru the QB
They were afraid he could seriously injure someone
I like your list, Ed,
even Phil as best Giants QB ever, as long as the choices are confined to the modern era (which they were).Otherwise it has to be YA. He’s in the HOF for good reason (eg, setting NFL records as a Giants QB.) Phil’s not in the HOF and, disappointingly, it seems he never will be.
My hope is Eli will make it one day and be widely acknowledged as the best Giants QB ever.
Drafted 1st round or otherwise....
Lawrence Taylor’s football career was a smashing success. One of the most decorated defensive players of all time. Was a no brainer for the Hall of Fame. Even when compared to other 1st round draft choices, LT is a legendary level player. This type of player comes around once a generation.
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