Lawrence Taylor No. 1 Overall Pick In All-Time NFL Draft

Former New York Giants’ linebacker Lawrence Taylor is considered by most to be the best linebacker of all time. Could he be the greatest NFL player of all time? That’s another argument entirely. But, there is now this to consider — Taylor was the No. 1 overall selection in the MMQB All-Time NFL Draft, a fascinating project involving 12 long-time NFL experts as general managers.

Joel Bussert, who per SI spent 40 years as the NFL’s vice president of player personnel, had that first pick. Here is how he explained the choice of Taylor:

“For me it was a no-brainer,” Bussert said, “because even before the order came out, I said if I have a chance to get LT, I am going to take him. When you talk about the greatest defensive player, it’s almost always LT.”

Taylor went to 10 Pro Bowls, was named All-Pro eight times and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The draft went 25 rounds and required each GM to field a complete team, including a punter and placekicker. There were 300 players chosen. GMs also each drafted a coach. Here are the other Giants’ greats who were selected — sticking to players primarily known for their time with the Giants:

• OT Roosevelt Brown (Round 6, 71st overall)
• DT Arnie Weinmeister (Round 7, 78th overall)
• S Emlen Tunnell (Round 9, 99th overall)
• DE Michael Strahan (Round 9, 108th overall)
• C Mel Hein (Round 13, 146th overall)
• DE Andy Robustelli (Round 18, 212th overall)
• MLB Harry Carson (Round 21, 245th overall)
• P Sean Landeta (Round 25, 296th overall)

This draft is a fascinating tour through football history, and offers some tantalizing possibilities. Your thoughts, Giants fans?