Cornerbacks are often the unsung heroes of a football team. They may not get the same accolades as wide receivers, but they have arguably the toughest job in football, and we have to acknowledge that.
The NY Giants haven’t produced the most successful cornerbacks in the franchise’s illustrious history, but they have had several G-Men who excelled at the cornerback position over the years, so we decided to rank the top 10 Giants cornerbacks of all time.
Cornerback is not a position that can be judged solely on statistics. Even the best cornerbacks don’t make it onto the stat sheet because they rarely throw the ball. With all the advanced metrics and PFF ratings available these days, there are easy ways to determine which players are more effective than others, but until recently, no such method existed.
As a result, we decided on a list that mainly takes into account individual achievements, team success, and visual evaluation. It may not be a perfect formula, but it is the fairest formula given the Giants’ long history.
There are several players who were classified as safeties during their playing days, including New York legends Emlen Tunnell, Jimmy Patton and Carl Lockhart. They may have practiced at cornerback from time to time, but that wasn’t their primary position and so they didn’t meet the criteria to be included on this list.
So, let’s take a look at the list of the top 10 cornerbacks who play for the New York Giants.
10. Jason Seehorn
First up on this list is Jason Seehorn, a hard-hitting and impactful defensive back whose career quickly took off after he was moved to cornerback. Since infamously tearing his ACL and MCL on a kickoff return, causing him to miss the entire 1998 season, much of Seehorn’s career has turned into a “what if” dream.
Despite his knee issues, he still had solid production in the years following his injury. Seehorn recorded 19 interceptions for the Giants and led the NFL with five forced fumbles in 1996. If it weren’t for his injury history, he might have ranked higher on this list.
9. James Bradbury
Though the 30-year-old cornerback now plays for New York’s rival Philadelphia, James Bradberry was a shutdown cornerback a few years ago. He signed with the Giants after four years in Carolina and lived up to the high expectations. In his two seasons in royal blue, Bradberry recorded seven interceptions, 35 passes defensed and 101 tackles.
Bradberry’s tenure in East Rutherford was unspectacular, but he is one of seven Giants cornerbacks to be selected to the All-Pro team or the Pro Bowl, and he was the anchor of one of the league’s best defenses in 2020 and might have been higher on this list had the front office not let him go for cash flow reasons.
8. Corey Webster
Corey Webster never took the field for a team other than New York during his 10-year NFL career. He was a consistent performer every year, leading the league in passes defensed with 24 in 2008. His best season came in 2011, when he recorded a career-high six interceptions.
While Webster’s individual accomplishments are few and far between, he was the top cornerman on two Super Bowl winning teams and played a key role in the playoffs leading up to the big game. In 2008, he recorded interceptions against the Buccaneers and Packers and shut down New York’s passing attack against the Patriots. Webster is remembered for his key plays against standout receivers Terrell Owens and Randy Moss.
7. Mark Collins
Mark Collins was the Giants’ second-round draft pick and enjoyed several solid years with the team, appearing in 112 games for New York from 1986-1993 and recording 17 interceptions, seven fumble recoveries and 515 solo tackles.
Collins spent the majority of his career with the Giants, where he was a dominant defensive force during the team’s win over the Bills in Super Bowl XXV in 1990. Collins was a vital part of both Super Bowl-winning teams, containing Jerry Rice in the playoffs, and played a major role in protecting Bill Parcells’ G-Men secondary.
6. Dominic Rodgers-Cromartie
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, aka “DRC,” was a journeyman who played for six teams during his 12-year NFL career, but his best seasons with the Giants from 2014-2017 may have been his best. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2015, then named to the All-Pro second team in 2016.
Rodgers-Cromartie was a seasoned veteran who was an integral part of a deep defensive back corps, and although he had an unfortunate falling out with the team due to Ben McAdoo’s erratic behavior, Giants fans know that DRC was well-respected in the locker room and was a great player during his time at East Rutherford.
5. Willie Williams
A product of Grambling State University, he began his career with the G-Men before playing one year with the Raiders. Willie Williams later returned to New York and had a very successful career. Williams made the Pro Bowl in 1969 and had four or more interceptions each of his final six years.
Williams may not be a name you’d hear often when it comes to the team’s most accomplished defensive backs, but he is etched in Giants history. He finished his career with 35 interceptions, which is tied for most by a New York cornerback in history. Williams was also the NFL interception leader in 1968, and his 10 interceptions are the second-most in a single season by a Big Blue player.
4. Janoris Jenkins
Janoris Jenkins spent his first four NFL seasons with the Rams before moving to the G-Men and developing into one of the best defensive backs in the league. He reached the height of his career in New York, recording 12 interceptions and 150 tackles over four years.
Believe it or not, “The Jackrabbit” may have been the best cornerback in the league in 2016. He led a second-place Giants defense to a playoff appearance and earned his first All-Pro and Pro Bowl nominations. Things went south for the franchise after that season, and his departure in 2019 was ugly, but fans will always remember the charisma and energy the lockdown cornerback showed.
3. Mark Haynes
New York’s first-round draft pick in the 1980 season was outstanding from the moment he stepped into Giant Stadium. By his second year, Mark Haynes was named Second Team All-Pro and was selected to the All-Pro and Pro Bowl three consecutive years from 1982 to 1984. Haynes was a reliable cornerback feared throughout the NFL.
Haynes never won a championship ring, ironically because he was traded to the Broncos the same year the Giants beat them in the Super Bowl. If he and the front office had been able to come to a contract agreement in 1985, he might have become the best cornerback in Giants history. But Haynes’ career quickly went downhill, and he was never the same after moving to Denver.
2. Eric Burns
There may never have been a better cornerback in Giants history than Eric Barnes at the height of his powers. He was acquired from Chicago in 1961 and was selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his four years with the Giants. Barnes was named All-Pro twice and had his best season in 1961, when he led the league with seven interceptions and six rebounds.
A native of Indiana, Barnes spent his prime years in New York and was the top cornerback in the NFL for several seasons. Despite his great play with the Giants, he was later traded to the Cleveland Browns where he spent the rest of his career. Although Barnes was a standout during his time with Big Blue, he didn’t spend enough time with the team and ultimately didn’t earn the No. 1 spot.
1. Dick Lynch
While there are players who should rank higher on this list, no cornerback in New York Giants history ended his career with as much brilliance as Dick Lynch. He played eight years with the Giants from 1959-1966 and was one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks of all time, recording 35 interceptions and 11 fumble recoveries for Big Blue.
Statistics were recorded differently during his playing years, but he still put up incredible numbers: he led the league in interceptions twice and had his best season in 1963, throwing nine interceptions (three interceptions) and finishing third in MVP voting, along with earning First Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors.
Not only is Lynch a legend during his playing days in New York, he was the team’s radio commentator for over 40 years, and is the only Giants cornerback to be inducted into the franchise’s ring of honor. No New York cornerback has ever come close to matching the great Dick Lynch.
