DashSync

It has been a pretty bleak 10 years for the Giants. That was the biggest takeaway from attempting to compile an all-decade team as the 2010s draw to a close.

Things peaked with a 10-6 record in 2010 and a Super Bowl victory in 2011. But many of the key pieces from the Giants’ two most recent Super Bowls were ushered out early this decade. The franchise has struggled to find worthy successors to that group, making the playoffs just once in the past seven seasons.

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Here’s my all-decade team:

QB Eli Manning (2010-present)

There weren’t any other options since Manning started 143 games during the decade. His career peaked with a Pro Bowl selection and his second Super Bowl MVP award in 2011. Manning added Pro Bowl selections in 2012 and 2015, while the second half of the decade was far less fruitful. Manning’s 16-year run as the Giants starter ended earlier this season, and rookie Daniel Jones will lead the franchise into the next decade.

RB Ahmad Bradshaw (2010-12)

Saquon Barkley is arguably the most talented player to wear a Giant uniform over the past decade, but the second-year running back hasn’t had enough time to match the impact of Bradshaw. Bradshaw rushed for 1,235 yards in 2010 and 1,015 yards in 2012. He had a team-leading 659 yards while splitting carries with Brandon Jacobs during the 2011 Super Bowl season. Bradshaw gets pushed over the top by his Super Bowl XLVI performance, where he rushed 17 times for 72 yards and a touchdown.

TE Evan Engram (2017-present)

It wasn’t easy to pick the best player from the revolving door of tight ends the Giants have had this decade. A different player led Giants tight ends in catches for the first six seasons of the decade. Engram has shortcomings as a blocker, but his 64 catches for 722 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie in 2017 set the bar for the position this decade. He followed with a productive second season to separate from the pack.

WR Odell Beckham Jr. (2014-18)

Beckham’s tenure with the Giants will go down as one of the biggest what-ifs in franchise history. The 2014 first-round pick burst onto the scene with one of the most memorable catches in NFL history en route to winning the Rookie of the Year award. He produced at historic levels in his first three seasons before an ankle injury sidelined him for most of 2017. A solid but unspectacular 2018 season proved to be his swan song, as Beckham was traded to the Browns in March.

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WR Victor Cruz (2010-16)

Cruz’s ascension to stardom may be the most remarkable Giants story of the decade. The undrafted free agent from Paterson, N.J., exploded for 82 catches, 1,536 yards and nine touchdowns in his first full season in 2011. Cruz had 10 catches for 142 yards in the 2011 NFC Championship Game and caught a touchdown in Super Bowl XLVI. He had two more productive seasons before injuries prevented him from reaching his full potential.

WR Hakeem Nicks (2010-13, 2015)

Nicks was yet another Giants receiver who had a fall that came nearly as fast as his meteoric rise. Nicks emerged as the Giants’ top receiver in his second season with 79 catches for 1,052 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2010. He posted another 1,000-yard season in 2011 and took his game to another level in the playoffs with 28 catches for 444 yards and four touchdowns during the Super Bowl run. Nicks’ production declined over the next two seasons and he left to sign with the Colts as a free agent in 2014.

LT Will Beatty (2010-16)

A big reason for the Giants’ misfortunes this decade can be traced to their offensive line play. It wasn’t easy to find slam dunk selections at many of these positions. Beatty, a second-round pick in 2009, was a serviceable starter at left tackle from 2011-14. David Diehl garnered consideration, especially since he stepped in for an injured Beatty in 2011, but he didn’t spend much time at left tackle this decade.

LG Kevin Boothe (2010-13)

It was slim pickings at left guard. Boothe didn’t exclusively play left guard, but he filled in during the 2011 Super Bowl run after Diehl shifted to left tackle. Boothe gets the nod over Justin Pugh, who was solid at left guard, but also spent significant time at tackle during his five years with the team.

C David Baas (2011-13)

Center was another weak spot during this decade. Baas started 30 games at center from 2011-13, including the Super Bowl XLVI run. Weston Richburg showed potential, but the 2014 second-round pick struggled with injuries and left to join the 49ers as a free agent in 2018.

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RG Chris Snee (2010-13)

Snee didn’t play deep into the 2010s, but he remained an elite right guard early in the decade. He was a Pro Bowler in 2010 and 2012 and earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2010. Snee started 47 of 48 games from 2010 to 2012 before a hip injury effectively ended his career in 2013.

RT Kareem McKenzie (2010-11)

Right tackle has been one of the weakest positions on the team this decade. McKenzie earned this nod despite playing only two seasons in the 2010s. He started every game in 2010 and 2011, with his final appearance coming in Super Bowl XLVI. Pugh and Diehl also spent time at right tackle, but McKenzie was more of a mainstay at the position.

DE Jason Pierre-Paul (2010-17)

Pierre-Paul quickly established himself as the next in a long line of stud pass rushers. A first-round pick in the 2010 draft, Pierre-Paul had 16.5 sacks in his second season. He led the Giants in sacks three more times, including the 2014 season when he recorded 12.5 sacks. Injuries, most notably his infamous fireworks accident in 2015, kept Pierre-Paul from reaching even greater heights with the Giants.

DE Justin Tuck (2010-13)

Tuck had 11.5 sacks in 2010 to earn a Pro Bowl selection and second-team All-Pro recognition. His production dipped to five sacks in 2011, but he delivered with a combined 3.5 sacks in the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl XLVI. Tuck had 11 sacks in 2013 before signing with the Raiders in free agency. Defensive end Osi Umenyiora was the toughest cut from this team, but he didn’t have the sustained production of Pierre-Paul or the Super Bowl dominance of Tuck.

DT Linval Joseph (2010-13)

Joseph became a fixture in the middle of the Giants defensive line after being picked in the second round of the 2010 draft. He started 46 games from 2011-13, averaging 57 tackles and three sacks per season. Joseph left after his rookie contract to score a big deal from the Vikings.

DT Damon Harrison (2016-18)

Harrison was acquired during a free agent spending spree in 2016. He lived up to his billing as the best run-stuffer in the league, leading the Giants to the third-best run defense in his first season. Although a Pro Bowl selection has remained elusive, Harrison was named first-team All-Pro in 2016. The defense couldn’t replicate its 2016 performance, but Harrison remained an elite run defender until his trade to the Lions during the 2018 season.

OLB Michael Boley (2010-12)

Like offensive line, linebacker has been a weak spot for the Giants this decade. Boley didn’t provide much as a pass rusher, but he was a productive tackler from 2010-12. He averaged 90 tackles over those three seasons and had 10 tackles in Super Bowl XLVI.

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OLB Mathias Kiwanuka (2010-14)

Kiwanuka split time at defensive end and linebacker during his career. He set career highs with 84 tackles and 14 tackles for loss during the 2011 season. He had 19 sacks in 62 games from 2010-14, adding a pass-rushing threat to complement the team’s premier defensive ends.

MLB Chase Blackburn (2010-12)

Middle linebacker has been arguably the weakest spot on the roster this decade. Countless players have cycled through and no one has made a significant impact. Blackburn gets the nod on the strength of his 98 tackles and three sacks in 2012.

CB Corey Webster (2010-13)

Webster is yet another player who bridged the Super Bowl wins from the 2000s and the 2010s. He remained a top corner from 2010-12, recording 14 interceptions over that three-year span. Injuries ended Webster’s 2013 season early and he retired at age 31.

CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (2014-17)

Janoris Jenkins received strong consideration for this spot and his 2016 season was better than any Rodgers-Cromartie had with the Giants. But Jenkins hasn’t approached that level since, while Rodgers-Cromartie was more consistently productive. He earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2015 and was second-team All-Pro in 2016 after moving to slot corner and recording six interceptions.

SS Landon Collins (2015-18)

Collins bounced back from a rough rookie year to produce one of the best seasons ever by a Giants defensive player in 2016. He had 125 tackles, five interceptions, four sacks and a fumble recovery to finish third in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Collins was named first-team All-Pro and earned the first of three consecutive Pro Bowl selections. Collins led the team in tackles in each of his four seasons before leaving to sign with the Redskins as a free agent in March.

FS Antrel Rolle (2010-14)

Rolle arrived in 2010 and quickly became a vocal leader in the locker room. His play on the field was equally as important. He didn’t miss a start in five seasons, averaging 93 tackles per year. Rolle was a Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro selection in 2010 and 2013. He had a career-high six interceptions in 2013.

K Lawrence Tynes (2010-12)

Tynes finished second in the NFL in scoring in 2012 and was clutch during the 2011 Super Bowl run. He went 8-for-10 on field goals in the 2011 playoffs, including a 31-yard game-winner in overtime of the NFC Championship Game. Josh Brown connected on 91.7 percent of his field goals from 2013-16, which is better than the highest career mark in NFL history, but his tenure with the Giants was marred by a messy end amid allegations of domestic violence.

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P Steve Weatherford (2011-14)

Weatherford averaged 46.3 yards per punt in four seasons with the Giants.

KR David Wilson (2012-14)

Wilson was a dynamic kick returner during his brief career, which was cut short by a neck injury. He led the NFL in kickoff return yardage in 2012, including a 97-yard return for a touchdown.

PR Dwayne Harris (2015-17)
Harris made the Pro Bowl in 2016 as a special teamer, but that was for his work as a gunner. He was a productive punt returner in 2015, averaging 10.0 yards per return with a touchdown.

(Top photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

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