New York Giants all-time Mount Rushmore

1. Lawrence Taylor, LB (1981-93)

In 1984, Bill Belichick raved about the talent Lawrence Taylor had. In 2018, a reporter asked about Khalil Mack and how he ranked against some of the best pass rushers Belichick has ever seen, including Taylor. Belichick rejected the notion that anyone was up to Taylor’s level — a lot of respect from one of the greatest coaches in NFL history to one of the most dominant defensive players the game has ever seen.

Taylor was drafted by the Giants in 1981. He was selected second overall. Right away, he was making All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams. From 1981-86, he was selected to both teams each year. It would have been from 1981-89, but he was named only to the Pro Bowl in 1987.

Belichick was on the team’s coaching staff from 1979-90. Parcells was named the head coach in 1983. Belichick was named defensive coordinator in 1985, and he was the architect of an all-time great defense, with Taylor being the most influential piece to that success.

Taylor had seven consecutive seasons of double-digit sack totals. During that stretch from 1984-90, he had 98 sacks and five interceptions in 104 games. Playing on one of the most celebrated defenses in NFL history in 1986, he set a career-high in sacks with 20.5 and won his third, and final, AP Defensive Player of the Year award. The Giants won the Super Bowl that year.

Elected into the Hall of Fame in 1999, Taylor’s 132.5 career sacks are second-most in team history and tied for 14th all-time in NFL ranks. However, the sack wasn’t officially tallied until 1982, the year after Taylor’s rookie season in which he had 9.5.

Taylor was the most dominant player in team history. His Hall of Fame career is full of awards and accomplishments, and he was on two Super Bowl winning teams. Space No. 1 on the Giants’ Mount Rushmore goes to LT.