Eli Manning, Lawrence Taylor Bill Pacells
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Eli Manning may not be the best player in New York Giants history, but he’s up there. Where exactly does he rank?

This past Monday night, New York Giants fans received the pleasure of watching Eli Manning for the first time since Sept. 15.

While the Giants suffered a ninth-straight loss, Manning did not disappoint. He threw for 203 yards and two touchdowns while giving his team a shot at victory.

With rookie quarterback Daniel Jones nearing a return from injury, Sunday could be Manning’s final start as a Giant. Such an idea raises several questions, including, “Where does New York’s long-time signal caller rank among the all-time Giant greats?”

Manning isn’t the organization’s greatest player. There’s no question about that fact. However, it’s hard to keep Manning out of the top five to ever to put on the Giants blue.

1. Lawrence Taylor

At the top is linebacker Lawerence Taylor.

Taylor played for the Giants from 1981-1993. During which time he made 10 Pro Bowls, earned nine first-team All-Pro honors, was named AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year three times and won the NFL MVP.

He also helped New York win its first two Super Bowls. He was enshrined in the NFL Hall of Fame in 1999.

2. Roosevelt Brown

After Taylor, the great Roosevelt Brown comes to mind.

Brown played offensive tackle for the Giants from 1953-1966. He was named a Pro Bowler nine times, earned six first-team All-Pro honors and three Second-Team All-Pro honors. Brown was the leader of the Giants’ offensive line when they won the NFL Championship in 1956 and was elected into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1975.

3. Michael Strahan

Coming in third is defensive end Michael Strahan. The Giants’ beastly edge player rushed the passer for the Giants from 1993-2007. He was named to the Pro Bowl seven times, selected to the First-Team All-Pro four times and led the NFL in sacks twice.

He was NFL named defensive player of the year in 2011, after setting an NFL record with 22.5 sacks. Strahan and a strong Giants defense led them to a victory in Super Bowl 42. He was later named a Pro Football Hall of Famer in 2014.

4. Eli Manning

Manning should rank as the fourth greatest Giant as he is the best quarterback in Giants history.

He’s led the organization to two Super Bowl championships earning MVP honors in both games.

The former first-overall pick is also a four-time Pro Bowler, ranks seventh in NFL history in passing yards and passing touchdowns, sixth in pass completions and 18th all-time with 241.4 passing yards per game.

The numbers indicate Manning is a first-ballot Hall of Famer and a top-five all-time Giant. However, there are some that knock him for his regular-season inconsistencies.

Manning currently has an all-time record of 116-117. Despite the Super Bowls, the Giants have had several losing seasons with Manning under center.

One could make the argument for keeping him outside the top-five Giants in history. Legendary defensive back Emlen Tunnell and perhaps Hall of Famers Mel Hein or Sam Huff could rank ahead of him. However, it’s hard not to go with a two-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback.

Without question, Manning is a top-five Giant of all-time. He deserves a loud standing ovation every time he takes the field on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins (1 p.m. ET).