It’s around the time of the offseason when top 100 lists come out, and the New York Giants are a bit more represented on them this time around than they were last year. That, for the most part, is because of the players who stepped up last season and raised their profile as top names at their position. James Bradberry made it onto PFF’s top 100 list, but the CBS Sports version of that same list has two different Giants listed.
It seems strange to omit Bradberry as he was one of the best defensive players on the team relative to others around the league at his position, but that’s what this list does as the highest ranked Giant is instead Leonard Williams. Of course, it’s understandable why Williams is on the list. Last season, he responded well to a lot of doubts about his play and gave the Giants their much needed leading pass rusher.
Leonard Williams
New York Giants DEHe was a force last season for the Giants defense, finally achieving the level of play expected of him when he came into the league with the Jets. Williams earned a new contract because of his impressive play.
The other addition on the list is perhaps more surprising – not because of the raw talent of the player, but because of his absence during last year. This player is Saquon Barkley, who comes in on the top 100 despite the long chronological gap since he’s last performed.
Saquon Barkley
New York Giants RBHe is coming off a torn ACL suffered in Week 2 last season, which limited him to 34 yards rushing for the year. He did have two impressive seasons to open his career, but can he get back to that same level he flashed as a rookie in 2018?
Many will consider Barkley a strange addition over Bradberry. Bradberry, after all, had the better season more recently. But if the list is including future potential and not just recent performance, it’s understandable why one of the most exciting running backs in the league would make it into the top 100 despite coming off an injury.