2017 Bracket Challenge: North Carolina Vs. LSU
NORTH CAROLINA
Notables: LB Lawrence Taylor (1981, 1st Rd), WR Hakeem Nicks (2009, 1st Rd)
Taylor joined the Giants as the second overall selection of the 1981 NFL Draft and played his entire 13-year career for the team. When Taylor retired, he was the NFL's No. 2 all-time sacks leader in the NFL with 132.5. That total does not include the 9.5 he accumulated as a rookie in 1981 before the sack was an official NFL statistic. Taylor established an NFL record by appearing in 10 consecutive Pro Bowls from 1981-1990. He was named the NFL Rookie of the Year in 1981 and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1981, 1982, and 1986. He was a unanimous selection as the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 1986, when he had a career-high 20.5 sacks, 105 tackles, five passes defensed and two forced fumbles. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999. Nicks, the 29th overall pick in 2009, propelled the Giants to their fourth Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl XLVI. His 444 yards receiving in that playoff run are second only to Larry Fitzgerald's 546 in 2008 for the most in a single postseason.
VS.
LSU
Notables: WR Odell Beckham Jr. (2014, 1st Rd), CB Corey Webster (2005, 2nd Rd), DE Leonard Marshall (1983, 2nd Rd)
If you need playmakers, pick from LSU. Beckham is the first Giants player to make the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons since Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor from 1981-83. Webster started more than 100 games for the Giants and was a postseason hero en route to two Super Bowl titles. Marshall also won two championships and was a member of some of the best defenses in the history of the game. He currently ranks third in franchise history with 79.5 sacks.
