Ex-New York Giants DE Leonard Williams named to Top 100 Players of 2025
While no current New York Giants players have been revealed yet, former Giants defensive end Leonard Williams was named the 99th-best player in the league heading into the 2025 season.
2024 stats: 16 games | 64 tackles | 16 tfl | 11 sacks | 1 INT | 1 TD
What did Williams do to celebrate hitting the decade mark in the NFL? Nothing major, apart from producing his finest season yet. He reached double-digit sacks for the second time as a pro and snapped a seven-year Pro Bowl drought during his first full campaign with the Seahawks. His 87.1 PFF defensive grade marked the best in his career by far, something he'll look to build on now that he's fully immersed in Mike Macdonald's scheme.
NFL Pro Insight for Williams: Williams generated 50 total pressures last season, the fourth-most among defensive tackles. Williams also recorded a position-high 11.0 sacks and finished with the second-highest sack rate (2.5%) among defensive tackles with at least 200 pass rushes (Dexter Lawrence, 2.9%).
When the Giants traded Leonard to the Seattle Seahawks, many fans were surprised and saddened to see him go. He's a player who doesn't get injured often, and when he does, he doesn't miss many games, if any, and he's consistently among the top producers at his position.
The irony here is that Williams wears No. 99 on the field and ranks 99th on this list.
The next several spots will be revealed on Monday, with the top 10 scheduled to be revealed on Sunday, September 1 at 8:00 p.m. ET on NFL Network.
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But it was telling that Jones, who took fewer snaps, still received more reps with the Colts' starting offense. Snap by snap, there was little to split the two. Richardson remains all upside and volatility, while Jones was steadier. Does anything scream Daniel Jones louder than an 11-play, 77-yard drive that ends in a field goal? Does anything say Anthony Richardson like producing the throw of the preseason (called back for a flag) after butchering a snap and blowing two pre-snap protection checks? It's funny, in a sense, that Jones is the quarterback painted as the stabilizing force. He finished with 42 interceptions and 50 fumbles in 69 starts with the Giants, producing one of the highest turnover rates in the league. Like Richardson, Jones is a volatile quarterback, albeit one in dink-and-dunk clothing. Picking between the two came down to trust. 'It's everything,' Steichen said about choosing a starter. 'It's the operation, the communication in the huddle, the checks, the consistency.' Richardson's inability to coordinate the game pre-snap and stick to the rhythm of the system continues to ding his progress – and his agent said on Tuesday that he is unsure of his client's long-term future with the team. For all the sizzle he can provide an offense, Richardson – who the Colts took with the No 4 overall pick just two years ago – still struggles with the basic mechanics of operating and processing a pro offense, and he has yet to prove he can stay healthy. There wasn't a right call for Steichen to make; both quarterbacks will probably see playing time this season. In a few drives with the Colts, Jones still looked like a liability, but the offense was more polished with him under center. For that alone, he's been given the first crack.
