Posted by ESPN.com's Mike McAllister
HONOLULU -- As previously chronicled, defensive end Osi Umenyiora is the lone Pro Bowl representative from the Super Bowl champion Giants.
That speaks volumes about the Giants' ability to win a title without a bevy of stars. But let's face it -- the main reason for the low number is that the Pro Bowl teams were announced in mid-December, well before the Giants began their sensational playoff run.
So that got us to thinking: What if the Pro Bowl team was announced this week? What other Giants would be worthy of a trip to Hawaii?
After consulting with ESPN.com's John Clayton and Football Outsiders' Aaron Schatz, here's our top five (in no particular order):
1. Chris Snee, guard. Tom Coughlin's son-in-law should've had something to brag about at the next family get-together (well, beyond being part of Coughlin's championship team). Snee was the most consistent player for an underrated offensive line -- the Giants were fourth in rushing offense this season and allowed just 28 sacks, 12th best in the league. Schatz said Snee, a Pro Bowl alternate, definitely should've made it ahead of the Eagles' Shawn Andrews.
2. Eli Manning, quarterback. Yes, Eli came of age in the playoffs. And wringing himself free to launch a pass to David Tyree will be the highlight moment of the season. Manning wouldn't make it if Brett Favre was playing, but since the Packers QB isn't here, then the choice becomes Manning vs. Jeff Garcia. While Garcia's passer rating certainly was much higher than Manning's in the regular season, Manning was more efficient and avoided mistakes as his Giants beat Garcia's Bucs in the playoffs.
3. Plaxico Burress, wide receiver. You could argue that Burress, the first alternate at wide receiver, should've been here to begin with instead of Green Bay's Donald Driver. Look at the numbers: Burress had 1,025 yards and 12 TDs; Driver had 1,048 yards and two TDs. Both came up with spectacular games in the head-to-head battle of the NFC Championship game, but Burress was simply unstoppable. Plus, his team won.
4. Madison Hedgecock, fullback. We'll let Schatz make the call on this one. Hedgecock was superb as the blocking back for Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, and his story is even more appealing considering he was cut by the Rams one week into the season. Schatz would've gone with Hedgecock over the Vikings' Tony Richardson on the regular season alone. Include the playoffs and that makes him "an even better choice."
5. Justin Tuck, defensive end. First, you have to decide if Tuck should go ahead of veteran Michael Strahan. Tough call there (Clayton likes Strahan), but after seeing Tuck's performance in the Super Bowl, we'll go with the third-year pro from Notre Dame. After all, if Manning doesn't get the Super Bowl MVP award, then it probably goes to Tuck. Then you'd have to choose Tuck ahead of the Eagles' Trent Cole. Another tough call. Time to look at the Super Bowl tape again.
By the way, while Umenyiora said this week that it "sounds crazy" for him to be the lone Giant here, he acknowledged that "when I look at the players here, you can't really argue with the selections." We'll second that observation.
So which Giants would you add to the Pro Bowl roster, and which players currently in Hawaii would you uninvite? Let us know.
