Dexter Lawrence

What the New York Giants defensive line could look like in 2020

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Establishing a dominant defensive front is essential to success in the NFL, and New York Giants GM Dave Gettleman has made that a priority since his hiring two years ago. Drafting Dexter Lawrence, trading for Leonard Williams, and signing Markus Golden were all significant decisions that were aimed towards the development of the trenches and stopping the run.

Lawrence, who was the Giants’ 17th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, has had a stellar rookie campaign, logging 35 combined tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 9 QB hits. He has been double-teamed frequently, considering his 342LB frame. Injecting Williams to pair with Lawrence has elevated the Giants’ defense to 6th in the league in stopping the run (past four games).

Rounding out the defensive line is part of the old-school mentality Gettleman brings to the Giants, and we should anticipate a 2020 offseason designed to establish a top unit in the NFL further.

What would the New York Giants be getting in Chase Young?

Realistically, the Giants are within striking distance of Ohio State standout Chase Young, who has racked up 16.5 sacks in 11 games. Factor in his 21 tackles for a loss, and you have one of the best pass rush prospects the draft has seen in several years. Teams often triple-team Young as a method of beating the Ohio State defense, and even then, he manages to leave his mark.

Adding Young to the Giants’ defense would instantly give them an impact player at the outside linebacker position. If they elect to retain Markus Golden, who currently has nine sacks on the year, they would have two elite pass-rushing options. It would be impossible for opposing offensive coordinators to compensate for Young, Golden, Lawrence, Williams, and Dalvin Tomlinson in the trenches. There’s also the possibility Gettleman pursue Yannick Ngakoue to replace Williams, considering his lack of sacks.

This is likely where Gettleman is going with his rebuild; establishing a robust run-stopping presence but also have top pass rushers to disrupt the quarterback. Infuse two quality linebackers and a few capable corners into the defense, and suddenly, you have a unit worth talking about.

What are the priorities for the New York Giants heading into December?

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New York Giants, Dexter Lawrence

With the New York Giants sitting at 2-9 on the season and having lost their last nine games, December doesn’t mean much in terms of a playoff push or competitive finish. As players continue to pick up injuries and miss games, Big Blue will be forced to utilize the remainder of the season to develop their young players, similar to what they’ve been doing since the beginning of the 2019 campaign.

Head coach Pat Shurmur needs to focus on his youthful players that are progressing into potential starters. Making the shift from Antoine Bethea at free safety to Julian Love was the beginning of that transition. Love enjoyed a positive first game with the Giants, finishing with an overall grade of 80.1, per PFF. He recorded an interception and zero coverage receptions in the defensive backfield, far better than Bethea has shown this season.

The veteran free safety has been a liability in coverage but solid against the run. When defensive coordinator James Bettcher features Bethea in a strong-safety style, closer to the line of scrimmage, he has been effective. The secondary for the Giants will be a priority moving forward in December, with a focus on cornerback and free safety.

Corners DeAndre Baker and Sam Beal are two players who Shurmur will want to gain more film on. Baker has had an up-and-down season, showing promise at times but vulnerability at others. Last week against the Chicago Bears, Baker played 46 snaps compared to Beal’s 27. The latter has worked his way back from numerous injuries, the latest being a hamstring that kept him sidelined for a majority of the season.

When asked about his style compared to Beal’s, Baker stated (NY Post):

“Beal’s style is different than mine, and we’ve got two different skill sets,” Baker said. “You always stay prepared for when your number is called. I was watching everything as if I was in the game, still making the calls.”

The Giants will continue to rotate Baker and Beal in coverage, with the eventual idea to split reps 50/50. This will give Shurmur plenty of tape on Beal, who the Giants will need to factor into their plans next offseason.

The New York Giants must also iron out the defensive line:

One of the most significant moves for the Giants this season was the trade for Leonard Williams. The former Jet has the physical traits to be a great interior lineman, but his lack of consistency has plagued his career up to this point. Williams logged just one combined tackle in week 12, highlighting a disappointing performance for the former first-round pick.

GM Dave Gettleman giving up ample draft capital for the defender is looking like a wrong move and considering he’s a free agent after this season, the Giants have minimal leverage in contract talks. I estimate he will earn somewhere in the $12-14 million range.

Dexter Lawrence is another defender that will be prioritized in December. Allowing him to mesh with Williams and develop a chemistry with the former Jet is essential. Lawrence, who is ranked as one of the best interior defenders this season, has shown significant growth in his rookie campaign.

PFF wrote …

Lawrence once again put forth a very commendable performance from the middle of the Giants’ defensive front, and he ended the game with the seventh 70.0-plus overall game grade of his young career. His best work came in the run game, where he didn’t manage to record a run stop on the day, but he was a constant menace at the point of attack. He also added a hit and hurry from his 36 snaps as a pass-rusher. Through 12 weeks of action, Lawrence ranks 11th among 128 qualifying interior defensive linemen in overall grade, while his 88.8 run-defense grade ranks fifth among that same group of players.

The Giants have a great building block in Lawrence, who’s quickly becoming a dominant force in the trenches. Another solid contributor has been Oshane Ximines. The third-round selection has logged two sacks, and four QB hits in his rookie year, so far. While those numbers don’t jump off the screen, he has been a rotational piece behind Markus Golden. He has averaged less than 50% of defensive snaps this season, but he has been more prominent on special teams.

 

Will the New York Giants offer Leonard Williams a big contract?

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New York Giants, Leonard Williams

With Eli Manning and his $26 million coming off the books in 2020, the New York Giants will have plenty of cap space to go out and sign numerous big-name free agents. However, they will need to find room for Leonard Williams as well, who was recently traded from the Jets to the Giants across the street.

Williams’ statistical production hasn’t been noteworthy this season in several categories, but he has left a mark on every game, specifically in quarterback pressures. His two games with the Giants have lacked numerical outputs, totaling six combined tackles, and five QB hits on about 65.5% of defensive snaps.

General manager Dave Gettleman sees Williams as a starter in the middle of the defense, but he must show consistency and the ability to move the pile in the trenches.

Despite his low numbers, Williams has executed well in a limited sample size with the Giants. We must factor in the reality of the secondary when speaking about a 27th ranked Big Blue defense. Opposing teams know that Williams and Dexter Lawrence in the middle is a force, and together they attract 3+ blockers. However, if the secondary can’t give them enough time to get to the quarterback, their efforts mostly go to waste.

The New York Giants will have money to spend:

This upcoming offseason, the Giants will have upwards of $70 million in cap space after cuts, which will allow them to allocate resources towards the secondary and linebacker position. This will hopefully elevate the quality in the defensive backfield, giving the Giants’ defensive lineman more time to get to the quarterback and stop running backs in the backfield.

It’s challenging for a defense to operate at a high level when multiple positions lack quality. Linebacker, cornerback, safety, and pass-rusher all lack consistency and starting quality. Offseason upgrades will help Williams and his totals, but the Giants will need to pay him first.

Gettleman investing in the former Jet means he has little leverage in negotiating a contract, so Williams could cost upwards of $13 million per season on a multi-year deal.

Should the New York Giants extend pass-rusher Markus Golden?

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New York Giants, Markus Golden

One thing the New York Giants have lacked this year is an elite pass-rusher who they can depend on to disrupt opposing quarterbacks and help stop the run. Free-agent pickup Markus Golden has been their best pass-rusher by far, logging 6.5 sacks and 15 QB hits through 10 games.

Golden’s ability to get into the backfield and force early passes has been a significant help for the 27th ranked Giants defense, but the secondary has been so weak his efforts have gone to waste. Pairing Golden with another premium-level pass-rusher would help take some of the pressure off and allow him to work in 1v1 situations with offensive tackles.

Opposing offenses have planned around Golden and provided help to slow him down in early-down sets. Because defensive coordinator James Bettcher has dialed down his blitz percentage, he has relied on Golden to pick up a majority of the slack.

Bettcher’s usual blitz-heavy scheme has been tamed, primarily at the expense of a disastrous secondary who has failed to work off of a solid push in the trenches and lack of talent at the linebacker position. Their inability to cover crossing routes and the deep ball has seen the Giants defense plummet every single week.

Should the New York Giants extend Markus Golden?

Extending Golden might not be the worst idea, especially considering the value of quality pass-rushers in today’s market. Given Big Blue manages to grab a top-level outside linebacker in the 2020 NFL Draft, like Chase Young or Yetur Gross-Matos, having Golden to pair with either would provide exponential value on the defensive line.

Imagining Golden, Young, Dalvin Tomlinson, Dexter Lawrence, and Leonard Williams up front gives me chills, and I can’t imagine a quarterback feeling any different. This unit would immediately become one of the league’s most feared, but it’s about retaining strong-points and not letting them walk in free agency.

Both Golden and Williams are due for big contracts — they will probably land in the $12-14 million range this upcoming offseason. It will be interesting to see general manager Dave Gettleman’s approach towards finalizing the trenches on the defensive side of the ball.

New York Giants: Why we should give Dave Gettleman the benefit of the doubt

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New York Giants. Dave Gettleman, Pat Shurmur

Give Dave Gettleman a break; the New York Giants are far better off:

Free agency isn’t the be-all of any NFL team, as finding the right players to fill specific roles is challenging to do. Often, free agents will never be as efficient as home-grown players coming out of the NFL Draft, why? Because grooming a player to fit a scheme and building around them is a much more efficient process than trying to force a veteran to adapt to a new system and coaching style. For the New York Giants, general manager Dave Gettleman has been fantastic in the NFL Draft and average in free agency. This latest round of free agents includes Antoine Bethea, Markus Golden, Golden Tate, and Mike Remmers.

Bethea has been a tackling machine, but a liability in coverage, Golden has been solid for Big blue in regards to rushing the passer, Tate has been a menace on third-downs and Remmers a liability at right tackle. Overall, he hit on about 50% of his free-agent signings this past offseason, and in the second year of a rebuild, their performances are irrelevant anyway. Signing them is more of an audition for a potential extension, and we can conclude that Tate and Golden could spend more time with the Giants moving forward.

Gettleman’s bread and butter don’t lie on his 2018 signing, though, as his draft selections have been stellar over two seasons.

Naming the potentially significant draft picks for the New York Giants (2018-19):

  1. Daniel Jones
  2. Saquon Barkley
  3. Dexter Lawrence
  4. Will Hernandez
  5. Ryan Connelly
  6. B.J. Hill
  7. Darius Slayton

This is essentially an entire draft class of “hits,” and the Giants are still working with DeAndre Baker, Lorenzo Carter, Sam Beal, and more to reach their potential.

However, the reason we should remain confident in Gettleman is Daniel Jones, who has shown he can be the future at quarterback for the Giants. Having logged four touchdowns in three of his first eight games, all without his top offensive weapons weekly, is impressive.

Jones is proving Gettleman’s worth day-in and day-out, especially after negativity toward the draft-pick immediately following the selection. Also, factor in a slew of draft picks in 2020 and nearly $80 million in cap-space after cuts; the Giants could be looking at an entirely different team come next season.

My message to all worried fans is: Relax, it’s the second year of a rebuild, and we have a top-3 running back in the NFL and the future at quarterback in Jones. Add in Dexter Lawrence and the other young building block pieces littered across the team, and the foundation is being built.

The New York Giants keeping Janoris Jenkins at trade deadline makes sense now

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New York Giants, Janoris Jenkins

After a disastrous loss to the lowly Jets, the New York Giants were forced to evaluate the state of the team going into the BYE week. If owner John Mara wasn’t already concerned about his team, falling to a 1-7 opponent marked as one of the worst teams in the NFL might get the point across.

Big Blue was destined for a life of rebuilding after general manager Dave Gettleman stripped the team clean of any Jerry Reese talent, enforcing a turnover at nearly every position. Gettleman was always going to live and die by the team he constructed, and there’s plenty of reason to believe that they can still be competitive.

The number of rookies featuring on one of the league’s worst defenses should tell the entire story. Dexter Lawrence, Oshane Ximines, DeAndre Baker, Corey Ballentine, Ryan Connelly. Most of these players are current starters, which is the most concerning part. Year two is what they call the “evaluation year,” which helps determine the weak spots and where cap-space needs to be allocated.

New York Giants’ Gettleman can come to several conclusions:

-His secondary is a mess

-The free safety position needs a significant upgrade

-The linebackers are in disarray 

-His offensive line is made os Swiss Cheese

-He needs a true No. 1 WR if Sterling Shepard cannot return

-In need of a pure pass-rusher if Markus Golden leaves in free agency

There are a lot more holes that need to be filled than previously assumed. However, at the trade deadline, when everyone thought the Giants would be sellers, ended up buying.

Cornerback Janoris Jenkins was expected to be traded, but his retention tells us one thing — Gettleman is trying to save face. Jenkins has shown a lack of effort in weeks, failing to justify the Giants not trading him. If Gettleman would have left the secondary in a situation where they didn’t have a real No. 1 corner, his team might fall apart at the seams.

Jenkins is a voice in the locker room and a veteran with respect, and putting DeAndre Baker in a disadvantageous spot as the top corner would be ludicrous. If Baker was performing well, I imagine “Jackrabbit” would have been shipped off. In other words, Gettleman’s decisions are telling.

Ranking The New York Giants’ 2019 Draft Class So Far

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New York Giants, Dexter Lawrence

The New York Giants are one of the NFL’s most disappointing teams this season. They sit at 2-7 heading into a winnable matchup against the New York Jets this Sunday. The Giants are a rebuilding team, though. They have young players starting all over the roster.

The Giants’ 2019 draft class has seen a ton of playing time so far. Dave Gettleman was criticized highly over a few picks after the draft, particularly a couple in the first round. But most of Gettleman’s picks have been solid performers so far this season.

The Giants have started seven of their ten draft picks at some point this season. Some have played better than others, but some have come as a complete shock and played well above expectations. Let’s take a look at how each rookie has played so far this season and rank them based on their performance so far:

1. Dexter Lawrence II

The Giants’ second pick in the 2019 NFL Draft has been their best performer so far. New York selected Dexter Lawrence with the 17th overall pick and received much criticism for taking a defensive tackle with that pick. But so far, Lawrence has been one of the best rookies in the NFL this season.

Dexter has posted 24 combined tackles, 3 sacks, and 5 quarterback hits through nine games. He has been making his presence felt in both the run and pass game. In fact, Pro Football Focus has raved about Dexter’s work in run-defense.

Dexter Lawrence has earned an 86.9 run-defense from PFF grade, ranking seventh at his position. PFF also points out that Lawrence has missed a tackle on just 4% of his tackling attempts. Dexter Lawrence is grading out as one of the top players in the entire NFL at his position. The rookie has been the Giants’ most impressive draft pick so far this season.

2. Daniel Jones

The 6th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft was one of the most controversial draft selections in the last decade. The Giants decided to take Duke quarterback Daniel Jones and absolutely stunned the world. Dave Gettleman received a lot of criticism for this move, but so far, he has seemed like a mad genius.

Daniel Jones has silenced most of his haters this season. He took over as the starter in week three and instantly elevated the Giants’ offense. So far, Jones has thrown for 1,676 yards and 11 touchdowns with 8 interceptions. The turnovers (especially the 10 fumbles) are a problem, but Jones has made enough positive plays to outweigh the negatives and flash potential as a franchise quarterback.

3. Ryan Connelly

The New York Giants’ fifth-round draft pick, Ryan Connelly, looked to be a draft-day steal earlier this season. Unfortunately, in week four, Connelly went down with a knee injury. It was later revealed that Connelly had torn his ACL and would miss the remainder of the season.

But Connelly was playing at a high level before his injury. He had a combined total of 20 tackles in three and a half games. He also added 2 interceptions and 3 passes defended in that span. Ryan Connelly will need to be healthy for the Giants next season and take over as the team’s starting inside linebacker.

4. Darius Slayton

The Giants have received a solid amount of production out of their fifth-round receiver Darius Slayton. The speedster out of Auburn has developed a strong connection with rookie quarterback Daniel Jones this season.

Slayton has played in 7 games this season and caught 17 passes for 273 yards and 3 touchdowns. Slayton has been running routes vertical and downfield. He could be the Giants’ next big-play receiver. Darius showed his high potential in the Giants’ week eight game against Detroit where he caught two contested touchdown receptions and totaled 50 yards on the day.

5. Oshane Ximines

Oshane Ximines was the first player ever to be drafted out of Old Dominion. The Giants selected Oshane at the end of the third round and they have already seen the rookie make an impact as a rotational pass-rusher. Ximines has 16 combined tackles so far this season with 2 sacks, 4 quarterback hits, and 3 tackles for loss.

It is encouraging to see a mid-round edge rusher having productivity this early in his career. The Giants should be able to use Oshane Ximines as a rotational pass-rusher for a while, but maybe he could even develop into a full-time starter.

6. Corey Ballentine

The Giants drafted Corey Ballentine out of Washburn in the sixth round of the draft. He was impressive during the preseason but has not seen a lot of playing time on defense in the regular season. However, Ballentine has been serving as the Giants’ kick returner this season.

In the first six games of the season, Corey Ballentine served as the Giants’ primary kick returner. Ballentine returned nine kickoffs for 237 yards, an average of 26.3 yards per return, including an impressive season-long return of 52 yards.

While the starting kick returner position is not the most valuable, Ballentine is still being productive and has the chance to take a step forward in the future with some promising potential at cornerback.

7. DeAndre Baker

DeAndre Baker has definitely been the most disappointing rookie for the Giants this season. New York traded up to draft the cornerback at the end of the first round. It was considered a great pick on draft night, but so far, Baker has not come close to living up to that first-round price tag.

Through nine weeks, DeAndre Baker has earned an atrocious 37.3 overall Pro Football Focus grade. This ranks 114th out of 115 cornerbacks. Baker has allowed 100 yards in coverage four times this season and has also given up 7 touchdowns. It has been a really tough start to the rookie’s career, but hopefully, Baker can bounce back and develop into a capable starting cornerback by the end of the season or next.

New York Giants news, 11/3 – Sam Beal might never touch the field, Leonard Williams, more

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New York Giants

Good Morning, New York Giants Fans!

The New York Giants selected cornerback Sam Beal in the third round of the Supplemental Draft last year. While general manager Dave Gettleman was excited about his potential, Beal hasn’t been able to get on the field in any capacity.

After a predisposed shoulder injury that led to Beal receiving season-ending surgery in 2018, he injured his hamstring this past offseason, spiraling him into a pit of rehabilitation and patience. Beal is now finally on the verge of returning, but head coach Pat Shurmur stated that the corner might not be able to return this week from the injured list. At this point, it’s seeming that Beal might never might it onto a professional football field, considering his bones are made of glass and ligaments of jello.

The Giants could use his talents, despite his inability to remain healthy. He can develop into a quality defensive back, but getting onto the field is step number one.

Leonard Williams is confident in his abilities:

While Williams hasn’t recorded a sack this season, despite playing in every game for the Jets, he’s left his mark in other ways. He has recorded 20 combined tackles and five quarterback hits, but his talents and attributes scream production. His long frame and bustling shoulders pack a punch, and defensive coordinator James Bettcher will be looking to take advantage of his physical tools.

“I think I’m pretty good in all aspects of a defensive lineman,’’ Williams said, per the NY Post. “I have almost everything you want in a defensive lineman — I can stop the run, I can pass rush, I can play nose tackle, three technique, five technique.

Standing him up alongside Dexter Lawrence and B.J. Hill/Dalvin Tomlinson should give the New York Giants plenty of leverage in the trenches on defense. Opposing offenses simply can’t double team all three down defensive lineman and compensate for pass rushers at the same time.

Nonetheless–

Your top news of the day:

Mark Cannizzaro – Giants’ Leonard Williams has message for his biggest critics

Alexander Wilson – New York Giants: Daniel Jones is in for a surprise on Monday

Todd Archer – Sources: Cowboys’ Leighton Vander Esch likely out vs. Giants
Ryan Dunleavy – Janoris Jenkins secretly knew Giants wouldn’t trade him
Dan Salomone – Giants vs. Cowboys: 5 Players to Watch

The New York Giants could build a monster defensive line with new addition

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New York Giants, Dexter Lawrence

The New York Giants trading for Jets interior defensive lineman Leonard Williams took everyone by surprise on Monday afternoon. Considering Williams’ inefficient season, general manager Dave Gettleman is one of the league’s top lineman evaluators, which makes this deal a bit more optimistic than most.

Williams has 17 total seasons over four seasons and zero this campaign, but he’s a strong interior presence who can pair up perfectly alongside rookie, Dexter Lawrence.

The former Jet has been extremely productive in some categories, though, despite his low sacks totals. Since 2016, 38.7% of Williams’ run tackles have gone for a loss or no gain, which ranks second behind only Aaron Donald. His power and strength next to Lawrence will give the Giants a monster presence in the trenches and allow them to push the pile with force.

Add in B.J. Hill and the Giants are quietly building one of the stronger defensive lines in the league, given Williams can elevate his game with Big Blue. Staying in New York makes his life a bit easier, as the transition isn’t as tedious, but learning a new scheme will take time.

What did the New York Giants give up for Leonard Williams?

Big Blue unloaded a third-round pick and a fifth-rounder that can turn into a fourth if the Giants re-sign him before the new league year. However, they can recoup the third-rounder as a compensatory pick if they let Williams walk in the free agency.

Reports have stated that the Giants could give the lineman upwards of $10 million in free agency, which might be a decent deal considering his lack of production. Higher priced free agent pass rushers might garner upwards of $15 million, and if the Giants see his production increase in the second half of the year in a new scheme, we can expect him to stick around for the foreseeable future.

Realistically, the Giants traded away a fifth-round pick for a rental, but one that could prove to be a long-term option in the trenches. Dexter Lawrence, who ranks fifth in the NFL in pass-rush win-rate (9.9%), will benefit from this trade.

New York Giants: 3 keys to beating the Detroit Lions

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

Over the last three games, the Detroit Lions have surrendered 109 total points to their opponents. Now, imagine how bad the New York Giants defense has been in that same time frame — they have allowed just 90 points.

Big Blue should run all over a fragile Lions defensive unit, and breaking the 300-yard mark for rookie quarterback Daniel Jones should be a walk in the park. However, we know the Giants find ways to beat themselves, as we highlighted last week in regards to Pat Shurmur’s numerous mental mistakes.

Time management, lousy play calls, predictability, you name it. There have been a ton of negatives to complement the minimal positives this season, but it’s a work in progress, nonetheless.

Here are the three keys for the New York Giants to overcome the Detroit Lions:

1.) Coaching must be impeccable

Despite the Detroit defense being worse than the Giants’, the coaching mistakes need to come to an end. Proper time management, the urge to challenge a pass interference when the league has secretly banned referees from overturning a call (loss of a timeout), and predictable play calling.

Shurmur needs to do a better job in all of these categories, considering he played a large part in the loss last week to the Arizona Cardinals at home. The players will rise to the occasion if he coaches a clean game with minimal mistakes. Giving the team the best chance to win starts with Shurmur, and they will follow in his footsteps.

2.) Daniel Jones must bounce back from three tough losses

The Giants offense has scored just 45 points in three weeks, half of what their defense has allowed. While Jones has struggled at times and forced throws, he’s learning and gaining essential experience. He has continued to state that the team has not given up, and they’re ready to keep fighting.

Sunday could be an offensive battle, and Jones is more than capable of playing to his potential. I expect to see a hefty dose of Saquon Barkley and a more efficient Evan Engram indoors. Engram had trouble catching passes against Arizona due to the rain. With his gloves back on, the Giants will undoubtedly utilize his services, and Jones will be the beneficiary.

3.) The defensive line must how up

The Giants logged two sacks in week seven against the Cardinals, but one came from linebacker, David Mayo. The defensive front was mostly ineffective against an uber-mobile, Kyler Murray.

This week, they will face off against a pocket passer in Matthew Stafford that can extend plays with his legs. He’s one of the league’s top passers when in a groove, but putting hits on him is the way to rattle his game. The outside linebackers need to have a big game in this one, and they’ve impressed this season so far.

Interior rookie Dexter Lawrence will need to be a force in the middle against center, Frank Ragnow, one of the best in the game. He struggled in week seven as well with the rest of the defense, but performing indoors should give him his leverage back.