Lorenzo Carter

New York Giants need third-year pass-rusher Lorenzo Carter to wake up (highlights)

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The New York Giants invested a third-round pick into Georgia standout pass-rusher, Lorenzo Carter, in the 2018 NFL Draft. Since his inception into the NFL, Carter has racked up just 8.5 sacks, but he has shown the ability to burst through the offensive line and use his incredible bend and length to get after the quarterback.

Before we get started, here’s a highlight video to give you an idea of his abilities. Make sure to subscribe to our new “Fireside Giants” Youtube channel!

The Giants just finished piecing their coaching staff together, and one of the names mentioned was Kevin Sherrer, who previously coached Carter at Georgia. This could be an excellent hire for the Giants and their third-year pass rusher, as the youngster hasn’t fully unlocked his potential, and Joe Judge will be looking to keep the best and leave the rest.

As a rookie, Carter logged 43 tackles, four sacks, and flashed the promise to become a talented pass rusher at the NFL-level, but he lost snaps to Oshane Ximines last season and couldn’t cement himself as a reliable option. While Sherrer will be coaching the inside linebackers, his familiarity with Carter might go a long way in allowing him to open up and improve his efficiency.

The New York Giants will be changing things on defense:

It’s possible that Carter fits more of a traditional defensive end role than an outside linebacker, since his lankiness and speed off the line gives him the leverage he needs to beat opposing tackles. Dropping back into shallow coverage or spying on the run isn’t his strength, and new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham should be aware of that going in 2020.

The defense will likely feature a hybrid of 3-4 and 4-3 looks, focusing on keeping quarterbacks confused and allowing players like Carter to excel. They say that “third year’s a charm,” so, with the overhaul in the coaching staff and a hard-nosed HC like Joe Judge taking over, Carter theoretically should see an uptick in production. Nonetheless, the Giants desperately need him to take a big step forward.

New York Giants will likely push for prized free agent pass rusher

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New York Giants, Yannick Ngakoue

During New York Giants‘ GM Dave Gettleman’s final interview with Joe and Evan, he stated that everybody east of the west coast knows the Giants need more quality pass rushers. Last season, they had Markus Golden, who tallied double-digit sacks, but beyond his production, there’s nothing to write home about.

Lorenzo Carter showed up towards the end of the campaign, finishing with 4.5 sacks, and Oshane Ximines logged 4.5 as well. Combined, they don’t even reach Golden’s number (10.0), who put up high numbers in a contract year. However, the Giants need more, which is where Yannick Ngakoue enters the frame.

The Jacksonville Jaguar is keen on taking his talents to the free agency market, where he’s prepared to cash in on a big deal, likely worth over $16 million per season. The Giants have the cap space and require another elite pass rusher if they want their defense to compete in 2020.

Adding Ngakoue and retaining Golden would put the team in a good spot, as it would allow them to work around losing Chase Young in the NFL Draft and pluck an elite linebacker like Isaiah Simmons off the board. They could also trade back and collect assets, waiting to select an offensive tackle.

There are plenty of options in the draft for Big Blue, who currently hold the No. 4 overall pick, but they need to have a successful free agency period to ensure their strategy is correct for the draft.

What would Yannick Ngakoue bring to the New York Giants?

The former Jaguar had a monster 2019 campaign, logging 8.0 sacks, 41 total tackles, four forced fumbles, one interception, 15 QB hits, and 13 tackles for a loss. His ability to get after the quarterback and put essential pressure on the pocket is well documented, and with a top-line interior defensive to help maximize his qualities, the Giants could be in line to rejuvenate their defense this offseason.

New York Giants Still Struggling With Injuries At Season’s End

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New York Giants, Corey Ballentine

The New York Giants have one game left and they have a chance to knock the Philadelphia Eagles out of the playoffs – however, it won’t be easy for them. Not just because they’re facing the top ranked team in the NFC East but because they’re coming into the game with some injuries on their own end, which will be familiar at this point for Giants fans after the team has spent most of the season banged up.

Some players might be back but the general trend of having multiple starters out with injuries will likely continue based on who was at practice on Wednesday – or rather, who was listed as participating and who wasn’t. The Giants didn’t practice on Wednesday but released an injury report regardless, showing who would have been kept out.

Corey Ballentine was marked out with a knee injury, Mike Remmers out with a concussion, Alec Ogletree with a back injury, and Lorenzo Carter with a knee injury.

These players aren’t exactly at unimportant positions, either – the offensive line hasn’t picked up a lot of praise this season and it’s debatable if Saquon Barkley will be able to repeat his big performance form last Sunday if the Giants have to deal with an injury at tackle.

Then again, the Giants were able to pull out the win despite Remmers having to leave the game last week with his concussion. Remmers only played in 17 snaps, or 24% for the game.

Ballentine is part of a secondary that would do good to not lose more players after its leader, Janoris Jenkins, was already waived earlier in the season. He had no insignificant part in the Giants’ win on Sunday as a member of the secondary who played 77% of the game’s snaps, making 5 combined tackles in the effort.

But with the Giants out of the playoffs and fighting to keep their high draft pick, a loss on Sunday likely wouldn’t bother too many people. And it’s definitely not any easier for the Giants to win this week, with a number of injuries to starters once again. That assumes, of course, that none of the players marked out on Wednesday bounce back in time for the game on Sunday.

New York Giants news, 11/21 – BJ Hill, Lorenzo Carter in danger of being left behind

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New York Giants, Lorenzo Carter

Good Morning, New York Giants Fans!

With the New York Giants going into week 12 at 2-8 on the season, we can only anticipate a top-5 draft pick in 2020. The most probable scenario has general manager Dave Gettleman drafting a top pass-rusher, especially if Chase Young is on the board.

This season, though, Gettleman traded for Leonard Williams, previously a defensive lineman on the Jets. Ever since this deal, 2018 third-round pick, BJ Hill, has fallen off in regards to snap-count and overall efficiency. In his rookie campaign, Hill produced 5.5 sacks, 48 combined tackles, and eight QB hits.

This season, he has zero sacks, zero QB hits, and 26 combined tackles through 10 games (started only five). His production and efficiency have fallen off significantly, making him a potential trade option this offseason. He proved last season that he could be a forceful interior defensive lineman, but his sophomore season has been disappointing.

Alternatively, the New York Giants could utilize him as a rotational option, which is likely the course they will take. Similar to Hill, second-year pass-rusher, Lorenzo Carter, has failed to make the jump to the next level.

Comparing Carter’s stats to last season, his defensive snaps have seen an uptick from 441 to 459, but his tackles have fallen off (43 tackles, 4 sacks, 7 TFL in 2018 to 33 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 3 TFL in 2019.

While the Giants’ offense has been mediocre in nearly every category, Carter playing at a higher level would have helped the team significantly. There’s no question they will keep him around moving forward, but he’s quickly finding himself in a rotational role that will see his playing time drop off.

If the New York Giants draft or sign a big-name pass-rusher, Carter will fall into the depths of the roster where he will be fighting for snaps on defense.

Nonetheless–

Your top news of the day:

Jordan Raanan – Subtle changes on way for Giants in final six games

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

Paul Schwartz – Giants needed Lorenzo Carter’s ‘big jump’ badly — and it just hasn’t come

Matt Lombardo – Silence greets Giants as players tasked with ‘creating own energy’ at practice: Here’s why Pat Shurmur made the change

John Fennelly – Giants vs. Bears: 6 things to know about Week 12

New York Giants could look to trade Janoris Jenkins at the trade deadline

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New York Giants, Janoris Jenkins

As the October 29 deadline closes in for the New York Giants, they could look to make several deals that would provide them value for the next NFL draft.

Adding draft assets is precisely what they need going into the third year of a rebuild and several weak spots existing on the defensive side of the ball. One option the Giants could look to utilize is starting cornerback, Janoris Jenkins.

Jenkins is a quality player that has been inconsistent with the Giants through the ups and downs. He tends to play far better when the team is winning, and confidence is high, which is only natural. However, he falters when the unit is struggling and lacks effort at times.

Realistically, letting Janoris Jenkins go would hurt the defense and the secondary significantly. His influence as the number one corner helps give the unit a bit more legitimacy and support. Without him, DeAndre Baker would likely slide into the number one corner spot, and Corey Ballentine will be forced into a starting role.

What could the New York Giants get in a trade involving Janoris Jenkins?

Targeting contending teams in a potential trade would be the priority. Teams like the New Orleans Saints, or Kansas City Chiefs would make sense in a deal. The most value the Giants could hope to get from Jenkins would be a third-round pick, which can ultimately turn into high value.

This past draft, the Giants selected Oshane Ximines in the third round, who has already racked up two sacks and 15 combined tackles this season.

Last year, general manager Dave Gettleman selected both Lorenzo Carter and B.J. Hill in the draft — both players start on the defense currently. Last week, Carter had a stellar game, enjoying one forced fumble and one sack against a harsh New England Patriots team. Both Hill and Carter seem to be developing into quality players, and they were both selected in the third round. If the Giants could get a similar pick in exchange for Jenkins, that might not be a terrible deal.

New York Giants: Which Third Round Edge-Rusher Is A Better Bet To Emerge?

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New York Giants, Oshane Ximines

In the last 2 years Dave Gettleman, general manager of the New York Giants, has drafted a pass rusher in the 3rd round. In most cases, the talent on the edge has dried up by the time the 3rd round comes along, given the demand for the position. Expecting both of the young defenders to break out might be greedy considering the hit-rate on 3rd round pass rushers. It’s certainly early yet but if only one had to be picked as the better bet to pan out, is it Lorenzo Carter or Oshane Ximines?

College Production:

Oshane Ximines was easily the better college pass rusher if you’re strictly looking at numbers. Ximines had 3 seasons with at least 7.5 sacks in his college career. Lorenzo Carter didn’t have one season reaching Ximines’ impressive floor in 3 of his 4 seasons (7.5). Lorenzo Carter’s best mark was 5 sacks in his junior year. Overall, Carter collected 14 sacks while Ximines was able to rack up 32.5 sacks in the same amount of college seasons as Carter (4). Their tackles for loss weren’t very close either, Ximines collected 51 and Carter only managed to get 21.5.

The trick with their large variance in pass-rushing production is the variance in the talent level of their opponents. Lorenzo Carter was a Georgia Bull Dog in the SEC which is largely considered the most physical and NFL-ready conference in college football. Oshane Ximines played college football at Old Dominion which is a very small school, he was actually their first player drafted. While Carter went up against plenty of NFL prospects, Ximines did not.

Player Profiles and Skill-Sets:

Lorenzo Carter is somewhat lanky considering the average build of a pass rusher. He added some good weight in the offseason and even looks stronger but has always struggled to play with leverage. At 6’5” tall and weighing 250 lbs he’s not a physically imposing player, he needs to win with speed to get around the edge. The good news is he has plenty of it (4.5 forty yard dash) but lacks the pass-rushing techniques to stay alive on plays when his speed is matched. So far in 2019, he only has half a sack and shares it with the other 3rd round pass-rusher, Oshane Ximines.

Oshane Ximines isn’t a very big pass-rusher either but at 6’3” and 252 lbs he is slightly stouter than Lorenzo Carter. He seems to play a little tougher than Carter too, he is much more of a hand-fighter than the 2nd-year pro. That could be partially why he has 1 more sack than Carter at this time, despite playing fewer snaps. The ”X-Man’s” overall speed is pretty average for an edge defender. He only ran a 4.78 forty yard dash but has displayed functional pass-rushing quickness with his 3-cone mark of 7.13 and a 4.57 20-yard shuttle.

Final Thoughts:

The two players couldn’t be much different from each other. Lorenzo Carter has super-human physical tools but hasn’t learned how to wield them. Oshane Ximines is somewhat limited physically but has a pass-rushing repertoire that makes up for his size. While it seems fair to somewhat neutralize Ximines’ lead in production due to differences in opponents he’s currently ahead of Lorenzo Carter in sack production in 2019 with less NFL experience and fewer snaps. While Oshane Ximines is less dynamic physically he is more of a complete package than Lorenzo Carter and a better bet to stick in the NFL at this time.

New York Giants: Evaluating the Talent on Defense

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New York Giants, Dexter Lawrence

Going into the 2019 season the New York Giants coaching staff knew the defense would be flawed. The team has young players on the field with three rookies starting on defense.

What they didn’t know is the team would look almost entirely lost on defense, allowing 9 touchdowns through three weeks of the season. Overall they’ve given up 94 points which is tied for 2nd worst in the league, only ahead of the tanking Miami Dolphins.

The team looks like they’ve taken a step back on the defensive side of the ball compared to the 2018 season when James Bettcher first arrived.

Each layer of the defense has deficiencies. The defensive line hasn’t been physically overbearing for offensive lines. Linebackers can’t cover and don’t seem to know who to cover, to begin with. The secondary not only has a hard time in coverage but looks like a confused unit with poor tackling mechanics. The Giants have an overall bad defense through three weeks.

That’s not to say things can’t get better but it’s a good time to evaluate the talent on the defensive side of the ball:

Dalvin Tomlinson

The young defensive lineman is the longest-tenured player of this unit. He was a 2nd round selection in the 2017 NFL Draft. As a prospect, he was known for being technically sound. He also gave teams a headache when they tried to run the ball against Alabama. He didn’t exactly fill the void Jonathan Hankins left behind but still played well for a rookie.

In the 2018 season, he improved in certain areas. He went from 50 combined tackles as a rookie to 59 in his 2nd year. He also had 4 more tackles for a loss in his 2nd year. He’s not an elite run-stuffer but he’s a solid contributor. His lone sack should tell you he’s here to help win on 1st and 2nd down.

One of the positives with Dalvin is he hasn’t missed a game since entering the league. This is Dalvin’s 3rd season so if his price tag is a little high they can at least wait until the 2021 offseason to worry about replacing him. For now, he’s one of the team’s few significant assets on defense.

BJ Hill

BJ Hill was one of Dave Gettleman’s first draft picks as GM of the New York Giants. Hill was selected in the 3rd round of the 2018 NFL Draft, still just 24 years old. The defensive lineman was a late-riser in the draft process as teams fell in love with his speed and athleticism at 311 pounds.

In James Bettcher’s scheme, he lines up as a 3 and 5 technique defensive end. As a rookie, he collected 5.5 sacks with 8 quarterback hits overall. He also had 48 total tackles, proving to be stout against the run as well.

His start to the 2019 season has been slow with 0 pressures through two games and 0 sacks through three games, but his rookie season should keep everyone optimistic. He might not be a totally proven commodity yet but ultimately he is an adequate starting option for most teams. He looks to be a core piece with 3 more years under contract, even if he doesn’t turn out to be special.

Dexter Lawrence

Many expected Snacks 2.0 when they heard Dexter Lawrence’s name called 17th overall during the 2019 NFL Draft. Not only is Dexter much different from Snacks but he also doesn’t primarily line up as a nose tackle as Snacks did. Lawrence is versatile with the quickness that  300 lb men don’t possess, let alone players in the mid 330’s. He’s got plenty of nastiness in the trenches at that size and has drawn plenty of double-team blocks through 2 games as a rookie.

He was considered a slam dunk pick by many scouts with the only concerns regarding positional value. Whether he becomes a savvy pass rusher or not, he’s already made it apparent he can collapse the pocket with offensive guards being along for the ride. That in itself will help spark some pass rush.

He’s also expected to be a great run defender with the size he brings. The team might’ve expected him to be more disruptive earlier on but there’s a lot of legitimate optimism regarding his talent. Having another 4 seasons of his services after this year will be vital to this team’s success on defense.

Olsen Pierre

Many didn’t know who Olsen Pierre was when the team signed him during the offseason. He was a familiar face for James Bettcher who coached him in Arizona during the 2017 season. It’s easy to see why Bettcher didn’t forget him.

Pierre had 5.5 sacks in his defense as a rookie with 9 total quarterback hits. He also had 30 tackles that season, showing some disruptiveness in both phases of defense. Unfortunately, he was injured in 2018, only starting 1 game with little production.

While Bettcher is under some scrutiny for leaning on familiar players too often Pierre might be a gem if he can stay healthy. He’s already earned 1 sack this year coming against the Buffalo Bills. For now, Olsen Pierre is an adequate rotational piece for the defensive line but is not under contract after 2019.

RJ McIntosh

One of the more unfortunate draft prospects last year, RJ McIntosh fell to the 5th round of the 2018 NFL Draft due to a thyroid issue. His talent alone could’ve put him in the 3rd round but teams were concerned with his ability to maintain his weight. Luckily for Dave Gettleman, a roll of the dice paid off and McIntosh is in football shape again.

He played sparingly in 2018 but already has 3 tackles this year as a rotational piece. Expected to be a pass rusher, his quickness is noticeable and really stood out in the preseason games.

Maybe McIntosh’s bump in the road will stop him from reaching his full potential but most teams would be comfortable with him as a rotational defensive lineman. With 2 more seasons on his rookie contract, he’s a significant piece moving forward even if he’s mostly depth.

Lorenzo Carter

Evaluating the defensive line was surprisingly pleasant considering the 0-2 start. That’s because it’s mostly the linebackers and secondary who have struggled heavily so far. Lorenzo Carter might’ve gotten a sack last week but his pressure-rate isn’t anywhere near adequate.

When practice opened he was on fire but went back to getting stone-walled by offensive tackles once pads came on. During his time as a Georgia BullDog, he was up and down with sack production as an unrefined athlete. He didn’t learn the nuances of pass-rushing in his 4 years of college and still hasn’t in the NFL. The worst-case scenario for Lorenzo Carter is being a pass-rushing specialist or a possible change in his role.

Lorenzo is the team’s best coverage linebacker even though his the main job is to get after the quarterback. There’s some risk that comes with Carter but he did collect 4 sacks as a rookie. Even with slight improvement, Carter could enter the 6 sack range on an annual basis. If not, the team has another potential avenue with him as an off-ball linebacker. Carter is far from proven and still needs to show more before he can be considered a significant asset. If he doesn’t improve greatly in 2019 he shouldn’t be considered anything more than a reserve pass rusher.

Markus Golden

One of James Bettcher’s guys, Golden was signed during the offseason as a potential solution for the pass rush. He had one really good reason where he racked up 12.5 sacks with Bettcher in Arizona. As a 2nd round pick this upside was always there.

Unfortunately, Golden tore his ACL in 2017 and spent the 2018 season getting reacclimated to the game. He’s been healthy for a while now but has struggled to make much of an impact.

Golden was a band-aid type of signing, only coming to New York on a one-year deal. Being 28 years old, Golden isn’t any sort of long-term answer and hasn’t lived up to the hype, to begin withop, For now, the team can only hope he taps into the potential he had before getting injured. Lorenzo Carter and Markus Golden make for an underwhelming duo at outside linebacker.

Oshane Ximines

The final piece to the Odell Beckham Jr. trade, Oshane Ximines was drafted by the New York Giants with the 3rd round pick they received from Cleveland. Ximines was one of the more dominant pass rushers in college but the problem was he played schools lacking world-class talent.

Oshane was the first player to be drafted out of his former college, Old Dominion. So far, he looks like he’s a bit shocked by the physicality of offensive lineman in the NFL but has the technique to potentially overcome that aspect of the game. He’s only in the mid 250’s so winning with speed and technique will be crucial for the rookie’s career.

No one knows yet whether he’s a significant asset moving forward but there’s a combination of upside at a position of need for this team. X-Man has already recorded a sack (against Tampa Bay) this season. That makes him a hold going into 2020 regardless of what the team gets out of him in 2019. Even then, expecting anything more than a reserve pass rusher is asking for too much at this time.

Tuzar Skipper

When everyone read the news of the New York Giants claiming Tuzar Skipper off the Steelers Practice Squad, most people said “who?” Skipper was a somewhat obscure draft prospect for the average fan. He wasn’t selected in the draft but was quickly signed by the Steelers.

There was some buzz about Skipper making the 53-man roster in Pittsburgh but he said he got caught up in “the numbers game”, a situation where teams are forced to part with value due to needs elsewhere on the roster. The 6’3” 247 lb edge rusher racked up 5 sacks in the preseason, flashing the upside scouts were looking for. Obviously as an undrafted free agent, carving out a consistent role on any team is an uphill battle. Even as a guy with some upside, high expectations for Skipper aren’t reasonable.

We would all love a feel-good story but it’s unlikely with UDFA pass rushers. If he sticks around for the 2020 season its most likely a result of Skipper becoming a special teams ace. Skipper will most likely never make much of an impact on a defense in the NFL.

David Mayo

There are a few players on every team who are there for the sole purpose of special teams play. With just 61 total tackles in 4 seasons, Mayo is one of those players. Originally drafted in the 5th round, many analysts projected him as a reserve linebacker/special teams asset. He’s turned out to be exactly that.

Mayo is a solid tackler and runs an impressive 40-yard dash in the 4.7’s. It was most likely his impressive speed that made him more appealing to the Giants than BJ Goodson. He will be a fixture on punt and kickoff coverage but the team is in trouble if he takes defensive snaps. Mayo isn’t a significant asset to the team but could possibly be back for a special teams role in 2020.

Alec Ogletree

Many fans were excited when Dave Gettleman traded a 4th and 7th round pick for Alex Ogletree in 2018. This trade being a let-down is an understatement. Outside of some splash plays, Ogletree has struggled against both rushing and passing offenses.

The team pays him like he’s a top asset at the inside linebacker position, making over $8M per season, but he’s not in that class. There are teams in the league where Ogletree would be nothing more than depth but the New York Giants lack adequate talent at this position. Given the crisis at this position, Ogletree could be back in 2020. This is possible out of pure desperation since he’s not an adequate option on the field.

Ryan Connelly

The inside linebacker with the most optimism surrounding him on this team is Ryan Connelly. To make this even better, he will be with the team for 3 more seasons after 2019. Already being a starter in the lineup may speak to the talent-level of the unit more so than Connelly’s performance level. Even then it’s nice to see him beat out older players on the team.

Connelly was known to be a thumper in college, someone who had the instincts to sniff out run plays with the physicality to finish the job. While Connelly had the tools to translate into a decent run defender in the NFL he was atrocious in coverage at the college level. He gave up a 70% completion rate in his coverage. As a 5th round pick, the team wasn’t banking on anything more than a special teams contributor and situational linebacker.

He looks up to the task so far with possibly more upside than they anticipated but it would be unfair to expect an adequate starter from a 5th round pick. Especially after his interceptions against the Buccaneers in week three. Moving forward he should be considered quality depth but the team should be looking for 2 new starters at inside linebacker going into the 2020 season.

Tae Davis

Once thought of as a potential savior for this 2019 inside linebacker unit, Tae Davis was quickly replaced by Ryan Connelly in the starting lineup. Davis went from playing nearly all of the snaps against Dallas to playing none against the Bills. A former safety in college, Davis doesn’t have any issues with mobility playing linebacker.

Overall, Davis was originally an UDFA with little chance to carve out a significant role in the league. Based on how extreme his loss of snaps was he isn’t in line to impact this team in any way. He might not even be an adequate reserve piece. If he’s on the team in 2020 the team probably didn’t do a good enough job upgrading the inside linebackers.

Jabrill Peppers

Known as the 2nd main asset from the Odell Beckham Jr. trade, Jabrill Peppers is a ”swiss army knife” who plays safety but has other abilities. He can return kicks and punts and even carry the ball in a pinch. He did all of these things as a Michigan Wolverine on his way to becoming a 1st round pick for the Browns.

Peppers is not a pure strong or free safety. He’s matchup-based and does his best work in man coverage. His start as a New York Giant has been rocky but this defense is still figuring itself out in general. Overall, he’s a top-shelf athlete who has a ton of potential.

It’s more fair to consider him backup-caliber than a proven player at this point. If he taps into his potential he could be way more than that but at this time a team shouldn’t be comfortable relying on him. The team will only have him for 1 more season after 2019 if they don’t exercise his 5th year option. At this time Peppers should be considered more of a borderline starter than a significant asset.

Antoine Bethea

This was one of the more surprising signings of the offseason. Antoine Bethea has had a very successful career but he’s been playing for 14 years now. 1,200 tackles and 24 interceptions speaks for itself but what does a 35-year-old have to offer in a rebuild?

He hasn’t exactly been sharp this year and hasn’t been where he needs to be often enough for a guy who’s played for well over a decade. Even if Bethea is still an adequate starter he isn’t nearly a valuable asset for a team that’s in a rebuild. Going into 2020 it would be surprising if he sticks around.

Michael Thomas

One of the feel-good stories for this team is Michael Thomas who went from being a reserve in Miami to seeing playing time in New York. He even intercepted a couple passes last year showing some ability in shallow coverage and made a clutch tackle in week three to help the Giants beat the Buccaneers.

While Thomas is a decent backup and a slightly below-average starter being 30 years old really limits what he can offer a rebuilding team. Thomas offers some value at this time but isn’t a significant asset, especially when looking ahead to 2020.

Sean Chandler

The young safety was signed as an UDFA out of Temple in 2018. His most impactful play with the Giants was recovering a fumble against the Bears last year, which might go down as Eli Manning’s last win against a great team.

Barring an unusual outcome, Chandlers time with the Giants will be short-lived and he probably won’t make the team in 2020 if they overhaul this unit the way they should. Sure, there’s a chance he blossoms, but we can’t expect that from an UDFA until we see it.

Julian Love

The rookie out of Notre Dame was considered a cornerback on draft day but not to the Giants. He’s played some nickel here and there but his main position now is safety. Love played both positions at Notre Dame and was proficient in both man and zone coverages. Through 2 weeks he has not played on defense yet.

While many are ready to hit the panic button, not all rookies are instantly ready to play. We don’t know much about his worth in the NFL yet but we do know most analysts didn’t expect him to be available in the 4th round. According to Gettleman he “stuck out on our board” when the team was on the clock in the 4th round. For a rookie that appeared to have a rough preseason we can’t consider the ”draft-steal” a significant asset at this time.

Janoris Jenkins

The current number 1 cornerback of the New York Giants is a proven player but a frustrating player. His play ranges from very good to very poor. Against the Buccaneers in week three, Janoris was as bad as he’s ever been, allowing Mike Evans to total 190 yards, 3 touchdowns, and multiple clutch receptions.

Overall, he’s a number one corner in the league. But how much value does he offer to the Giants as a player who’s 30 years old? In a rebuilding season, Jenkins is technically a significant asset but one that will expire before this team is any good again. He holds no value in this teams future unless they can get a draft pick in exchange for Jenkins.

Known to be a little rough around the edges, he doesn’t possess the politically correct attitude this staff wants in its players. It’s fair to say Jenkins will probably be gone sooner than later. Even if the team doesn’t find a trade partner they probably won’t be interested in paying a $10M base salary to the declining veteran in 2020.

DeAndre Baker

It’s been a brutal start for the rookie cornerback. While this can be discouraging it wasn’t always normal to field first-year players in September, if at all. Don’t give up on the kid yet, most draft analysts thought he was the top cornerback in this class with very sticky coverage.

Most considered him a mid-1st round pick so getting him at 30 might be quite fortunate in terms of value. His lack of elite speed was apparent when he lined up against Amari Cooper but he was always expected to struggle against receivers with elite speed. Baker also looked improved against the Buccaneers. He will be a significant asset for this defense as long as he improves, which is more than likely considering his draft pedigree.

Corey Ballentine

Another small school product, Ballentine was a big fish in a small pond. He dominated his competition but went up against lesser talent, much like Oshane Ximines. His measurable’s stack up well at 6’0” with a 40 yard dash in the mid 4.4’s. He also has a knack for getting his head around while in coverage to either deflect a pass or force a turnover.

Ballentine displayed these skills intercepting a Davis Webb long ball during the preseason. Corey had a healthy dose of 1st team reps during training camp, showing he’s not far off from playing time. While he hasn’t been playing yet in 2019 the team sees him as a potential starter in 2020. Ballentine has great upside but can’t be considered a significant asset until we see him succeed in the regular season.

Sam Beal

The New York Giants selected Sam Beal in the 2018 Supplemental Draft. This is a rare occurrence for any team but Beal wasn’t your typical prospect in a Supplemental Draft. At Western Michigan, Sam Beal was a pest for opposing passing offenses. He stands at 6’1” but only weighs about 180 lbs. While he’s a little light his 4.4 speed made him a handful to deal with for college receivers.

Talent was never expected to be an issue with Beal, it was always his health. In his very first practice as a Giant he injured his shoulder and his season was over. This year the team could’ve put him on season-ending IR again but he will be eligible to return once he’s healthy. The team could’ve made better use of a 3rd round draft pick but Sam Beal still has great upside. Overall, we haven’t seen him on the field enough to consider him a significant asset.

Grant Haley

Another feel-good story for this team. Grant Haley was an UDFA in 2018 after playing for Penn State. He was originally on the practice squad but was signed onto the active roster to join his former college teammate Saquon Barkley. Throughout much of the summer the team tried to make Haley play outside corner which wasn’t a fit considering his 5’10” frame.

Since being signed to the active roster Haley has been proficient in the nickel position. The team doesn’t have a longterm deal worked out with him but he’s a significant asset for this defense as an adequate defensive back. If he continues his strong play in 2019 he could earn himself a long-term deal with the New York Giants.

Antonio Hamilton

While the 4th year UDFA had a respectable training camp he completely unwraveled against Dallas in week 1. As a 4th year player there isn’t the development excuse for Hamilton, the large majority of players are what they are in their 4th season. He hasn’t covered well or tackled well and lost most of his playing time in week 2. Originally thought of as strong cornerback depth, Hamilton has looked completely replaceable on defense thus far. Fortunately, Hanilton’s excellence as a gunner on special teams should keep him on the team through 2019 and maybe even 2020.

Overview:

After reviewing this defensive unit and their play through three games, the New York Giants are incredibly thin on defense.

The defensive line has significant assets but it’s the other positions that are lacking. With that said, the unit could still improve.

The team doesn’t have a single significant or proven asset at inside linebacker OR outside linebacker, in a 3-4 scheme. Below-average players and raw potential is the best this unit has to offer.

The secondary only has 2 significant assets heading into 2020 if you consider Janoris Jenkins and Antoine Bethea goners. This unit could look much better if guys like Corey Ballentine, Julian Love and Sam Beal develop the way the team expects them to. Until then they’re unproven prospects with upside.

The New York Giants will need to rebuild their defense after the 2019 season. Assuming DeAndre Baker progresses the way most 1st rounders do, he can be on a short list of significant and proven assets including Dexter Lawrence, BJ Hill, Dalvin Tomlinson, RJ McIntosh and Grant Haley.

New York Giants: Dexter Lawrence continues to show improvement

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New York Giants defensive lineman, Dexter Lawrence.

New York Giants rookie defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence isn’t versed in losing consistently, considering his track record with Clemson and National Championship victory in 2018.

Lawrence knows how to win, but he, unfortunately, cannot play every position by himself. Elevating his teammates’ play and continuing to improve is the only way to help the efficiency of the defense moving forward.

“I mean I have lost before,” said Lawrence. “It’s just not to keep letting it happen. It has to stop somewhere. It just takes everybody believing, the whole team in all three phases, special teams, offense and defense, believing that we can win and believing in each other. Getting a team morale and just going out there and playing football.”

Finishing his Clemson career with a 41-3 record, he has almost matched his loss total in two games as a professional athlete. However, the deficiencies on the team don’t land on him but rather the secondary and pass rush. Lawrence has done his job quite well — drawing double teams and wreaking havoc in the trenches.

The New York Giants need to see more from Dexter Lawrence:

Despite earning just two solo tackles and three assists, Dexter’s influence has been present. The pass-rush has been the process, and while the Giants expected the massive defensive tackle to help in that facet, there’s only so much he can do in year one.

Last week, cornerback Janoris Jenkins threw the pass-rush under the bus, stating that he cannot cover receivers for 10-seconds and he needs more support. Players like Markus Golden, Oshane Ximines, and Lorenzo Carter need to answer the call. Not that the secondary hasn’t been the catalyst for failure, but every unit on the defense needs to improve…quickly.

The entire defensive line has been sluggish, and Dexter knows how prepared he is to take on NFL-level opponents, it just boils down to him executing on his expectations.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I think I’m pretty prepared just from what I’ve been going against in practice in the offseason. Those guys got me ready for the regular season. I feel like it’s just me going out there and just proving it and showing it.”

Losing 28-14 to the Buffalo Bills exposed even more weaknesses on the Giants’ defense. Miscommunications, lack of effort, youth, were all present against a far lesser opponent comparable to the Dallas Cowboys. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offer a weaker opponent on Sunday, which should give players like Dexter Lawrence the opportunity prove their worth.

New York Giants Defense Looking To Change Mood In Week Two

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The mood around the New York Giants isn’t a great one right now – the team has been said to have one of the worst defenses in the league following the first week of the season and it wasn’t hard to understand why. It looked like the Cowboys were able to make big passing plays at will, and the Giants gave up 35 points and ensured that the offense would have little chance of scoring enough to win the game.

Obviously, that bad early track record is something that a number of players want to turn around going into the week two game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

“In the NBA, if they have a bad game, the next day they can go out there and play again. For us, we have a whole week to sit, let it marinate, watch film and soul search. I think that’s what we’ve been doing this week. We came out and worked hard this week in practice. Now we’re just getting ready to come out and get that taste out of our mouths,” second year outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter stated.

Carter was, of course, just one of a number of players on the Giants defense that was considered as having a bad game in week one against the Dallas Cowboys.

“We were disappointed, of course. But it’s just on to the next week. There’s nothing you can really do about last week but watch the film, evaluate it and then just get ready for this week. We’re going to keep going,” Carter continued.

Defensive coordinator James Bettcher doesn’t sound like a coach that intends to reuse a losing strategy – from the sounds of things, fans of the Giants can maybe expect Bettcher to try some things differently against the Bills.

“I look at it as here’s something we have to get better at, let’s go work to get better at it… We need to attack what the problem was and go work to correct the problem. Not just say we need to rush the quarterback better? The truth is how do you rush the passer better. What fundamentals and techniques do we need to improve with specifically with what guys and players,” Bettcher added.

The Giants will be up against a formidable defense themselves in week two, as they face a Bills team that gave up only 16 points to the Jets in week one. The toughness of the Bills defense makes it more crucial, of course, that the Giants don’t give up too many points when their own defense is on the field – scoring won’t come easy for Eli Manning and the rest of the Giants offense, and the game could very well be low scoring.

But that, of course, defends on the defense turning things around… It remains to be seen what will happen, but at the least, the Giants defenders have no lack of desire.

New York Giants: Where Is The Pass-Rush?

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New York Giants, Dalvin Tomlinson, Dexter Lawrence, B.J. Hill

The New York Giants‘ defense has been criticized heavily throughout the week. The criticism is completely deserved as the Giants’ defense allowed the Cowboys’ offense to gain a total of 494 yards of offense in week one. They also allowed Dak Prescott to have a career day with a perfect passer rating of 158.3.

Prescott was rarely pressured and usually had all day to throw. The Giants did not record a sack against the Cowboys and the entire pass-rushing unit seemed to have disappeared. This begs the question, where is the Giants’ pass-rush?

Lorenzo Carter’s Disappointing Start To The Season:

There was a lot of hype surround Lorenzo Carter entering his second season. Carter flashed his potential in limited playing time as a rookie and seemed ready for an expanded role in 2019. Lorenzo got off to a hot start at training camp but has fizzled out since.

Lorenzo Carter, despite all of his highlights in practice, was nowhere to be found in the preseason. He did not record a sack and rarely pressured the quarterback. The hope was that this was just due to limited playing time in the preseason, but, unfortunately, it was just more of the same in week one.

Lorenzo Carter is young and extremely athletic. He has a huge frame and a lot of speed. If he can develop his technique as a pass-rusher Carter could be a special player. But he is going to need to put it together soon if he wants to help New York turn their season around.

The Defensive Line’s Disappearance:

Like Carter, there was a fair amount of hype surrounding the Giants’ defensive line heading into the 2019 season. The Giants have a ton of young talent on their defensive line, but it has not been clearly evident so far this season.

B.J. Hill looked like a draft steal after recording 5.5 sacks in his rookie season. Hill was the only defensive lineman to perform up to his standards in week one. He was solid in run defense and finished with four total tackles on the game. Still, no signs of pass-rush in this unit.

Dexter Lawrence was maybe the most underwhelming player on the Giants’ defensive line in week one. Granted, he is a rookie, and maybe he just needs more time to acclimate to the pro-game, but he was almost nonexistent against the Cowboys.

The Giants’ second first-round draft pick in 2019 was meant to be an instant-impact rookie. Lawrence is an underrated pass-rusher, but even if it takes him some time to get that part of his game going, his giant frame and run-defense abilities should impact the game. Unfortunately, it did not in week one.

The Giants’ defensive line is young and inexperienced. That could be the reason for their lack of impact against Dallas. But the Giants’ pass-rush as a whole might have an even bigger problem than player performances.

Signs Of A Poorly Coached Defense:

The Giants’ defense looked unprepared and lost on Sunday in Dallas. Players blew their assignments left and right. Every piece of the defense struggled, even the proven veterans. Cornerbacks were constantly burned, the defensive line got no push, linebackers fell for every play action.

These are the signs of a poorly coached defense. The players seemed like they had no clue what to do at times. When running play-action, Dak Prescott was 12-13 for 192 yards and 3 touchdowns. This is inexcusable. The Giants’ defense just does not know how to defend against play-action.

This is a deeper issue than a lack of talent. The Giants’ defense is not coached well enough to scheme together pressure or to cover play-action passes. Giants linebackers bit on just about every play-fake, despite the Cowboys running play-action on almost every pass.

This lack of discipline in the linebacker corps needs to be fixed heading into week two. The Giants have a good matchup against a turnover-happy Bills offense, led by second-year quarterback Josh Allen. If the Giants want to beat the Bills, their defense needs to keep Josh Allen from having a career day like Prescott.