patrick graham

New York Giants news 6/13: Jon Halapio recovery update, Patrick Graham receives praise from former Giant

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New York Giants, John Halapio, Eli Manning

The New York Giants are taking a different approach their defense in 2020 with former Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. They want to utilize a mesh of different schemes and sets, determined to brew a sense of unpredictability and versatility on a weekly basis.

Former Giants, Jonathan Casillas, gave an excellent review of Graham:

“I feel like Pat Graham, he’s learned so much,” Casillas told Giants.com. “He’s a guy that has been so versatile. He was a linebackers coach, a d-line coach, DB (coach) and defensive coordinator, and has kind of been all over the place. But I think that versatility has given him a lot of education in different parts of the game, and that’s going to translate over to him being a great defensive coordinator.”

“It’s not just the x’s and o’s,” he said. “It’s identifying with the players that you have in the locker room. A lot of great coaches sometimes aren’t great player-coaches. You know, not player-friendly… It’s a little bigger than the x’s and o’s. It’s about culture and having the players’ trust and believing in you.

“I think Pat Graham has risen to that to where he’s gotten the defensive coordinator job. The players will believe in him because I feel like he’s a coach who believes in his players. Not the scheme, not that he makes all the good ideas, but the guys that he put in certain positions because of his education and everything that he’s learned. But also, his studying, his due diligence on those guys, that they’ll be put in the right place to win. That’s what the Giants needed.”

The ability to adapt to your players and identify with them is a major factor for coaches in the NFL. Success depends on your ability to reach them on a personal level and convince them to buy into your system. If they feel like they are on the outside looking in, failure is just around the corner. Graham seemingly has the ability to maximize his relationships with players to bring the best out of them.

How is Jon Halapio recovering?

Halapio is 23 weeks post-Achilles surgery. He previously returned from a broken leg in 2019, and while he did struggle at the center position, he will remain a competitor with the Giants during training camp. The expectation is they will develop a position battle at center, consisting of Halapio, Spencer Pulley, Shane Lemieux, and Nick Gates.

Ultimately, Halapio is in serious danger of losing his starting job, but he has the experience to remain on the roster as a depth piece. His return to the field as a positive sign in his recovery, but he still has a long way to go before he can be considered a reliable starter at center in the NFL.

 

New York Giants: How Will Patrick Graham Utilize The Giants’ Safety Trio?

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New York Giants, Patrick Graham

The New York Giants have a trio of talented safeties on their roster. Jabrill Peppers is entering his second season with the team, as is former cornerback Julian Love. Love’s experience at cornerback made him a solid option as a coverage safety while Jabrill Peppers’s high-speed, hard-hitting playstyle made him an ideal box safety. Now the Giants are adding a third safety to the mix, Xavier McKinney, who is kind of a perfect blend of Love and Peppers. McKinney can play deep coverage and stuff the run in the box.

That makes for a plethora of versatile talent at the safety position for the Giants. Sometimes it can be difficult for defensive coordinators to utilize such versatile talent in their defensive schemes. The Giants hired Patrick Graham this offseason to be their new defensive coordinator and assistant head coach. Graham will run a blitz-heavy multiple defense that emphasizes versatility.

Multiple Defensive Looks

The Giants ran a 3-4 defense under James Bettcher over the last two seasons. Bettcher received plenty of criticism during his time in New York as the defense often underperformed. The Giants’ hiring of Patrick Graham is exciting because he is as versatile and aggressive as a defensive coordinator can get. Patrick Graham will run a multiple, blitz-heavy defensive scheme with the Giants.

“The scheme is going to be based on the [personnel],” Graham said. “You can anticipate it being multiple. . . People ask if it’ll be 4-3 or 3-4, and I say yes. 2-4? Yes. 3-3-5? Yes. However you want to rearrange the front 7 or all 11, yes.” – Patrick Graham in an interview with Giants.com, via Giants Wire

Based on the personnel and the opposing offense, the Giants’ defensive scheme will change. One week they could play primarily in a 3-4 and the next week it could primarily be a 4-3 defense. This will keep opposing offenses guessing and allow Patrick Graham to get the best out of his players. Some weeks, the Giants will run mostly single-high safety looks, but Graham could also opt to run plenty of two-safety looks and even some three-safety rotations.

Typically there are only two starting safeties on a defense. But the Giants have three starting-caliber safeties in Love, McKinney, and Peppers. Luckily, Patrick Graham is determined to get the best players on the field, so they will all be rotated in depending on their matchups and could even see extended time on the field together.

Safety Blitzes

Patrick Graham loves to blitz. With the Miami Dolphins in 2019, Graham blitzed frequently:

“The Dolphins Blitzed on 35% of their snaps, 41% on third down (which was the third-most in the league). The Dolphins ran man to man coverage 50% of the time in the 2019 season and would often show blitz and drop back into coverage. This was a great strategy in the Graham defense, keeping opposing offenses on their toes because of the constant blitzing formations.” – via Jack Quartararo of Empire Sports Media

One of the most exciting aspects of Graham’s defense is the way he blitzes. Graham loves to utilize defensive back blitzes, and he has the talent to blitz his safeties with extreme efficiency. According to Pro Football Focus, Xavier McKinney earned an 89.2 coverage grade as a junior while also recording 10 pressures. In the past two years, Xavier recorded 21 pressures across 71 pass-rushing snaps. Graham’s usage of the safety blitz will allow Xavier McKinney to make an instant impact on this defense in his rookie season.

New York Giants: Why Xavier McKinney Will Make An Instant Impact

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New York Giants, Xavier McKinney

The New York Giants have invested heavily in their secondary over the past two offseasons. In 2019, New York drafted three defensive backs. In 2020, the Giants doubled down, drafting three more defensive backs and signing free agent James Bradberry to a large contract.

One of the Giants’ most exciting picks in the secondary came in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. With that thirty-sixth overall pick, the New York Giants selected safety Xavier McKinney out of Alabama. McKinney was projected to be a first-round pick but the Giants were lucky enough to steal him in the second round. McKinney joins the Giants’ youthful secondary as one of the team’s most talented defensive playmakers.

A Potentially Elite Safety Duo

Xavier McKinney joins a young secondary that already featured a talented safety in Jabrill Peppers. Peppers was impressive for the Giants in 2019, prior to suffering a season-ending injury. The former Cleveland Brown totaled 76 combined tackles in 11 games. He also added 3 forced fumbles, 5 passes defended, and 1 interception (a pick-six).

Peppers is an ideal box-safety. He has the physicality and playing style of a linebacker but he has the speed and body type of a safety. Peppers and McKinney are similar in this way. They both have the ability to make an impact in coverage and against the run. They truly have the potential to create an elite duo. But McKinney’s role in the defense will be a bit more diverse than Peppers’s.

A Versatile Talent

Jabrill Peppers is excellent in the box and can play coverage well enough to where he is not a liability. But Xavier McKinney can play coverage well enough to shut down some opposing targets. One of Xavier’s most coveted traits leading up to the draft was his ability to take opposing tight ends out of the game.

Additionally, McKinney has received tons of praise for the work he does as a pass-rusher. According to Pro Football Focus, McKinney earned an 89.2 coverage grade as a junior while also recording 10 pressures. In the past two years, Xavier recorded 21 pressures across 71 pass-rushing snaps. The Giants needed someone to rush the passer and someone to guard tight ends. McKinney will fill both of those roles.

While coaching the Miami defense in 2019, Graham blitzed on 35% of their snaps, which ranked seventh in frequency among all NFL teams. On third down, the unit blitzed 41% of the time, which was the third-highest rate. Graham utilized linebackers and safeties significantly on blitzes and to drop back in coverage. Both Peppers and McKinney will be used heavily in that role and likely interchange to keep defenses on their toes. – via Alex Wilson of Empire Sports Media

Plenty of fans wanted to see the Giants draft Isaiah Simmons with the fourth overall pick. Simmons possesses elite versatility as a linebacker, lining up all over Clemson’s defense. The Giants opted to go a different route but ultimately landed the next-best-thing in the second round of the draft with Xavier McKinney. In college, Xavier McKinney played over 200 snaps at three different positions; 323 snaps in the box, 227 in the slot, and 271 deep (PFF).

Xavier McKinney is an extraordinary talent. He can do so many different things on the football field and he does all of them well. McKinney is also a perfect fit in Patrick Graham’s scheme which places a large emphasis on man-coverage and disguised blitzes. Combining his talents with this scheme will lead to instant success for the Giants’ new safety.

New York Giants’ HC Joe Judge gives us answers about the new offense and more

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New York Giants, Joe Judge

New York Giants head coach Joe Judge held a Zoom media session today. He discussed a wide range of topics with the New Jersey media and provided plenty of insight on important topics. Here is what Joe Judge had to say:

On Virtual Meetings

Joe Judge is not able to evaluate his football players. He will not be able to do that “until we get on the grass.” But he can evaluate his men. Judge explained that you can learn a lot about an individual during a Zoom call. You can see how they are set up in their homes, whether or not they are making eye contact, and if they looking down at their phones. This allows Zoom calls to be a great judge of character because the players “really can’t hide.” The Giants’ head coach described the situation as a “1×1 box.”

“There’s no shortcut to success.” – Joe Judge

Joe Judge is eager to get back to football, as we all are. But he is human and has human safety concerns regarding the resumption of football, stating, “I have a tough time right now asking a player to fly across the country from California when I probably wouldn’t be the first one most willing to throw my two sons on the plane to go the other way.”

On The New Offensive and Defensive Schemes

Joe Judge made a splash on offense this offseason, hiring former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett as the team’s offensive coordinator. According to Judge, he and Garrett will be implementing a completely new offense with “no carryover in any way shape or form.” The offense will be “similarly based” on what Jason Garrett ran in Dallas.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Giants hired defensive coordinator Patrick Graham this offseason. Judge stated that Graham was their “top choice.” He also discussed what Graham’s scheme would look like for the Giants. Judge explained that Graham’s scheme will follow what he did in Miami last year and “will be multiple by game plan.”

On Markus Golden

The Giants’ free-agent edge rusher Markus Golden is a fan favorite. Today, Judge confirmed that the Giants “have talked about possibly adding him to the roster” and that they do “have an interest in him,” according to Paul Dottino.

Where Does Grant Haley Fit In The New York Giants’ 2020 Defense?

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New York Giants cornerback, Grant Haley.

The New York Giants have made plenty of roster improvements this offseason. They have invested heavily in their secondary in each of the past two drafts. Last season, Grant Haley served primarily as the team’s slot cornerback. He did struggle, though, and the Giants drafted Darnay Holmes in the fourth round this year to seemingly start in the slot.

On top of that, the Giants selected safety Xavier McKinney in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. This could mean more reps in the slot for Julian Love. So, with these additions, it seems like Grant Haley has been pushed down the depth chart and will not be involved with the defense much in 2020. But I do not believe that to be true. I think that Grant Haley has a specific, and important role to play in this defense.

Grant Haley’s Role

Grant Haley struggled in coverage last season. He allowed an 82.1% completion percentage when targeted, surrendering 32 completions for 342 yards. He also failed to record a pass defended in 2019.

Despite his struggles in coverage, Haley demonstrated that he is a capable tackler. He totaled 43 combined tackles with only 3 missed tackles on the season. Haley’s tackling ability is well above-average for a cornerback and provides him with value in the Giants’ defense this season.

Being an excellent open-field tackler, Haley will be impactful for this defense on obvious run-downs. When the opposing offense is certainly going to run, substituting Haley into the defense in place of Holmes makes plenty of sense. Haley could be the featured cornerback in goal-line situations as well. Near the goal line, Haley will not have to worry about tracking a receiver downfield and could simply play a flat zone, waiting to attack any runner that may come near.

Third or fourth-and-short situations also make sense for Grant Haley. Pretty much anytime you can be certain that the offense is either running the ball or throwing the ball short-range, Haley provides value because of his excellent tackling ability. Joe Judge and Patrick Graham have made it abundantly clear that they will play their players to their strengths. Players will not be forced to do things they do not excel at. Haley will not be asked to travel with Desean Jackson on a 30-yard post route in man coverage. But it would make sense if Haley was asked to make a clutch open-field tackle on Miles Sanders.

Why the New York Giants could have a much better pass rush than expected in 2020

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New York Giants, Markus Golden

Taking a look at the New York Giants‘ pass rush and why they could be better than expected in 2020:

At first glance, the New York Giants’ pass rush seems awfully thin. Prior to placing a tender on free agent Markus Golden, Big Blue was set to feature Oshane Ximines, Lorenzo Carter, and Kyler Fackrell as their top players at the position. Considering what it takes to dominate the edge and stop the run at the NFL level, the unit was understaffed by a fair margin.

However, understanding the Giants’ future pass rush is heavily reliant on our knowledge of defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. In 2019, Graham was the coordinator and play-caller for the Miami Dolphins under head coach Brian Flores. Overall, the defense Graham implemented in Miami did not hold up well, according to defensive metrics. When looking at their deficiencies, it is important to note their lack of talent and overall quality. Graham was not given proper pieces to work with and ultimately saw his unit fail consistently because of it.

The two significant factors that Graham brings to the New York Giants is a diverse range of blitzes and man coverage. This bodes well for DeAndre baker, who was wrongfully used in 2019 under former defensive coordinator James Bettcher.

Baker was thrown into off-ball coverage and strayed away from his strong suit impress. However, scheming a pass rush is something that Graham is used to, and utilizing safeties is a major part of his game plan.

Last season, the Dolphins blitzed on 35% of their snaps, the seventh-highest frequency in the NFL. On third down, they blitzed on 41% of the time, which ranked third in the NFL. Using a diverse range of linebacker and defensive back blitzes, the Giants will likely resort to that scheme as well. Drafting Xavier McKinney out of Alabama, a versatile safety you can also rush the passer bodes well for Graham’s defensive mentality.

Expect to see plenty of delayed blitzes from linebackers and fake blitzes, keeping offenses guessing and hopefully increasing turnover percentage. Blitzing frequently allows Graham to open up his playbook and get creative.

According to PFF, the Dolphins played man coverage 50% of the time. One interesting note is that they ranked second in using cover one, which features one free safety deep in the backfield, with the remainder of the secondary playing in man coverage.

This all plays back to the pass-rush scheme, as Graham will utilize linebackers, safeties, and cornerbacks in his blitzing plans. But in the grand scheme, having a solid player to secure the edge is essential, and the retention of Markus Golden is a significant factor for the Giants. Ximines is a player I believe can break out in 2020, having logged 4.5 sacks on 45% of defensive snaps last season. With an increased workload and one year of experience under his belt, Oshane has the potential to be a significant piece on the defensive front.

Overall, the unit undoubtedly will need more support down the line but expect plenty of creativity on defense moving forward.

Projecting The New York Giants’ Top Roster Weaknesses In 2020

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New York Giants, Markus Golden

The New York Giants have rebuilt their roster over the past couple of seasons. They found their future franchise quarterback, Daniel Jones, in 2019 and revamped their offensive line in 2020. The future is bright for the New York Giants, but the rebuild is not complete. There are some legitimate strengths on their roster but also some glaring weaknesses. Today, I will break down those weaknesses heading into 2020.

The Pass Rushers

It is no secret that the Giants lack a premier pass-rusher. They have a chance at retaining Markus Golden before the season starts, but even still, the pass-rush with Golden was not fantastic last year. The Giants did sign Kyler Fackrell this offseason, though, and he should make an impact. But there still is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the group of pass-rushers on the Giants’ roster.

Lorenzo Carter did not take the leap forward that we expected him to last season. Oshane Ximinez flashed potential, and hopefully, he can build on that in 2020. But the pass-rush on the Giants’ defense is going to have to derive mostly from Patrick Graham’s scheme. Graham loves to blitz in creative ways to get after the quarterback. That is how the Giants are going to have to do it this year.

The Lack Of A Primary Receiver

The Giants have a core of talented receivers on their roster. Sterling Shepard, Golden Tate, and Darius Slayton form a reliable group of receivers for Daniel Jones to throw to. But there is no X-Factor amongst the group.

That dominant, reliable, number one receiver can be so crucial for an offense. Don’t believe me? Let me refresh your memory of the Giants’ 2008 season. How bad was that offense after the Plaxico Burress incident occurred? They could not move the ball without that legitimate receiving threat. And it’s not like there were no other capable receivers on the roster. Amani Toomer, Steve Smith, and Dominick Hixon were all solid contributors. But they were not primary targets. They could not draw double teams and open up the offense the way that Burres could.

That is what we are looking at with the Giants’ offense in 2020. There is a lot of talent in that receiving corps, and there is a chance that Slayton could progress and become that primary threat. But, at this moment in time, that dominant number one receiver does not exist on the Giants’ roster.

Darius Slayton and Golden Tate both averaged only 2.2 yards of separation per catch. This number ranked near the bottom of the NFL. Sterling Shepard did manage to average a respectable 3.1 yards of separation, though. But still, Daniel Jones had a lot of tight windows to throw into last season and there is no sign that that will change in 2020.

Question Mark At Center

The Giants have options at the center position. There will be a three-way competition for the starting role. But there is no definitive answer at this point as to who will start at that key position.

Spencer Pulley, Nick Gates, and Shane Lemieux are all options at center. But there are cons with each of them. Pulley has never been an impressive starter, albeit he is a solid backup. Gates and Lemieux are both offensive guards that will look to make the position switch this season. Even if the switch is made successfully, there are bound to be growing pains along the way.

The Giants finally solidified their tackle positions, drafting Andrew Thomas at fourth overall and Matt Peart later in the third round. This gives the Giants the flexibility to move Solder to the other side of the line or have Thomas play his rookie season at right tackle. The options at that position make it a strength compared to the center position, where the options are slim and unreliable.

New York Giants: What to expect from Patrick Graham based on his time in Miami

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New York Giants, Patrick Graham

The New York Giants‘ defense in 2019 ranked among some of the worsts teams in the league (25th). The Giants’ defense in 2019 was coached by James Bettcher. James was the defensive coordinator for the 2018 and 2019 season.  In 2019, the Giants’ defense ranked 28th in takeaways and in point differential they were ranked 28th, among the lowest in the league. The Giants fired Bettcher this offseason along with Pat Shurmur after a brutal year for the Big Blue defense. Patrick Graham was hired to the Joe Judge staff this offseason. Graham is coming off his first defensive coordinator job which was with the Miami Dolphins in 2019.

Miami’s Defense

After starting off the season 0-7, the Dolphins were able to cover some ground and finish off the season 5-11. Miami’s defense was ranked among some of the worst defensives in the league. This was not because of the defensive coordinator, however, it was because of the way the Dolphins’ roster was constructed. Many of the players on the Dolphins’ roster were inexperienced and undrafted free agents, not a team fit for a well ran defense by coach Graham.

Patrick Graham’s defense with the Miami Dolphins

Graham had a great defensive scheme in place. The two major play calls of the Miami defense were blitzing and man to man coverage. Graham was very clever with his blitzing packages, using a variety of linebacker and defensive back blitzes. In Miami, Graham would also send in delayed blitzes to really disturb an offense. This was not just done in between the gaps; the blitzes came from different spots on the field. The Dolphins Blitzed on 35% of their snaps, 41% on third down (which was the third-most in the league). The Dolphins ran man to man coverage 50% of the time in the 2019 season and would often show blitz and drop back into coverage. This was a great strategy in the Graham defense, keeping opposing offenses on their toes because of the constant blitzing formations.

What Graham’s defense will do for the Giants

What Graham did with Miami’s lower end defense shows a lot of upside for the Giants in 2020. The new Giants defensive coordinator will use multiple fronts and base his decision off personnel regarding what players are on the field. These defensive fronts will combine with a lot of linebacker blitzes and cornerback blitzes. Graham will have a lot of talent and speed in the secondary, making things interesting when he dials up a blitz package. With the Giants making a splash in free agency and the draft in the secondary unit, Grhaman will have multiple guys to choose from to play man and press coverage.

Giants fans should expect a defense that plays tough and physical and flys all over the field. Expect to see a lot of man coverage and numerous blitz packages that will throw off an offense’s game plan. The Giants have a lot of young talent that is mixed with a great amount of speed. Graham was often seen showing blitz and having his players drop back into zone coverage on several occasions with Miami.

Patrick Graham and Joe Judge will be reuniting. The two spent some time together back in New England (2012-2015). Graham was also the Giants’ defensive line coach in 2016 and 2017 under head coach Ben McAdoo. Giants fans should be happy with the hiring of coach Graham as he will bring the physicality and burst of energy the Giants’ defense has been searching for in years past.

New York Giants: Joe Judge’s Coaching Staff Is Officially Announced

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New York Giants, Joe Judge

The New York Giants‘ new coaching staff has been officially announced this morning. After firing Pat Shurmur at the end of the 2019 season, the Giants hired new head coach Joe Judge. Judge, former New England Patriots special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach, has been building his coaching staff over the past several weeks. Today, Judge’s staff is complete and has been made official. Down Below is Joe Judge’s official coaching staff for the 2020 NFL season:

Offense:

Offensive Coordinator: Jason Garrett
Quarterbacks Coach: Jerry Schuplinski
Running Backs Coach: Burton Burns
Wide Receivers Coach: Tyke Tolbert
Offensive Line Coach: Marc Colombo
Assistant Offensive Line Coach: Ben Wilkerson
Tight Ends Coach: Freddie Kitchens
Senior Offensive Assistant: Derek Dooley
Offensive Assistant: Stephen Brown
Offensive Quality Control: Bobby Blick

Defense:

Defensive Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach: Patrick Graham
Defensive Line Coach: Sean Spencer
Outside Linebackers Coach/Senior Assistant: Bret Bielema
Inside Linebackers Coach: Kevin Sherrer
Defensive Backs Coach: Jerome Henderson
Assistant Defensive Backs Coach: Anthony Blevins
Defensive Assistant: Jody Wright
Defensive Quality Control: Mike Treier

Special Teams:

Special Teams Coordinator: Thomas McGaughey
Assistant Special Teams Coordinator: Tom Quinn

Joe Judge’s coaching staff replaced almost everyone on Pat Shurmur’s staff. The only members of Shurmur’s staff still with the Giants are wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert, special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey, and assistant special teams coordinator Tom Quinn.

Key hirings on Judge’s staff are at offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. The Giants will be implementing a system like the Dallas Cowboys’ offense from recent years under former Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett. Garrett was also able to bring over his offensive line coach from Dallas, Marc Colombo.

One thing to note is the amount of assistants Judge has put on his staff. Each side of the ball has a quality control assistant and more than one positional unit on the team has an assistant coach (such as offensive line and defensive back).

The New York Giants’ new defensive coordinator, Patrick Graham, will also serve as the team’s assistant head coach. Graham spent 2019 as defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins.

With a brand new coaching staff in place, there are reasons for real optimism heading into 2020. Judge made numerous big-name hirings and put together a staff with a multitude of head coach experience. Hopefully, this staff’s experience and impressive track record can get the Giants back on track next season.

What are the New York Giants getting in their new defensive coordinator

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New York Giants, Patrick Graham

During New York Giants’ Joe Judge’s opening press conference, I ensured the fan base that he would build a coaching staff that epitomized grit and toughness. his mentality towards football aligned perfectly with that of GM Dave Gettleman’s, which played a big part in his hiring.

So far, in the coaching hunt, Judge has pieced together familiar faces that have the same mind-set, smash-mouth football that focuses on stopping the run and rushing the passer. The hiring of defensive coordinator Patrick Graham makes complete sense, considering his acquaintanceship with Judge in the past.

What are the New York Giants getting with Joe Judge and his coaching staff?

Judge will bring a ton of experience and knowledge in the winning department to the Giants, and he understands how necessary preparation is to the success of the team. However, it heavily depends on being unpredictable and unique, and that’s precisely what new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is expected to bring to Big Blue.

“Pat is a guy I’ve know for some years,” Judge said of new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, last week at the Senior Bowl. “I have a lot of respect for him, I worked with him and went against him. He does a lot of things on defense that work to the strength of the players. He’s very multiple in terms of his philosophy and also having to adjust week by week by game plan as well as within the game to make adjustments.”

Graham is expected to diversify the defense and show multiple looks throughout the course of the game. This will keep opposing offenses unsure and trying to adapt to the Giants’ scheme. When you don’t have a set scheme, though, it can be a problem deciphering their actions.

“We’re going to be smart and tough,” Graham said in an in-house interview by the Giants. “A physical team, we won’t beat ourselves, we’ll play with good discipline.”

Expect to see a different type of defense under Graham than with James Bettcher. The growth of the rookies from 2019 should prove to be a significant factor in the success of the defense, but Gettleman must allocate his draft capital and salary cap efficiently to build a solid foundation around Judge in his inaugural year.