quincy roche

New York Giants: Xavier McKinney and Quincy Roche excel in PFF ratings

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New York Giants, Xavier McKinney

Two players stood out in particular when the New York Giants took their third win of the season. Xavier McKinney was likely the most disruptive player against the Raiders offense, coming away with two interceptions, and Quincy Roche forced the fumble that closed out the victory.

Both players have been recognized by Pro Football Focus for their efforts in week 9. McKinney was the top rated defensive player for the entire week based on PFF’s scores, and Roche had the sixth best pass rush grade.

Much of the praise for McKinney following the recent win is thanks to his pair of interceptions. Overall, McKinney finished the game with 7 tackles and two picks, returning one of them for a touchdown. In both categories, he matched his season highs.

This step up in production comes during a season where McKinney is seeing an increased usage in the defense. He’s played in every game so far, and has played every snap on defense in most of the games.

Quincy Roche, on the other hand, is more of a surprise story. Pittsburgh waived him on August 31, and Roche was picked up the next day by the Giants. However, he didn’t appear until week 3 and it took a few games for him to start getting playing time.

Against the Raiders, Roche put himself on the map with the sack and forced fumble that sealed the game. He played in 72% of the defensive snaps in that victory, showing his increasing role.

And during a season where injuries have been a problem from the start, players like McKinney and Roche stepping up seems exactly what the Giants need to stay competitive despite often relying on the “next man up.”

New York Giants seem to have found diamond in the rough with Quincy Roche

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quincy roche, giants

The New York Giants earned a clutch upset victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. The Giants defense forced three turnovers and held the Raiders to only 16 points. In the midst of this dominant defensive performance was an unlikely standout: rookie edge rusher Quincy Roche.

Quincy Roche showed up big for the Giants in the game’s biggest moment on Sunday to help propel the team to victory. The New York Giants acquired Roche midseason and the rookie seems to have developed into a capable starter.

Quincy Roche stats and highlights

Rookie edge rusher Quincy Roche out of Miami was drafted in the sixth round of this year’s draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Just before the start of the regular season, the Giants claimed Roche off of waivers after the was cut by the Steelers. Quincy Roche was part of the Steelers’ last wave of roster cuts.

Quincy Roche started seeing playing time in Week Three for the Giants. His playing time has increased gradually week after week. Roche has started the last two games for the Giants.

Through six games and two starts, Quincy Roche has totaled 11 combined tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 1 sack. The sack, though, was a crucial one in the game’s biggest moment. Quincy Roche sacked Derek Carr and forced a fumble to seal the win for the Giants on Sunday.

This impressive play was a culmination of solid performances from Roche. The Giants rookie has recorded 5 pressures in the last two games (his two starts).

The New York Giants have struggled this year to consistently put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Edge rushers Lorenzo Carter and Oshane Ximines have had underwhelming seasons. After these last two games, it seems like the Giants’ rookies have taken over as the starters on the edge. Azeez Ojulari and Quincy Roche both seem to be diamonds that the Giants found in the rough. It will be exciting to watch this young pass-rushing duo develop over the course of the rest of the season.

New York Giants claim 3 players off waivers, what do they bring?

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quincy roche, new york giants

The New York Giants made several waiver claims on Wednesday afternoon, adding two defensive players and one of the tallest wide receivers in the NFL. Not a single Giants that was released was picked up by another team, indicating how weak their depth was at specific positions, notably on the offensive line. In addition, the players they cut at wide receiver were also passed on, which means David Sills could end up back on the practice squad. The Giants have already resigned multiple players, including Niko Lalos, Brett Heggie, Matt Cole, and Damion Willis.

New York Giants claim three players off waivers:

1.) LB: Quincy Roche

Quincy Roche finished the preseason with the Pittsburgh Steelers with six total tackles and two sacks. At 6’3″ and 245 pounds, Roche has a few physical limitations but posted solid grades this preseason.

Per Lance Zierlein of NFL.com:

Roche has packed the stat sheets for the better part of four years, but he’s very average athletically and doesn’t have the mass to consistently hold up at the point of attack. He’s tight in his lower half, which limits his ability to corner sharply when attacking the pocket. However, he’s limber in his upper body, which creates opportunities to slide off of blocks and make plays at awkward angles. His production should matter, but the athletic profile might push him down the board.
Roche can be a solid developmental player on the back end of the roster, and with a great defensive coaching staff, they could unlock some hidden talent. However, the Giants must be preparing to move a player to the injured list, which will likely be Elerson Smith.

2.) WR: Collin Johnson

The Giants also claimed former Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Collin Johnson, who was a fifth-round draft pick in 2020 out of Texas. Johnson is a big 6’6″ receiver who closely mirrors Kenny Golladay’s frame and skill set. The Johnson pick-up is a solid move in the instance that Kenney suffers an injury, and they need to supplement his loss with a similar style of player. While Johnson is nowhere near the quality that Golladay provides, he is known for his 50/50 balls and red-zone catch radius.

Per The Draft Network:

Big physical WR that displays good overall athleticism for the position. He uses excellent length and excellent catch radius in contested catch situations. He shows sufficient play speed on 8 and 9 routes while also displaying good tracking ability to locate the football in the air. He will use his big body to catch a 6 route and absorb contact. Displays good willingness and courage to give up his body to secure off targeted throws. Very good competitiveness to make difficult catches at critical moments in the game. He will be a red-zone nightmare for defenders due to his big body and ability to go get the football anywhere on the field.

3.) LB: Justin Hilliard

Another player with a solid off-season was former Ohio State linebacker, Justin Hilliard. As an undrafted free agent this year, Hilliard picked up 15 tackles and eight stops over 110 total snaps this preseason with the San Francisco 49ers. Clearly, the Giants view him as a potential developmental piece at LB and considering their lack of depth there, this is a solid pick-up that could pay off in dividends down the road.

Hilliard is also known for his coverage abilities and versatility, which is a major bonus for a team that doesn’t have a traditional coverage-based linebacker.

New York Giants well-represented, scouting Miami’s star-studded Pro Day

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New York Giants, Gregory Rousseau

The 2021 NFL Draft is one month away. The New York Giants are preparing for an important draft to complete an impressive offseason that saw them knock the free agency period out of the park. New York signed multiple big-name free agents to address positions of need. But one position of need that the Giants did not address with a big splash in free agency was edge rusher.

The Giants signed a couple of low-cost, rotational edge rushers in free agency. Ifeadi Odenigbo and Ryan Anderson will contribute in 2021, but they are not dominant presences off the edge. It is possible that New York is still looking for that dominant edge rusher, though.

Today, the University of Miami had its Pro Day. It is officially Pro Day season, as all of the biggest schools in the country have been hosting Pro Days to show off their top draft prospects. Miami’s Pro Day drew a lot of attention today as they presented the NFL with their star pass-rushers. The New York Giants were in attendance as head coach Joe Judge stood next to Bill Belichick, keeping a close eye on Miami’s prospects. The assumption is that Joe Judge and the Giants made the trip to South Florida to get a closer look at Miami’s top pass rushers.

Miami’s edge rusher prospects

The top of the 2021 NFL Draft class features two impressive Miami edge rushers. Jaelan Phillips and Gregory Rousseau are both expected to be drafted in the first round of April’s draft. But outside of those top two edge rushers is another impressive Miami prospect. Quincy Roche is an intriguing name to keep an eye on outside of round one.

Gregory Rousseau

Gregory Rousseau had insane measurements at his Pro Day. He stands tall at 6 foot 6 and a half inches. But this lanky edge defender has some of the longest arms and biggest hands in the class. Rousseau’s hands measured in at a crazy 11 inches and his wingspan was 83 and 1/4 inches. These rare traits make Gregory an interesting prospect that has all the physical traits that could help mold him into a terrifying pass-rusher in the NFL.

Rousseau ran a solid 40-yard dash considering his size and weight. Gregory clocked in at 4.71/4.69s in the 40-yard dash. But it was his teammate, Jaelan Phillips, who really impressed scouts with his athletic testing.

Jaelan Phillips

Jaelan Phillips looked like an athletic freak at his Pro Day today. He ran a blazing fast 4.56s 40-yard-dash at 6 foot 5, 260 pounds. His agility drills were also impressive, as he posted a crazy 7.01s three-cone and 4.12s short shuttle. For reference, Nick Bosa’s 4.14s short shuttle tested in the 96th percentile. Phillips’s agility at his size is an extremely rare trait.

Phillips’s and Rousseau’s workouts are being compared as scouts, analysts, and fans alike debate who the better Miami edge rusher in this class is. Jaelan Phillips’s athletic testing was undeniably better than Rousseau’s and could propel Jaelan ahead of his teammate on draft boards. Many are disappointed by Gregory Rousseau’s testing numbers, which could cause him to slip in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Quincy Roche

Quincy Roche is Miami’s mid-round NFL Draft edge rusher that could be a solid value selection for the Giants to consider. Roche out-performed first-round prospect Gregory Rousseau in about every athletic test during today’s Pro Day. Quincy demonstrated surprisingly impressive athleticism and solid measurements as well. Quincy Roche ran an impressive 4.66s 40-yard dash today, just as fast as speedy Miami tight end Brevin Jordan.

Quincy Roche turned a lot of heads at his Pro Day. Roche, formerly considered to be a mid-round project, could rise up draft boards within the next month. Keep an eye on him as a potential target for the New York Giants as they look to bolster their edge rusher position.

New York Giants: One underrated pass rusher to target in the 2nd round

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New York Giants, Quincy Roche

The New York Giants struggled to produce a pass rush with their outside linebackers in 2020, primarily due to injuries. Starters Oshane Ximines and Lorenzo Carter both went down with season-ending injuries, which left seventh-round pick Carter Coughlin and practice squad players to pick up the leftover reps. The Giants still managed to put together an impressive defensive unit, which recorded over 40 sacks on the year.

Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham devised an effective scheme to conjure a pass rush when the unit lacked significant talent at OLB. With Carter and Ximines expected to return in 2021, the expectation is that they will take a step forward, but relying on two injured players might not be the most efficient move.

That could lead general manager Dave Gettleman and the coaching staff to find a solution in the NFL draft, and one player could be a perfect scheme fit in the second round.

The New York Giants should consider Miami pass rusher Quincy Roche:

Roche previously played for Temple before transferring to Miami as a senior in 2020. In 10 games, he picked up 27 solo tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks. His sack numbers were down from 13 in 2019 in the American division, but he still displayed an impressive variety of pass-rush moves and an ability to get into the backfield. Based on his tackles behind the line of scrimmage, it is clear he is adequate in stopping the run and breaking through his assignment efficiently.

Quincy put together several nice reps at the Senior Bowl on Wednesday. One of them came against top-rated OT Alex Leatherwood, as Roche beat him on the outside with a speed-rush, attacking the outside shoulder and putting Leatherwood off balance. His hand quickness and ability to swipe OL hands down is advanced, and it shows up on film. He’s a prospect I could view Gettleman falling in love with.

At 6-foot-3 and 243 pounds, he is a bit undersized for an NFL pass rusher, but he could fit the role perfectly if he can put on a bit more mass. He’s projected as a 3-4 outside linebacker, primarily setting the edge against the run and disrupting the pocket. In 2019, he earned AAC Defensive Player of the Year honors, which led him to transfer to Miami and continue producing.

Based on his second-round projection, it will take a year for him to get adapt to the NFL, but his upside is worth the risk. His experience as a stand up rusher is beneficial, and if the Giants continue to focus on stopping the run, he fits the mold perfectly. With good coaching, he could develop nicely and be an everyday starter on the defensive line, and God knows the Giants need a consistent pass rusher from the outside.