The last time the New York Giants selected a linebacker high in the first round was back in 1984, when they used the third overall selection in the draft on Michigan State’s Carl Banks.
Banks had an illustrious career in Blue, winning two Super Bowls and getting named to the NFL’s All-1980s Team as well as the Giants Ring of Honor. He has been an analyst on the Giants’ radio broadcasts alongside play-by-play man Bob Papa since 2007, providing valuable insight to Giant fans both on the air and via social media.
The Giants’ recent free agent acquisition of former Green Bay Packers linebacker Blake Martinez has Banks particularly animated as displayed here in a video post on Twitter.
.@CarlBanksGIII shows what we've gained on defense by adding LB Blake Martinez to the roster #GiantsPride | @Sharp_Business pic.twitter.com/XFuJVGWeno
— New York Giants (@Giants) April 7, 2020
Many who follow the NFL closely know all about Martinez as a prolific tackler and astute, heads-up player. Since becoming a starter in 2017, the 26-year-old former Stanford star has been among the NFL’s top tacklers, tying for the league lead (144) that year and finishing second in 2018 (144) and 2019 (155).
The Giants plan on using Martinez at middle linebacker in the 4-3 or an inside man in the 3-4. Should the Giants opt to draft Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons, they will almost certainly employ a 3-4 and have a linebacker group that will hearken back to the days of Banks when the Giants’ defense was feared throughout the league.
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