New York Giants defensive tackle Leonard Williams has been heavily criticized since the moment general manager Dave Gettleman acquired him in a trade from the New York Jets mid-way through the 2019 season.
The common complaint is that Williams does not generate enough pressure or secure enough sacks, having finished the year with 0.5, which represented a career low.
However, as Giants Wire has previously detailed, Williams’ valuation as a pass rusher should not begin and end with the sack numbers.
Williams had a pressure rate of 11.3% in 2019, which was 13th among interior defensive lineman. And if that weren’t enough, he also led all interior linemen with 19 pressures — five more than the next closest player.
Leonard Williams ranked 11th in total pressures among interior defensive lineman in 2019. Only Williams and two others in the top 20 had fewer than 4 sacks last season.
Leonard Williams led the NFL with 19 QB hits, with the 2nd ranked player recording 14.
— PFF NY Giants (@PFF_Giants) May 9, 2020
Ironically, the same people who criticize Gettleman for being “out of touch” with analytics also criticize Williams for securing just a half a sack while ignoring the analytical data that suggests he’s one of the league’s best interior pass rushers.
Sacks sell, though. Just like the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, sack numbers are overvalued and used as a baseline for production when there’s much more to it.
Did Gettleman overpay for Williams? That’s a fair debate. Is Williams an absent pass rusher because of his sack numbers? That’s not a fair debate.
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