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When Brian Daboll hired Don “Wink” Martindale as the New York Giants’ defensive coordinator everyone knew of the reputation that followed him.
Martindale’s Baltimore Ravens defenses were near the top of the league in three of the four years he served under John Harbaugh, so the excitement level from the Giants’ fan base was high.
Part of that success can be attributed to bringing in explosive and tough players. That’s a blueprint the Giants followed throughout the 2022 NFL draft.
The selection of Kayvon Thibodeaux certainly represents a notch in the belt. Taking Indiana linebacker Micah McFadden in the fifth-round was definitely another.
McFadden said his game is playing physical and dropping back into coverage to get a helmet on a player. The 6-foot-1, 240-pound linebacker also said he looks up to current Giants middle linebacker Blake Martinez.
“Yeah, somebody I definitely look up to and admire his game and the way he plays and just what he’s done over the past few years,” McFadden told reporters on Saturday. “Really excited to learn from him and just getting in the locker room and the linebacker room with him and I think we’re tied up with the same agency. So that’s pretty cool as well. I’m just really excited to learn from a player like him.”
Martinez took a pay cut to stay with the Giants after missing most of the 2021 season after going down in Week 3 with a season-ending torn ACL against the Atlanta Falcons. Now he’ll work alongside and mentor McFadden.
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