Tag: D.J. Davidson

Herm Edwards: DJ Davidson can be a ‘disrupter’ for Giants

Herm Edwards believes rookie DJ Davidson, who he coached in college, can be a disruptive force for the New York Giants.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbx61yex5whq8aq player_id=none image=https://giantswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

The New York Giants selected Arizona State defensive lineman DJ Davidson with the 147th overall pick in the fifth round of this year’s NFL draft.

Davidson was in good hands out in Tempe with former Giants captain Antonio Pierce as his defensive coordinator and former NFL player and head coach Herm Edwards as the head coach.

Edwards recently appeared on the Giants Huddle podcast and talked a bit about Davidson, a player he coached for four years at the collegiate level.

“His maturity, naturally, and his ability to learn the position and become a pretty good technician,” Edwards said when asked what impressed him most about Davidson.

Edwards also called Davidson “light on his feet” and said he can “shed blocks and make plays” and be a “disrupter.”

Davidson was a top run defender and the Giants will need players who can stop the run as well as get to the passer.

“He has great balance, not on the ground a lot,” said Edwards.

Edwards also believes Davidson will likely warrant double teams at times, which would free up others to make plays.

“If he can get into one-on-one situations, he can take advantage,” said Edwards, who also said the the NFL-style system he runs gives his players an edge heading into the league.

Davidson will be trying to break into a rotation that consists of Leonard Williams, Dexter Lawrence, Justin Ellis, Jalyn Holmes and others. He is coming in at 25 years old and Edwards said he won’t be in awe heading into the next level.

Edwards also noted that Davidson is a silent guy who leads by example.

“When he talks, though, people listen,” said Edwards when asked about players who say little and let their playing do the talking. “Those are the scary guys.”

[listicle id=693437]

 

D.J. Davidson was inspired by retired Giants great Antonio Pierce

D.J. Davidson says he found a constant source of inspiration in retired New York Giants great Antonio Pierce, who was his DC at ASU.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbx61yex5whq8aq player_id=none image=https://giantswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

The New York Giants selected Arizona State defensive tackle D.J. Davidson with the fourth pick in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft. He is basically an early-down run stopper the Giants will slide into the defensive line rotation.

“D.J. Davidson, see him more as a nose, out of Arizona State, be a good depth player that has some upside,” Giants general manager Joe Schoen told the media on Saturday. “We are excited about working with him inside, again, trying to add some depth up front there.”

Davidson was a player the Giants targeted. He had played under former Giant captain Antonio Pierce during Pierce’s time as defensive coordinator out in Tempe.

“He never really talked to me about the Giants or anything like that. I know he played with the Giants when he was at D.C. at Arizona State, he always put up his film,” Davidson told the media on Saturday. “Always saw Twitter clips of him being a monster on the field, coming downhill, making tackles for loss, covering in coverage, all those types of things.

“That’s what really inspired me as a player, seeing my defensive coordinator in that position. And, I mean, it’s the Giants. Knowing he played there and seeing that, I want to live up to what he lived up to and be on that level with him.”

Davidson said his pre-draft dealings with the Giants were all positive and got a great vibe from the atmosphere and deceive line coaches Andre Patterson and Bryan Cox.

“I went on the 30 visit like towards the end of the 30-visit deadline. So I went on a 30 visit and talked with Coach Patterson, talked with everybody, the GMs, player personnel, the whole thing when they brought me in there, and had constant phone calls. I had Zoom calls with Coach Patterson and Coach Cox. And they’re amazing. The building is amazing, the coaches are amazing. I love the Giants,” he said.

Davison said he thought he impressed the Giants simply by being himself with them. The Giants are looking for players who fit their culture and Davidson is their type of kid.

“I believe what made the positive impression is who I am as a person. I went back to my roots. I stayed true to myself. I stayed true and kept it real with the owners, with Coach Patterson, with all of them and what my goals are, just to be the best teammate, to be the best player that I can be, have them challenge me every day, my good days and bad days, and continue to respond in a positive way,” Davidson added.

“I said those things to them, and I think that’s the main thing is just me as a person, they know the character that I am and just keeping the main thing the main thing, coming in, be the best team player, and just really put myself in the best ability and the best situation in their defensive scheme and what they have for this next season coming up.”

[listicle id=691453]

2022 NFL draft: Giants select DL D.J. Davidson in Round 5

With the No. 147 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the New York Giants select Arizona State defensive lineman D.J. Davidson.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbx61yex5whq8aq player_id=none image=https://giantswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

With the No. 147 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the New York Giants select Arizona State defensive lineman D.J. Davidson.

Entering the draft, nose tackle was one of the team’s most underrated needs and it seemed like a certainty that general manager Joe Schoen would address it at some point. And he did early in Round 5.

The 6-foot-5, 325-pound Davidson will come in and compete for a starting spot immediately. At worst, he’ll be used in a rotation to help clog the middle lanes and eat up blockers for the team’s edge rushers and blitzers.

Here is what NFL Network draft guru Lance Zierlein had to say about Davidson:

Gap-stuffing nose tackle who plays with good strength to disrupt blocking from guard to guard. Davidson is an early-down run defender only, but he can be a handful to get blocked on those downs. He plays on a bulky, powerful base that helps absorb double teams with relative success and he has the upper-body strength to beat a single block. He needs to improve his hand command at the point of attack and learn to shed with better timing to help him finish more consistently. Davidson projects as a backup nose for odd or even fronts.

Davidson joins a group that consists of Dexter Lawrence, Leonard Williams, Raymond Johnson and others.

Lawrence is technically listed as a nose tackle but can move around and play three downs. The only other true NT on the Giants’ roster is Justin Ellis.

[lawrence-related id=691352,691348,691345]