Minnesota defensive coordinator Joe Rossi told Giants Wire he believes Carter Coughlin will impress on defense for the New York Giants.
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“I think he’ll impress.”
Minnesota Gopher’s defensive coordinator Joe Rossi believes his former linebacker and New York Giants’ seventh-round draft pick, Carter Coughlin, will surprise people as he is eased into an increased role on defense.
With Lorenzo Carter and Oshane Ximines on the shelf, Coughlin and fellow late-round rookie, Cam Brown, both received their first career snaps on defense in Week 6 and are projected to see an expanded workload as the primary backups to Markus Golden and Kyler Fackrell.
Although Coughlin got in on the action on defense on Sunday, the majority of his playing time this season has come via special teams.
Rossi feels this aspect will help Carter out tremendously in his development as a pro.
“When you look at Carter in his college career, he was a role guy and a specialty guy on sub-packages and special teams,” Rossi told Giants Wire in a phone interview. “Then, as he developed, he became a three-year starter and accomplished a lot so I believe gaining that experience on special teams in the NFL and playing that small role on gameday will certainly help him step into a more significant situation.
“There’s always a learning curve when new players enter your program whether it be in the NFL or college. They have to acclimate to a new scheme and get reps, so if you have the opportunity to start them off small and then gradually increase their workload, it’s beneficial to those guys.”
Unfortunately, Coughlin and the rest of the 2020 rookie class were victims of an unorthodox offseason brought on by COVID-19, which cancelled exhibition action.
Rossi admitted that will be a challenge for the guys who haven’t had those live game reps, but he knows Coughlin will make up for it with his smarts.
“He’s played multiple spots and is a smart kid and diligent preparer. He’s going to put the time in if his role increases so the mental aspect will be something he handles well,” Rossi said.
“It’s a challenge for Carter and all rookies coming in without those live preseason opportunities. But the people it hurts the most are the ones who struggle to pick up on schemes quickly. Carter doesn’t have that problem, but it will definitely be tough without having live reps on defense in game action.”
So, what will Coughlin bring to the table on the defensive side of the ball?
“He has a great burst and first and second step given his speed, but his best attribute is his motor. He’s relentless to the football with a series of efforts. Any time you are looking for successful pass rushers they have these attributes,” said Rossi.
Despite not being the biggest guy at his position, weighing in at 236 pounds, Coughlin had success at Minnesota by utilizing three traits: his speed, athleticism, and motor.
In four seasons, Coughlin produced 22.5 sacks, 40 tackles for a loss, and forced eight fumbles.
Despite being undersized, Rossi warns opponents not to underestimate the dog in the fight.
“There are a ton of successful edge guys around the league who are in that 240-pound range that win with their speed. But all of them have moves that they feature. The lighter players rely on speed rushing moves. Carter can go speed to power because of his strength and I think he will surprise some people,” said Rossi.
The Giants have struggled to set the edge at times this season on defense. So how did Coughlin do in the past in these situations?
“Any time he was matched up on a tight end, we liked our chances and as far as setting the edge on tackles, we felt he always did a good job there too. He plays with heavy hands, which is a critical aspect in setting the edge,” said Rossi.
Whatever happens with Coughlin as he continues to develop, his former DC knows he will be “mentally strong and resilient” given the philosophy that Minnesota University teaches their football program.
“In our culture, we always talk about response. There’s a response when you do well and there’s a response when you don’t do well,” Rossi said.
“Carter comes from a program where we make our players ask themselves three things: what did I learn, where can I grow, and how can I get better? I am confident he will do well but regardless of what happens, I know he will respond at a high level.”
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