The New York Giants are obviously in the midst of a team rebuild and are a bit more thin on the defensive side of the ball than the offensive side of the ball, but is their defense among the very worst in football?
With a strong defensive line, improvements at the linebacker position, a solid No. 1 cornerback and a talented group at safety with high upside, the argument could be made that they’re at least mid-pack. But Sheil Kapadia of The Athletic doesn’t see it that way.
Kapadia recently ranked all 32 NFL defenses and had the Giants right there near the bottom, checking in at No. 31 overall.
31. New York Giants
Last year: 27thGM Dave Gettleman has invested in run-stopping defensive tackles like Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence. That’s an area where the Giants should be strong. But the pass defense is a different story. New York signed corner James Bradberry, but DeAndre Baker’s status is up in the air, and Sam Beal opted out. They got edge defender Markus Golden back but otherwise don’t have much pass rush. Xavier McKinney was a nice find at safety in the second round, but overall this defense just lacks impact players.
The Giants do lack an elite-level pass rusher, but are content in using the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens model when it comes to creating pressure. If they’re able to accomplish that, it won’t matter that they don’t have a single player dominating on the edge.
Ultimately, this ranking seems a bit harsh. The Giants may be mid-pack or even a bit worse, but their defense should perform at a higher level than some of the teams ranked ahead of them on Kapadia’s list.
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