New York Giants: Evaluating The Depth Chart
The New York Giants released their first official depth chart of the season and there are plenty of surprises on it. In the wake of the Jason Pierre-Paul injury, defensive end Kerry Wynn emerged as the starter. Opposite him is Robert Ayers. The Giants mustered up a very formidable pass rush with a healthy Ayers according to NJ.com’s Art Stapleton.
Ayers was one of the better free agent signings the Giants made in 2014. He was definitely a high value choice. He was really coming into his own until he got injured. Ayers seems to have found his way back into the groove once again. Hopefully the combination of Ayers, Wynn, and Pierre-Paul could really scare opposing quarterbacks.
Under Steve Spagnuolo’s guidance, Ayers and Wynn could really be used to their full potential. Spagnuolo worked his magic back in 2007 on other unknown players and hopefully the same actions could be repeated. Spagnuolo’s goal is to have a constant rotation of endless pass rush from all players of all levels.
The other surprise was on the offensive side of the ball. Daniel Fells was put ahead of Larry Donnell. This is a huge shock because even though Donnell struggled down the stretch last year, he still showed flashes of brilliance. Donnell’s famed three- touchdown game against the Washington Redskins was nothing short of amazing.
Despite all of Donnell’s potential talent, Fells was ranked ahead of him. Tight end is not just a decent potential receiver, but a blocker as well. Most people tend to think of a tight end as a one-dimensional position. Fells definitely is a better blocker than Donnell, thus he is ranked ahead of him. Donnell is a better pass catcher than a blocker.
Justin Pugh was officially moved to left guard from right tackle. Guard suits Pugh much better than tackle does. Free agent Marshall Newhouse emerged as the starting right tackle. While that may not be permanent, Newhouse is replacing where Ereck Flowers should be playing if it was not for the Will Beatty injury.
The Giants depth chart is looking good as of right now. Everything seems to be working out for the team. Most importantly the pass rush is coming together. The Giants’ offense is on a high tangent while the defense seems to be running on the back burner. Friday, we will get a chance to see how the Giants’ defense is really looking.
Next: Where Will The Giants Get Their Pass Rush?