New York Giants: Reasons To Love Jason Pierre-Paul Re-Signing

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Nov 6, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz (11) hands the ball off to running back Darren Sproles (43) as New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (90) pursues during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Run Defense

It’s no secret that Jason Pierre-Paul makes a positive impact in the New York Giants’ attempts to rush the passer. What’s understated—and perhaps underrated—however, is Pierre-Paul’s invaluable ability to positively impact the run defense.

By re-signing Pierre-Paul, the Giants have made strides towards maintaining a high level of execution in defending the run.

While many edge rushers excel in getting after the quarterback, there are considerably less who excel in defending the run. Take this as you will, but only 20 edge rushers were graded at 80.0 or higher against the run by Pro Football Focus in 2016.

One of the 20 players who earned a grade above 80.0 was Pierre-Paul, with teammate Olivier Vernon joining him in that regard.

In a division with running back Ezekiel Elliott, the Giants need to be as strong as possible against the run. Elliott and the Cowboys’ offensive line form one of the most unstoppable tandems in the NFL, yet Pierre-Paul and the Giants managed to contain him in 2016.

New York won games on the strength of its defensive balance during the 2016 season and re-signing Pierre-Paul will help maintain that equilibrium.

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