New York Giants: Dalvin Tomlinson Can Make An Immediate Impact

The New York Giants drafted defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He’ll have a chance to make an immediate impact.

With minimal subjectivity infused in the following statement: the New York Giants have one of the best defensive lines in the NFL. Damon Harrison and Olivier Vernon were named All-Pro in 2016, and Jason Pierre-Paul was on pace for a Pro Bowl nod before his injury.

Following the departure of starting defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, however, the Giants had a significant void to fill.

Hankins played the role of a run stopper for the Giants in a division that includes rookie phenom and Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott. He’d previously excelled as a pass rusher, as well, and maintained intriguing upside as a relatively young player entering free agency.

With Hankins out of the equation, the Giants turned to the 2017 NFL Draft in order to find an ideal replacement—and that’s exactly what they’ve done.

Dalvin Tomlinson will carry his experience under vaunted Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban into the NFL.

During his career with the Crimson Tide, Tomlinson earned respect as a pillar of consistency in Tuscaloosa. He’s a self-motivated player with a high IQ and a relentless commitment to success—also known as the poster boy for Jerry Reese’s personnel criteria.

According to Jordan Raanan of ESPN’s NFL Nation, Giants vice president of player evaluation Marc Ross praised Tomlinson for his work ethic and, “Country,” strength.

"“Dalvin is strong,” vice president of player evaluation Marc Ross said. “He is country strong, he has jolt, he has walk-back power, he is stout at the point of attack, he has sneaky athleticism and every down he plays hard. Every down.”"

Tomlinson is also one of the most intelligent players to emerge from the 2017 NFL Draft, which is a feather in his cap.

Prior to committing to Alabama to play football, Tomlinson had the grades to attend Harvard. How that translates to the playing field is debatable, but it’s a sign of how hard he’s willing to work in order to fulfill his obligations as a student of the game.

Thankfully for both he and the team, Tomlinson couldn’t have landed in a better situation than the one he’s found himself in with the Giants.

The question is: what will Tomlinson do to take advantage of this opportunity?

New York has three All-Pro defensive linemen in defensive tackle Damon Harrison and defensive ends Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon. Harrison and Vernon were 2016 All-Pro honorees, while JPP was a 2011 All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler.

In Ross’ eyes, all Tomlinson has to do is come in and learn from those respected veterans while filling his role as the fourth lineman.

"“I think that is a big thing that the coaches were looking for with whoever that fourth guy was in there, because we have three studs on the defensive line, I think,” Ross said. “So the next guy, he can kind of come in there and learn from those guys and play his role. There are not a lot of big expectations, and just go play.”"

Hankins left big shoes to fill, but all Tomlinson truly needs to do as a rookie is play a fundamentally sound game and trust his veterans.

What the Giants will ask of Tomlinson is both more and less than what the average NFL team would require of a second-round draft pick. He’ll face both the benefit and pressure of playing alongside three Pro Bowlers on the defensive line.

Coming from the closest thing to an NFL environment in college football, Tomlinson appears to be prepared for the task at hand.

Must Read: Five reasons Eli Manning should have a career-year

Welcome to Big Blue, Dalvin Tomlinson. The pressure is on for you to help the New York Giants win at the highest possible level.