The New York Giants will need second-round draft pick Dalvin Tomlinson to fill the hole left by Johnathan Hankins in free agency.
The New York Giants have a new big man in town. His name is Dalvin Tomlinson and he eats running backs for a living.
The departure of Johnathan Hankins left general manager Jerry Reese in a bit of a rut. It forced him to amend his draft board, making defensive tackle a priority when the biggest need was at offensive line.
With Michigan State’s Malik McDowell on the board at 23, it raised some eyebrows when Reese ultimately decided to avoid his attitude problems and off-field antics.
Both Hankins and Tomlinson were chosen in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. In fact, “Big Hank” was only selected six picks ahead of where Tomlinson came off the board.
Of course, you can’t compare a college player to a professional athlete, but let’s take a look at both players’ college statistics for an idea of what they offer.
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In 2016, Dalvin Tomlinson helped dominate the SEC alongside Jonathan Allen. Despite Allen getting the spotlight, Tomlinson played a prominent role in Alabama having the best defense in college football.
Tomlinson racked up 3.0 sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 62 total tackles during his senior year. For an interior defensive lineman, that’s quality production.
Hankins’ stats, on the other hand, don’t even compare to the Alabama product’s.
Hankins managed 1.0 sack, four tackles for a loss, and 55 overall tackles during his final collegiate season.
Statistically speaking, I’d say Big Blue is receiving an upgrade for a fraction of the price.
College is obviously a completely different type of beast, but if there’s anyone who can conquer the challenge, it’s Tomlinson.
The man could have attended Harvard purely based on his academic scores, so logically speaking, anything the defensive coaches throw at him, he should be able to mentally conquer it.
He will once again be the Robin, while Damon “Snacks” Harrison mans the Batman role. I think Ben Affleck would be proud!
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Damon Harrison is one of the best defensive tackles in the league, so learning from him will prove to be essential to Dalvin Tomlinson’s development as a key cog for the New York Giants.