5 underrated New York Giants to watch for in 2018
Darian Thompson, FS
Former New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo relied on the principle that his defensive line was good enough to generate pressure all game.
Bettcher, on the other hand, brings the heat from all levels.
Landon Collins is going to be a better version of Tyrann Mathieu. He will blitz, play pass coverage, move up to linebacker and basically wreak havoc in so many different ways. That makes current starter Darian Thompson the last line of defense.
Bettcher’s blitzes typically lead to a lot of Cover-1 play, which puts pressure on the shoulders of Thompson to be a competent centerfielder. I expect to see Thompson be used much like safety Antoine Bethea was used for Bettcher in Arizona last season.
In Bethea’s 12 years as a pro, he had a single-season high in interceptions (5) in 2017: his first year with the Cardinals. There’s a reason why the Giants were OK with letting Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie walk, and my guess is that there is a lot of confidence in the big 6-1, 213-pound Thompson who posted 75 tackles in 2017.
How good D.T. is on his own—assuming he wins the starting job this summer—will directly affect how active Collins can be as an all-around defender.