The 2020 NFL Draft is over, and the most active days of Free Agency have passed. Here is how the NY Giants’ new and improved defensive unit is shaping up.
The NY Giants may have prioritized their offense in the early-goings of this past NFL Draft by taking two offensive-linemen with their first three picks, but it’s the changes on defense that should draw the attention of fans heading into next season.
Although the team is far from being Super Bowl-caliber in 2020, it could just be the start of something new, fresh, and very much improved.
Head coach, Joe Judge has chosen Patrick Graham as his defensive coordinator, stating that when it comes to defensive versatility, “we’re gonna have a lot of movement week by week, whether it’s by matchup or by how certain teams play. I think right now, the premium we would really put on versatility is being met across the board (for) all of our players.”
Joe Judge: “We’re not collecting talent. We’re building a team.”
— Paul Schwartz (@NYPost_Schwartz) April 26, 2020
Personally, I think the team’s initial success will depend on how well Judge succeeds in building his staff, evaluating personnel in training camp, defining schemes, and setting the tone in this new and improved NY Giants locker room.
And so far, the coaching additions of Defensive Coordinator, Patrick Graham, Offensive Coordinator, Jason Garrett, and Special Teams Coordinator, Thomas McGaughey seem to have all the ingredients between them for a recipe of success.
However, among the lingering uncertainties surrounding the defensive unit after consecutive years of coaching staff overhauls and new systems being implemented, is the hiring of the defensive coordinator position.
Apart from being the NY Giants defensive line coach in 2016, Graham has also served as another former Bill Belichick assistant, and even more recently on the Miami Dolphin’s coaching staff in 2019.
Patrick Graham on his new role as Giants DC pic.twitter.com/TugOcCxEp7
— New York Giants (@Giants) January 18, 2020
So, while Graham has the players to enforce a Base 3-4 Defense on Day 1 with the potential to switch to a 3-4 alignment, or execute Judge’s desire to run nickel and dime packages on a weekly basis (depending on the opponent), it is clear that the coaching staff will make or break this Giants team.
But thanks to a stellar draft, and strategic free agency spending, he’ll have a whole new secondary to work with and mold into a well-functioning defense come next season.
So let’s dive in and see how each part of Big Blue’s defensive depth chart is shaping up, starting with the Front 3, Linebacker unit, and Secondary.