Oshane Ximines can become the NY Giants’ defensive X-factor

It’s been years since the NY Giants have had the disruptive pass rusher that gives strength to its defense. Oshane Ximines could be the player to bring that back.

Pro Football Talk’s recent rankings placed the NY Giants at 29th overall in the league in terms of overall talent. The logic is sound, but the rankers are underestimating the value of the Big Blue’s defense.

No fan should be totally surprised at the low rating after the dumpster fire that has occurred on the field the past few years. And although the NY Giants lacked a standout star on defense, the team made improvements from its defensive-heavy draft of 2019.

The 2019 draft was filled with run stoppers on the defensive line who helped allow the fewest rush yards per game (113.3) for the NY Giants since 2016, according to data from NFL.com. Stopping the run is step one for a team to improve its pass rush; the Giants also had a five-year high in sacks in 2019, with 36.

The improvement was enough promise in Dave Gettleman’s eyes that the NY Giants did not draft a single defensive lineman in 2020.

While the rookie standout of the 2019 class is rightly Dexter Lawrence, who is the type of run-stopper to disrupt an offensive line’s blocking scheme, Oshane Ximines has the potential to become the “punch” that Pro Football Talk thinks the NY Giants lack.

Let’s take a look at how Oshane Ximines’ rookie season and future prospects compare to former NY Giants greats to evaluate how he may turn out.