Linebackers (9)
Who’s in: Markus Golden, Blake Martinez, Lorenzo Carter, Kyler Fackrell, Ryan Connelly, David Mayo, Oshane Ximines, Carter Coughlin, and Cam Brown
Who’s out: Tae Crowder, Devante Downs, Mark McLaurin, Chris Peace, Dominque Ross, Josiah Tauaefa, and TJ Brunson
Analysis:
New York’s linebackers are the most revamped position group on the roster. Due to the new CBA upping the official roster limit to 55, the NY Giants are able to sneak a whopping 9 linebackers onto their roster as they are clearly going with a pass-rush-by-committee approach.
Not to mention, last year’s rookie breakout star, Ryan Connelly, may be banged up early but the team surely doesn’t want to expose him to another team via waivers.
Blake Martinez joins the team in free agency and he will quarterback the defense and line the D up every play.
Ryan Connelly and Mayo expect to compete to start opposite Martinez. Connelly flashed the potential of being a good coverage linebacker last season while nabbing two interceptions in four games. Mayo is regarded as a run-stuffer who will help in short-yardage situations.
Don’t be shocked to see Lorenzo Carter get some reps inside as well, as Patrik Graham has been known to mix it up on defense and some believe his true potential lies inside in a 3-4 defense.
Markus Golden will be counted on again to lead the NY Giants’ edge rushers and to generate pressure and cause havoc for opposing quarterbacks. Giving him the UFA tender was the smartest move the Giants made all offseason.
Lorenzo Carter and Oshane Ximines look to build on the strides they made last season while Fackrell joins Martinez coming over from Green Bay.
Carter, Ximines, and Fackrell will be counted on heavily alongside Markus Golden to bring the majority of the team’s pass rush and to get sacks in 2020.
Rookie Carter Coughlin makes the team here are a seventh-round draft pick, beating out other two linebackers the team selected in that same round.
Two draft picks from this offseason noticeably doesn’t make the roster here. In this projection, we are stashing TJ Brunson and Tae Crowder on the practice squad for this year.
As you can see by the sheer number of linebackers taking up spots on the NY Giants’ current 90-man roster, Joe Judge and Dave Gettleman are very unsure of the group overall and are going to try to find a diamond in the rough – or two – by taking so many fliers late on the position.