NY Giants roster: Projecting the starting defense in 2021

The Linebackers (3): Blake Martinez, Tae Crowder, Lorenzo Carter

Next up are the linebackers, two interior players and an edge presence.

Blake Martinez was the at the top of the interior position for the Giants last season, and there is no reason to think that will change in 2021.

In 97% of the defensive snaps for New York, Martinez made his mark in many different ways. From his nine TFLs, to his three sacks, to his 151 tackles, Martinez was making plays all over the place.

The big question is who will line up at his side most often next season. Reggie Ragland, Carter Coughlin, Cale Garrett and others are all options, but Tae Crowder appears to be the most likely option to be the Robin to Martinez’s Batman.

Crowder, who was selected with the last pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, made some impactful plays in his rookie year. His top highlight was a fumble returned for a touchdown in week six against Washington to secure the team’s first win of the season, but he was also a quality player beyond the big play.

It appears the Giants at least saw something in him.

Despite being inactive for five games last season, including a four game stint on the injured reserve, Crowder played over 80% of the defensive snaps in two games, and had an additional three games at or above 70%.

Lastly, the Giants need an edge rusher to pair on the other side of Williams. While a strong performance from second-round rookie Azeez Ojulari would be huge, it may be more realistic for Lorenzo Carter to be the featured, traditional edge rusher to start the season.

In the four games he was healthy prior to going down with an achilles injury in week 5, Carter played 83% of the defensive snaps for New York. Given that he was not on the PUP list to open training camp this year, it’s fair to say Carter very well could be the No. 1 pass rusher once the first week of the season rolls around.