GMEN HQ
FanSided

Which 5 NY Giants are most vital to the defense?

By David Solow

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 04: Blake Martinez #54 of the New York Giants celebrates a tackle with teammate Leonard Williams #99 during the second half against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on October 04, 2020 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 04: Blake Martinez #54 of the New York Giants celebrates a tackle with teammate Leonard Williams #99 during the second half against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on October 04, 2020 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next
NY Giants
New York Giants linebacker Blake Martinez (Image via The Record) /

NY Giants’ 3rd Most Essential Defender: Blake Martinez

Position: Middle Linebacker

Positional Value: Tier 4

What makes him a great defensive player?: 

Blake Martinez is the NY Giants’ best inside linebacker since Antonio Pierce.

Like Pierce in the 2000s, Martinez is the quarterback of the defense. The Stanford alumni gets everyone lined up and is always in the right place at the right time.

ESPN gave the NY Giants a C-minus for the Blake Martinez signing. They were off by two full letter grades, and Blake helped turn around a unit that was second to last in 2019 and made them a top 10 defense. Blake was a Pro-Bowl snub and once again was among the league leaders in tackles last season.

How would the NY Giants fare without him?

The defense would be in trouble. The depth behind Martinez at inside linebacker is shaky at best. The front office signed Reggie Ragland to provide some veteran insurance in the middle of the defense. The drop-off between Martinez and Ragland would be very noticeable.

The other inside linebacker options, Tae Crowder and Carter Coughlin, have little experience. Crowder is the most athletic Big Blue linebacker, but struggles to play the run and isn’t as stout as Martinez on runs up the middle. Coughlin hasn’t played middle linebacker since high school.

The GMEN would miss Blake’s toughness, leadership, and intangibles. I would not be surprised if Dave Gettleman signed a depth veteran linebacker off waivers, especially considering Ragland doesn’t contribute much on special teams.

Home/NY Giants Depth Chart