Which 5 NY Giants are most vital to the defense?
By David Solow
NY Giants’ 2nd Most Essential Defender: Leonard Williams
Position: 5 technique
Positional Value: Tier 4
What makes him a great defensive player?:
Williams is one of the highest-paid interior defensive linemen for a reason. In 2020, he had 11.5 sacks, 30 QB hits, and 57 tackles.
Stopping the run has always been something Williams has been elite at. Now, the 27-year-old defensive lineman is finally showing the pass-rushing prowess that made him the No. 6 overall pick by the Jets in 2016.
Graham keeps defenses guessing by lining Williams up all over the defensive line. He is the one pass-rusher on the NY Giants that opposing offenses have to really gameplan for.
How would the NY Giants fare without him?
The defense would be much less dangerous without their best pass rusher. Williams is more valuable than his positional value would indicate because of his ability to get to the quarterback.
The NY Giants lack a stud outside linebacker, so they need Williams on the inside to make life difficult for quarterbacks.
The defense doesn’t have a clear 2nd best pass rusher. Without Williams wreaking havoc, opposing quarterbacks would have all day to sit in the pocket. Even a strong Big Blue secondary would struggle without a decent pass rush.