Dennard Wilson wasn't exactly a splash hire for the New York Giants. He hadn't been retained as the Tennessee Titans' defensive coordinator after failing to put together a competent unit, and while his experience held some value, he wasn't seen as a schematic mastermind when John Harbaugh picked him out.
Whatever the expectations put on him were, he's already exceeded them. Wilson has the G-Men playing some of their best defense in recent years. In Weeks 5-7, they were a top-six defense in the NFL by success rate.
If the rest of the league hasn't noticed Wilson yet, he can force them to when the Giants play the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 9. With Joe Milton III under center for Philadelphia, New York's DC should have a field day.
Giants' Dennard Wilson has quickly become one of the NFL's most underrated coaches
Harbaugh has received most of the credit for Big Blue's encouraging start to the season, and deservedly so. He has immediately established a winning culture in a building that has struggled to produce success for the last decade.
But Wilson's contributions to the turnaround seem to be flying under the radar. Last season, the Giants' defense ranked 24th in EPA per play and had the worst run defense in football. Even with talented players on the roster, they were unable to field a competent unit.
This year, the defense has been average at worst. Wilson has put together a formidable group, even through injuries to star players, and has limited some of the most explosive offenses in the league.
He may not be the star of New York's season, but the defensive coordinator deserves his flowers for the work that he's done thus far.
Dennard Wilson is about to put on a Giants masterclass vs. Joe Milton's Eagles
This game against the Eagles could be Wilson's Sistine Chapel. Coming off the bye, he's had two weeks to prepare for a team that's starting Joe Milton III at quarterback and is missing its top two receivers in DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks.
Milton has some firepower to his arm, but he's prone to mistakes. He wants to push the ball downfield, even when he shouldn't. If the G-Men can bait him into making a few too many of those throws, they could force a few key interceptions in this game.
Wilson's coverage menu and blitz packages will be the keys to making that happen. Keep in mind, Milton only arrived in Philadelphia a couple of weeks ago. He's not as well-versed in the Eagles' scheme as a veteran starter would be, so he's vulnerable to being tricked by well-timed blitzes and rotations.
The Eagles think that Milton can revive their season. He won't, not if Wilson has anything to say about it.
We're not calling for a shutout (we're not taking it off the table, either), but this should be a dominant performance from Wilson's defense.
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