Despite the New York Giants finishing 5-11, many believe that the team is close to competing in the NFC East.
This year’s playoffs featured 7 teams that didn’t make the tournament last year, so it is definitely in the realm of possibilities. In this article, we will dissect the top defensive positions of need for the Giants to get back to playing January football.
Defensive Line
If the Giants are going to close out games, they need to shift their focus back to their ability to control the line of scrimmage. There are still questions whether Olivier Vernon will return, but even if he does, he seems to be more of a number two rather than “the guy”. The Giants could also use another big body in the trenches with the departure of “Snacks” Harrison. One glimmer of hope with the D-line is that last year was the first season the Giants played in a 3-4 defense. We knew the switch would take multiple years and I expect the Giants to take a huge leap this offseason.
Cornerback
A big part of the Giants playoff season two years ago was that they had three reliable corners in Apple, Jackrabbit and DRC. Fast forward to today, the Giants should be ecstatic if they enter the season with two solid corners. Their have been rumors that the Jenkins could be a cap casualty this offseason, but his play as of late has proved he is worth the money. The Giants also should be excited with the potential of Sam Beal, the third-round supplemental draft pick that landed on IR before the season even began. Those two, plus the development of Grant Haley, provide a good start going into the offseason, but the Giants need to either sign a nickel corner in free agency or draft a young guy.
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