Did the Giants do enough to boost this group?
The New York Giants have struggled to stop the run for years despite quality defensive linemen. Last season, however, Dexter Lawrence was the only notable name after the departure of both Leonard Williams and A’Shawn Robinson during — and after — the disappointing 2023 season.
Understandably, the Giants’ defense allowed 4.6 yards per carry and 136.2 yards per game, both ranking 27th in the league last year. The lack of talent and competency around Dexter Lawrence, coupled with the transition to a more two-high shell defense, resulted in increased responsibility for the linebackers and a concerning inability to stop the run.
The overall defense finished 29th in EPA per play, and Shane Bowen had to tailor his defense to lackluster personnel after the Lawrence injury just to stop the run. This Giants’ regime trusted the expertise of the defensive line coach Andre Patterson to develop and maximize lesser investments, such as Jordon Riley and D.J. Davidson.
This approach allowed Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll to focus on other areas of the roster while addressing different issues that were plaguing the Giants. New York found themselves lacking depth along the defensive line, and the young players never took the necessary step forward to strengthen the defense.
Rakeem Nunez-Roches led the team in defensive line snaps with 608, followed by Lawrence at 551 (injured after 12 games). Elijah Chatman — a rookie UDFA — played 423 snaps, and Riley and Davidson each had less than 300 (248 and 261, respectively).
Nunez-Roches is a respectable rotational player, but not a 40-snap-a-game type of player. The biggest question surrounding the Giants’ defensive line group is: Did the Giants do enough to strengthen the defensive line?
New York drafted Darius Alexander in the third round after they signed two veteran free agents: Jeremiah Ledbetter and Roy Robertson-Harris, while still having Nunez-Roches, Lawrence, Chatman, Davidson, and Riley on the team. I love that they drafted a player like Alexander, and I’m happy with the veteran additions that should allow the cream to rise to the top throughout training camp.
Furthermore, the Giants also signed EDGE/DL Chauncey Golston from Dallas, who will likely kick inside and play along the trenches as well in certain situations.
With that said, I’m not sold that it’s enough. If anything were to happen to Lawrence, this unit is significantly undermanned from a talent perspective. It’s plausible that Alexander and possibly even a young player like Riley or Davidson take a significant step forward in their development. However, the unit still has several older players, some of whom are in decline.
It’s a better situation than last season, though, and I’ll sign up for that every day of the week.
Who will start next to Dexter Lawrence?
Who will be the starter opposite Dexter Lawrence in base personnel? Will Alexander quickly seize this role in training camp, or will one of the veterans earn reps early on with Lawrence? These are questions that we may be able to answer during training camp. All the previously listed defensive linemen have a realistic shot to earn this role with a jump forward.
However, Alexander, Ledbetter, Nunez-Roches, and Robertson-Harris seem like the favorites unless Davidson and Riley take a significant jump. Chatman may still occupy his same role as a sub-package rusher. Elijah Garcia and Cory Durden will be battling Chatman for a roster spot through training camp.
New York may also consider employing a hot hand approach on the line of scrimmage. Perhaps play the matchups and adjust the reps throughout the game, which is highly likely. Still, will one of the defensive linemen separate himself from the others?
Roy Robertson-Harris or Jeremiah Ledbetter?
Schoen signed both players in March, and both are on the wrong side of 30 years old. Robertson-Harris played in 398 snaps for the Jaguars and Seahawks last season. He managed 16 pressures but was underwhelming in run defense and seemed out o place on both teams.
However, Robertson-Harris is one season removed from recording 42 pressures with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 31-year-old 6-foot-5, 290-pound defensive lineman had three consecutive seasons prior to 2024 with 35 or more pressures — all recorded with fewer than 900 snaps in any given season.
He’s not far removed from significant role-player production on a defense that wasn’t that great in Jacksonville. Ledbetter is a somewhat different story. He was teammates with Robertson-Harris for 2.5 years in Jacksonville and played over 800 snaps across the last two seasons in Duval (2023-2024). He had a total of just 16 pressures, but was more reliable as a run defender and more gap-disciplined.
The camp battle between Robertson-Harris and Ledbetter is one to watch, especially when we factor in the other players in the position group.
Davidson or Riley factors?
D.J. Davidson is entering his final year under contract, and his tenure with the Giants has been underwhelming. He’s already 27 years old, but his career was significantly impacted during his rookie season when he tore his ACL. He spent 2023 healthy but just a year removed from his knee injury and last season was his first year where he was able to prepare for a season without an injury as a veteran. He only managed 261 snaps and eight pressures last season.
Riley flashed, albeit dimly, throughout his rookie season of 2023, but did little last season with his 248 snaps. He was much less sturdy against the run and had little to no impact against the pass. It was concerning to see the Giants opt to give snaps to other free agents they just signed rather than look to develop Riley. It’s a big season of opportunity in a more crowded room for both Davidson and Riley.
Elijah Chatman’s role?
Chatman had 19 pressures last season and played well in his niche role as a situational pass rusher in sub-packages. He was one of the discussion points of training camp last season, and Patterson raved about his development and strength. He’s short and slightly undersized but plays much bigger than one would expect.
Still, the Giants added Alexander, who may eat into Chatman’s role, and is Chatman valuable enough to earn a roster spot if Alexander or if the Giants employ a NASCAR package more frequently?
Rakeem Nunez-Roches
The Giants may look to release Rakeem Nunez-Roches if the depth of the defensive line group proves reliable. Nunez-Roches is still a respectable NFL player who can earn snaps, although he isn’t a difference-maker. If the Giants release him, they would clear $3.6-million in cap space with a $1.43 million dead cap.
So New York would have a net gain of $2.16 million compared to keeping him on the roster. OverTheCap has the Giants with just $3.8-million in cap space — money is tight. New York can free up some wiggle room if they release Nunez-Roches, but is it worth it?
Lawrence’s return to prominence?
Can Lawrence return to his prominence post-elbow surgery at 27 years old? I think yes. Lawrence had 36 pressures and nine sacks last season before his injury. That was after a 65-pressure season in 2023 and a 70-pressure season in 2022. His pairing with Patterson helped him unlock his massive potential, and he’s still young enough to thrive in his glory years.
The selection of Abdul Carter, along with Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux will only help the defensive line group and Dexter Lawrence in passing situations. A lot of protection packages will look to prevent Lawrence from creating interior pressure — four hands! But that may not be easy to sustain if Carter, Burns, and Thibodeaux are dominating on the edge.
Bowen’s usage of the Wide-9 will inevitably lead to constrained pockets that force quarterbacks to step up into a bull-rushing Dexter Lawrence. More statistics are coming for Lawrence if the Giants can take leads and allow this fearsome pass rush to pin their ears back.