It was a surprise to some that first-year New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh wanted to tinker with the roster rather than engage in a wholesale rebuild.
And for the most part, the roster was not overhauled this year. There was, perhaps, more churn than usual for an NFL team, but that’s to be expected with a new coach. But there were a few positions where there was a major change.
The linebacker position is the obvious exception to that statement, as pointed out by ESPN’s Jordan Raanan in ESPN’s poll
of the NFC beat writers.
The upgrade at inside linebacker. The Giants signed Tremaine Edmunds and drafted Arvell Reese fifth out of Ohio State. Even though many had Reese pegged as an edge rusher at the NFL level, the Giants do not. He is an inside linebacker for them. Now New York has two long, physical linebackers in the middle of its defense. Reese and Edmunds are both listed at 6-foot-4 and should make it difficult for opposing quarterbacks to find passing lanes. It should be an upgrade from last year’s starting combination of Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden. The Giants now have McFadden, a proven NFL starter, in a reserve role.
Chris’ thoughts
The additions of Edmunds and Reese have the potential to be transformative for the Giants’ defense against the run and the pass. They both have a rare combination of size, length, and athleticism for an off-ball linebacker, as well as significant upside in multiple phases.
Edmunds is a veteran linebacker who has consistently been a solid run defender throughout his career. His tackle radius and athleticism should work well behind the Giants’ block-eating defensive tackles. He also has a nose for the football and has 9 interceptions over the last three years, which is significant for a Giants’ defense that’s only had 14 interceptions over the last two years.
Reese, meanwhile, has the wheels to turn and run with running backs and tight ends as a WILL linebacker. That gives the Giants a space presence they lacked a year ago, with Bobby Okereke’s decline and Micah McFadden’s injury. He also presents significant upside as a blitzer. The Giants are also getting McFadden back, giving them a third proven starter at the second level and a player who was coming off a breakout season. The Giants also added BYU’s Jack Kelly in the draft, a similar player to McFadden.
The Giants have, frankly, shocking athleticism throughout their second level when counting their edge defenders. Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Abdul Carter can play as true outside linebackers, drop into space, and play downhill.
EDGE/Outside linebackers
- Brian Burns: 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, 34-inch arms, 4.53-second 40
- Kayvon Thibodeaux: 6-foot-4, 254 pounds, 33-inch arms, 4.58-second 40
- Abdul Carter: 6-foot-3, 250 pounds, 33-inch arms, 4.4-secodn 40 (estimated)
Off-ball linebackers
- Tremaine Edmunds: 6-foot-4, 253 pounds, 34 1/2 inch arms, 4.54-second 40
- Arvell Reese: 6-foot-4, 241 pounds, 32 1/2 inch arms, 4.46-second 40
- Micah McFadden: 6-foot-1, 240 pounds, 31-inch arms, 4.63-second 40
- Jack Kelly: 6-foot-2, 240 pounds, 31-inch arms, 4.57-second 40
The Giants’ ability to cover ground at the second level has been vastly upgraded, and the rare (elsewhere) athletic traits that litter their defensive front should give Dennard Wilson enviable depth as well as options for ways to attack offenses. Steve Spagnuolo had a similar group of hyper-athletic defenders in 2007 and used them to create the “Four Aces” package. The Giants are now seven deep with versatile defenders with high pass rush potential (eight, counting Chauncey Golston). It will be absolutely fascinating to see how an aggressive defensive coordinator will deploy them.
The Giants will need their defensive tackles to excel in the thankless job of eating blocks, but this group has the potential to give opposing offenses nightmares if they get traction.
