The New York Giants defensive line is a topic of some concern in 2026.
It could be fine after the team acquired a bevy of block eaters this year, apparently hoping they’ll free up their athletic linebackers to make plays. On the other hand, the veterans could fall off and the defense could suffer for a lack of pressure up the middle.
We’ll see how their plan plays out this year, but the Giants will still likely need to invest in their defensive line for the long haul.
If they decide to do so in the NFL
draft, Ole Miss DT Will Echoles could be a very intriguing option. He currently sits at 26th on the Consensus Big Board, but has the potential to rise significantly over the next few months. Echoles is very young and only has one year of starting experience, but he’s also already established himself as one of the most disruptive defensive tackles in college football.
What does well
Will Echoles is a big young man, listed at 6-foot-3, 315 pounds, with impressive quickness and power.
Echoles is an interesting athlete who combines great initial quickness with crushing power, but lacks speed over any kind of distance. He flashes the ability to effectively anticipate the snap and is frequently one of the first defenders to move at the snap of the ball. Echoles features a quick first step, flashing the ability to fire low and hard into blockers, rocking them back when he can establish leverage.
Echoles offers significant pass rush upside and was highly disruptive behind the line of scrimmage with 5.0 sacks, 11.5 tackles for a loss, and 32 total hurries last year. He’s able to win with both power and quickness, and can be an absolute nightmare for blockers in one-on-one situations. He can line up as both an A or B-gap defender thanks to his blend of size, quickness, and lateral agility.
He is also a great run defender in addition to being disruptive. Echoles has a solid feel for how runs are blocked and where rushing lanes will develop. His power and impressively heavy hands allow him to control blockers before shedding at will to make a play on the ball carrier. He’s able to clog lanes on the inside, or shed and disrupt on his own.
Finally, Echoles plays with impressive competitive toughness. He appears to give full effort every play and never simply leans on a blocker. Likewise, he offers great hustle in pursuit of plays. He won’t run down many ball carriers, but he’s still willing to pursue across the field.
What he needs to improve
As with many of these young players, Echoles needs to continue to hone his technique and become more consistent in his execution.
He flashes the ability to dominate offensive linemen in one-on-one situations when he plays with both good pad level and hand usage. For now, however, those are only flashes and there are a few too many reps where his pads rise or strikes don’t land. And in those cases, he has a tendency to disappear from the play. He would do well to focus on landing his strikes on blockers’ chest plates, as well as continuing to improve his rip move.
Echoles’ rushes can be almost unblockable when he’s able to get under opponents’ pads and drive his legs, or win half-man leverage with a good rip move. He needs to focus on making those every rep, and not just flashes.
He also needs to improve his tackle consistency and was credited with 10 missed tackles last year. Becoming more consistent in his technique also means becoming a more consistent form tackler, as well as putting himself in better position to bring ball carriers down when he gets the chance.
Echoles could also stand to improve his body composition. Defensive tackles typically aren’t lean defenders, but Echoles carries more bodyfat than is probably ideal. He appears a bit top heavy, which can compromise his balance when his pads rise. He would also likely play faster and with better power if he’s able to trade some fat for muscle. He could probably be a highly effective interior penetrator at 300 to 305 pounds. However, he’s young enough, with a big enough frame, that he could likely stay at 315 to 320 with a leaner physique with some work and a smart nutrition program.
Game tape
(Echoles is the Ole Miss defensive tackle wearing number 52 with x)
Final thoughts
Perhaps the most intriguing thing about Echoles is his age. He is, as of this writing, only 19 years old and won’t turn 20 until August 7th. He is still maturing physically as well as technically, which gives him significant potential upside compared to some of his peers.
The Giants have shown a preference for older prospects at the defensive tackle position over the last couple of years. Both Darius Alexander and Bobby Jamison Travis being on the older side for rookies. The belief seems to be that being more physically and emotionally mature will shorten their development curve they be more ready for the rigors of the defensive interior.
However, Arvell Reese and Francis Mauigoa are both at the opposite end of the spectrum and were 20 when they were drafted. That could suggest that the Giants do value youth in top prospects, which could put Echoles firmly on their radar.
