Getty The New York Giants are "keeping an eye on" free agency for depth in a key area of defense.
Pass rush should be the strength of the New York Giants’ defense under new coordinator Shane Bowen, but the play-caller will be concerned about depth behind his three primary quarterback hunters. Its why the Giants “are keeping an eye on the free agency market just in case” they need veterans to supplement All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II and gifted edge-rushers Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
That’s according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. He believes “the strength of the team is clear: the defensive front. The trio of Dexter Lawrence II, Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux will be chasing quarterbacks out of the pocket. That was the case Thursday, as the Giants were practicing red zone concepts, a specialty of new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, whose defense in Tennessee ranked first last season in that area (38%). The quarterbacks had to bail the pocket quite often.”
While things have been playing out as Fowler expected for Big Blue’s defense at training camp, he rightly pointed out how “depth behind the big three up front is an issue”
The problem concerns a lack of defensive linemen capable of generating heat as consistently as Lawrence. That deficiency is combine with the absence of versatile, game-wrecking outside linebackers able to pose the same matchup nightmares for blocking schemes as Thibodeaux and Burns.
Fortunately, the veteran market still houses a few useful names who ought to appeal to a team with decent resources remaining under the cap.
Edge-Rusher Market Offers Rich Pickings for Giants
Even a cursory look at the remaining free-agent edge-rushers, courtesy of Spotrac.com, shows rich pickings for the Giants. Specifically, both Yannick Ngakoue and Carl Lawson have strong pedigrees for collapsing the pocket, while Charles Harris is flexible enough to be a standup rusher or put his hand down as a traditional defensive end.
There are also potential bargains to be had, in the form of Rasheem Green and Shaq Lawson. All of the edge defenders mentioned here should be within the range of a Giants team with $10,452,436 worth of space under the salary cap.
Making a move for any of these players will depend on how the Giants view their options immediately behind Burns and Thibodeaux. Incumbent Azeez Ojulari is the notable name among depth pass-rushers, but he’s also been mooted as a potential trade candidate.
Ultimately, a late move at edge-rusher makes sense because it’ll be easier to identify difference-makers there than for Lawrence’s spot.
Free Agency Doesn’t Offer Much Support for Dexter Lawrence
There aren’t many interior defensive linemen who can wreak havoc the way Lawrence does. His league-leading 81 pressures among true nose tackles the last two years, per PFF, sum up the 26-year-old’s prolific talents.
Total pressures when lined up as a true nose tackle over the last 2 years:
🤯 Dexter Lawrence – 81
🤯 Next best – 16
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Those who can do what Lawrence can aren’t likely to still be searching for a new team at this time on the NFL offseason calendar. That’s why the available D-tackles are more functional run-stuffers like Lawrence Guy.
It means the Giants will have to rely on an offseason recruit like Jordan Phillips to offer Lawrence support in pass-rush situations. Former second-round pick Phillips has a decent track record for getting to the passer. He’s logged 20 sacks across the last five seasons.
The Giants are always going to struggle finding a like-for-like replacement for Lawrence. Bowen and the rest of the unit need big No. 97 on the field as much as possible, but a deeper rotation on the edges would help every member of the pass-rush department stay fresh and productive.