Getty The New York Giants will meet with the 2023 NFL draft's version of Justin Tuck.
Justin Tuck helped the New York Giants win two Super Bowls as one of many game-wrecking defensive linemen drafted by the franchise during the 2000s and early 2010s. Today’s Giants might continue the tradition if they’re sufficiently impressed by Georgia Tech’s Keion White.
He’s one of the more intriguing prospects in the 2023 NFL draft, and White is set to meet with a host of teams, including the Giants, per The Draft Network’s Justin Melo:
Bringing White in for a top-30 visit gives a strong indication he’s in a prominent spot on the Giants’ board. General manager Joe Schoen hasn’t been shy about wanting to improve depth along the D-line, where White could help out at multiple spots.
It’s what Tuck did for the last two Giants’ teams to win a championship after being drafted in the third round back in 2005.
Draft ‘Tweener Similar to Justin Tuck
Like Tuck, White is a prospect who keeps draft experts guessing about where he projects best. Specifically, which position best suits the 24-year-old who converted from tight end to defensive line.
There’s no obvious consensus, with NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein gauging White has “a chance to become a plus starter as a 4-3 or 3-4 defensive end.” Meanwhile, Damian Parson of the Draft Network tabs White as a “5-technique defensive end,” a role usually reserved for linemen in a 3-4 defense.
Finally, Pro Football Network’s Ian Cummings gives White the wonderful moniker of “a goblin who can set the edge and rush at 5-tech or move inside to 3-tech and 2i, blasting open lanes with his traits.” In other words, White can operate on the edge and inside, just the way Tuck did during an 11-year career that yielded 66.5 sacks.
Like White, Tuck had draft writers guessing before the 2005 edition of the league’s annual selection meeting. He was described as “the classic tweener at the next level” by Robert Davis of Football’s Future, who projected Tuck as an edge-rusher who could play outside linebacker in a 3-4.
As it was, Tuck rose to stardom as a pass-rushing defensive tackle with the Giants two years later. He was a key part of coordinator’s Steve Spagnuolo’s sophisticated pressure-heavy schemes in 2007, when Tuck became Tom Brady’s worst nightmare helping the Giants upset the 18-0 New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. Tuck was a menace again when the Giants bludgeoned Brady and the Pats once more in Super Bowl XLVI:
Happy 38th birthday to @JustinTuck!
He played a HUGE role in the @Giants’ last two Super Bowl wins with four total sacks on Tom Brady in #SBXLII & #SBXLVI.
Tuck’s success at multiple spots owed a lot to his rangy 6’5″, 265-pound frame. White shares a similar physical profile at 6’5″, 285 pounds.
Those are usually the dimensions of a two-gap defensive end who can handle double teams and set the edge against the run. White is a little more dynamic, having logged 7.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss during his final season with the Yellow Jackets.
Many of White’s best plays came on inside rushes, like this one from the Senior Bowl, highlighted by Owain Jones of NinetyNineYards.com:
How many sacks can you have on 1 play? Great job by the d-line here but watch Keion White. Shows that conversion of power and athleticism
This rep bears all the hallmarks of classic Tuck, but that comparison alone isn’t enough to recommend the Giants picking White. He could also provide insurance if Schoen has to make a difficult decision or two.
Giants Need Better Depth Along the Interior
The Giants are loaded at defensive tackle, at least at the starter level. Dexter Lawrence II is an All-Pro, while his running mate Leonard Williams can dominate when healthy.
Depth is lacking behind this formidable duo, with Justin Ellis and Nick Williams still free agents. Although the team signed Rakeem Nunez-Roches from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Schoen needs more insurance at the position.
It’s needed because Lawrence is entering the final year of his rookie deal. He’s in line for a lucrative contract extension following a breakout season in 2022, but the defensive tackle market is rising all the time.
Tennessee Titans’ star Jeffrey Simmons is the latest to cash in, prompting Dan Duggan of The Athletic to note Lawrence’s price is only going one way:
Making room for improved terms for Lawrence won’t be easy when Williams is set to count for $32,260,000 against this year’s salary cap, per Spotrac.com. There’s been speculation Williams might take a pay cut, but nothing has been agreed yet.
Selecting White would give the Giants a versatile linemen capable of playing end in the base 3-4 usually favored by defensive coordinator Don ‘Wink’ Martindale. The latter could also use White as an interior rusher in nickel sets, as well as a standup rusher from certain blitz looks.
Those things are more than worth a second- or third-round pick without the Giants needing to worry about his age.