The New York Giants have struggled in a familiar area at training camp since the pads have come on, and that’s run defense.
The Athletic’s Dan Duggan pointed out the positives and negatives of this development on July 29, following a “run-heavy” day of practice.
“It was another run-heavy practice with a focus in the red zone,” Duggan relayed on Tuesday. “This is the yin-and-yang effect of training camp: The Giants’ run game has looked strong the first two days in pads. Conversely, the Giants’ run D has looked bad.”
“Based on how the run D looked last season, it’s easier to get concerned with that than excited about the offense,” the NYG beat writer added. However, he did note that star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence hasn’t really participated all that much at training camp.
But therein lies the issue. The Giants cannot simply rely on Lawrence and Lawrence alone to save them in the run game. They need other defensive linemen to step up.
What if the game-wrecking DT gets hurt like last season? Or if teams are dedicated to taking him out of the equation with double-teams?
At the end of the day, the Giants’ defense will never take a significant leap forward if it cannot stop the run. That’s the most basic component of the game, and if Big Blue cannot do that, then they won’t succeed.
Giants Rookie DT Darius Alexander Has Gotten Off to a Slow Start
There’s no reason to sound the panic alarm just yet, but third-round defensive tackle Darius Alexander is off to a very slow start to his NYG career.
Alexander was one of the players who was expected to help fill the consistent void on the defensive line next to Lawrence. It just hasn’t happened yet, but it’s still early.
“Rookie DL Darius Alexander got the most first-team reps of his young career today,” Duggan reported on July 29, within the same update. Adding: “There hasn’t been much production from the third-round pick yet.”
Perhaps, first-team reps are a step in the right direction, but it also seems a bit overzealous to predict that Alexander will start next to Lawrence in Week 1.
Instead, could that player be a free agent pickup like Roy Robertson-Harris or Jeremiah Ledbetter? Or will it be a younger D-lineman like 2024 breakout Elijah Chatman?
The Giants may have lost one candidate to an injury on July 29, as former fifth-round pick D.J. Davidson “crumbled to the ground grabbing his right hamstring,” per Duggan.
Best Counter Against a Strong Pass Rush Is a Rushing Attack
There is a reason that this run defense problem is particularly concerning.
The Giants’ defense is built around a potentially lethal pass rush, with Lawrence, Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Abdul Carter and Chauncey Golston all in the mix, not to mention other pass-rushing defensive tackles like Chatman.
Having said that, any smart offensive coordinator will tell you that the best counter against a strong pass rush is a dominant rushing attack. Running the ball can completely neutralize a pass rush if you’re able to do it effectively, and the Giants’ defense won’t get themselves into very many pass-rushing sets if they cannot stop the run.
For that reason, this problem could be detrimental to team success if it is not fixed. And it’s not just on the D-line to do so; they’ll need help from the linebackers and the secondary, too.
Familiar Giants ‘Concern’ Emerges Early at Training Camp