There is panic, or least bewilderment, in the New York Giants fan base! The Giants’ idea of helping the interior of their offensive has thus far been to RE-SIGN EVAN NEAL! The Giants still have not added any interior defensive line talent to help Dexter Lawrence.
Didn’t new head coach John Harbaugh say that building the trenches was the most important step toward challenging the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East? WHAT IS HARBAUGH DOING?
The view here is that everybody, including members of the Big Blue View staff, needs to calm down. It is March 12. The regular season is six months away. The NFL Draft is six weeks away. A lot can, and will, happen before the Giants line up for a game that matters.
We looked on Tuesday, shortly before the Neal signing was reported, at how the Giants could still address their guard situation in the second wave of free agency and the draft. Those ideas all still have validity. The Giants’ right guard depth chart is currently Neal and Jake Kubas. It won’t look like that in a couple of months.
Today, let’s turn our attention to what the Giants can do in the second wave of free agency and the draft to fortify their defensive line.
The current situation
The Giants have Lawrence, Roy Robertson-Harris and Darius Alexander as the likely starters in a three-man front. Elijah Chatman, DeMarvin Leal, and Marion Tuipolotu are the other defensive linemen on the roster. Chauncey Golston also spends time on the defensive line.
Rakeem Nunez-Roches and D.J. Davidson are unrestricted free agents.
Free agency
Why haven’t the Giants added a defensive lineman yet in free agency? Go to at the free agency tracker on Over The Cap and click on the IDL tab. There are roughly 50 unrestricted free agent defensive tackle on the market, many of them still good players. Wait out the market, let the asking prices continue to come down. Find a bargain or two.
There is no reason to rush. No reason to overpay. The Giants are not awash in salary cap space. Over The Cap shows them with roughly $12 million in cap space as of Thursday morning, with many of the players they signed this week not yet figured in to that amount.
There are still moves to be made to increase the cap space, but the Giants do need to be conscious of their budget going forward.
Here are three players they could target:
Sebastian Joseph-Day — Joseph-Day might be the most obvious target. The seven-year veteran spent the last two seasons playing for now-Giants defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson with the Tennessee Titans.
The Athletic ranked Joseph-Day No. 123 on its list of the top 150 free agents, and said:
For me, the 31-year-old former Rutgers Scarlet Knight would first choice. Don’t the Giants need to add a Titans player or two?
Dalvin Tomlinson — How about a reunion with the Giants’ 2017 second-round pick? The 32-year-old has long been an excellent run defender, but judging by Pro Football Focus scores (which is not always the best way) Tomlinson has had two down years in the past three. There might not be a lot of gas left in the tank.
Calais Campbell — He is 39 years old and has been playing for 18 seasons, but Campbell is still an excellent player. Pro Football and Sports Network ranked Campbell the No. 22 interior defensive lineman in the NFL last season using its ‘Impact Score.’ Campbell played for Harbaugh with the Ravens from 2020-2022
Others suggested by BBV staff members include Shelby Harris, Da’Quan Jones, D.J. Reader, and Greg Gaines
Here is the full list of available defensive tackles. Cross off one-time Giant A’Shawn Robinson, who signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Robinson would have been a nice fit. Also cross off Javon Hargrave, who is joining the Green Bay Packers.
The NFL Draft
I am going to use the NFL Mock Draft Database Consensus Big Board for expected values.
With the Giants picking at No. 5, they should not be expected to select a defensive tackle. Peter Woods of Clemson is NMDD’s 19th-ranked player, and Caleb Banks of Florida is No. 23. Unless the Giants trade well back in Round 1 or one of those two falls to No. 37 in Round 2 they won’t be in play for New York.
Players who might be in range for the Giants at No. 37:
(NMDD Big Board rankings in parenthesis)
Kayden McDonald, Ohio State (No. 33)
Lee Hunter, Texas Tech (No. 40)
Christen Miller, Georgia (No. 47)
Gracen Halton, Oklahoma (No. 69)
I don’t really have a favorite out of this group. Do you?
Players who might be in range for the Giants at No. 105:
Domonique Orange, Iowa State (No. 74)
Darnell Jackson, Florida State (No. 81)
Tim Keenan III, Alabama (No. 108)
Kaleb Proctor, Southeastern Louisiana (No. 121)
Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati (No. 127)
Zane Durant, Penn State (No. 135)
Chris McClellan, Missouri (No. 138)
If he is available at No. 105, or if the Giants finagle a deal and land a third-round pick, I am partial to the idea of selecting Orange if the pick is a defensive tackle. The Giants have gotten gashed by the run when Lawrence has been off the field the past couple of years. Orange is a 6-foot-4, 325-pound double-team eating nose tackle who might be able to help that.
NMDD says:
Orange’s true strength lies in his run defense, where he excels at disrupting zone runs and generating tackles for loss. His football IQ and quick recognition of blocking schemes allow him to hold the point of attack against top-tier competition in the Big 12. While he may not be a high-ceiling prospect, Orange’s high floor and dependability make him a valuable asset for any defensive line room, projecting as a late day 2 or early day 3 pick in the NFL Draft.
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