The New York Giants have desperately needed assistance across from Dexter Lawrence since GM Joe Schoen sent Leonard Williams to Seattle. Opposing offenses consistently ran the football at the Giants last season whenever Lawrence needed a breather before his injury. After Lawrence was placed on Injured Reserve, Shane Bowen altered his defense to fix the massive liability created by Lawrence’s departure — the Giants NEED depth on their defensive line.
Schoen signed two veterans this offseason for depth purposes, but I contend that more depth and overall consistency are necessary. The Giants were spoiled for a long time with names like Damon “Snacks” Harrison, Dalvin Tomlinson, B.J. Hill, and Williams. Now, it’s mainly just Dexter Lawrence. Big 97 needs someone to help, to alleviate the burden of consistently dealing with double-teams.
Lawrence is a top-three player at his position. The Giants must try to capitalize on his skill set and find a complement to his immense talent. Maybe Schoen can achieve this on Day 2 of the NFL Draft.
Additions: Roy Robertson-Harris, Jeremiah Ledbetter
Losses: None
Roster: Starters — Dexter Lawrence, Rakeem Nunez-Roches; Reserves —D.J. Davidson, Jordon Riley, Elijah Chatman, Elijah Garcia, Cory Durden, Ross Blacklock, Casey Rogers
Draft need: Starting-caliber defensive lineman/developmental DL depth (Day 2 or Day 3)
I want Derrick Harmon or Kenneth Grant to fall to pick 34 for the Giants, but it seems a bit pie in the sky. For that reason, I did not include them as Day 2 options.
Day 2 options
Walter Nolen, Ole Miss: Nolen is just 21 years old and started as a three-technique for the Rebels as a former-consensus five-star recruit, one of the top in his recruiting class. Nolen initially attended Texas A&M. He is still raw but possesses an incredibly quick first-step with quality pop in his hands — ideal as a gap-shooting disruptor. Many believe he’ll be a first-round pick, but questions about his decision-making, playing temperament, and overall maturity surround his profile.
Tyleik Williams, Ohio State: Williams possesses an invaluable skill-set to effectively anchor against opposing rushing attacks while using his high football IQ to process offensive intentions. Williams played three-technique in a four-down front; his traits allow him to two-gap or play a gap-and-a-half defense, which can allow coordinators to lighten the box and play more two-high shells (quarters, palms, etc.), which is a part of Shane Bowen’s defense. Williams has serious knockback with good overall play strength and a natural ability to find the vulnerabilities in double-team blocks, effectively splitting them and wrecking havoc. Williams has played at several different weights throughout his career, reportedly ranging from 290-pounds to 360+ pounds; consistency in a specific role would benefit Williams and allow him to follow the necessary diet/work out routine to maximize his abilities. He lacks the ability to consistently threaten offenses as a pass rusher but there’s enough flashes to suggest there’s untapped upside in that area. He’s also not the longest, so he may have to rely on a low center of gravity – which he could keep lower at a more consistent rate – and his play strength/processing to best set him up for success in the trenches. Williams would be a very fun player to pair with Dexter Lawrence on the Giants.
Darius Alexander, Toledo: Alexander is an excellent small-school prospect with violent hands that allow him to quickly shed blocks at the point of attack while doing a fantastic job locating the running back at the line of scrimmage. Alexander is good in pursuit down the line of scrimmage, and his quickness allows him to penetrate easily while slanting. He is efficient with his hands and flashed speed to power as a rusher. He could earn snaps as a third-down rusher and can play across the line of scrimmage. He’s a strong player, albeit his upper-body strength is more of an asset than his lower body. Alexander is a good run defender, but his pad level led to struggles against double teams. Overall, his floor is a quality depth piece with upside to start and have an impact in year one. With the correct coaching in the right scheme, he could develop into a penetrating starter who harasses quarterbacks.
Omar Norman-Lott, Tennessee: Norman-Lott was a situational pass-rusher in a deep Tennessee Volunteer rotation who played with urgency. His variety of pass-rush moves coupled with his quick get-off allowed him to disrupt and penetrate offensive lines across the SEC. There’s no denying Norman-Lott’s physical gifts and what he can offer a team against the pass, but his lack of experience and size against the run makes him either scheme dependent or a developmental player versus the run. Norman-Lott’s high grade isn’t reflective of his ability to stack and shed offensive lineman, rather it’s due to his ability to disrupt and wreak havoc with his immediacy and hand usage. His feet and framing allow him to constantly find the half-man relationship and he packs enough lower-leg drive – with his natural leverage/length – to get underneath offensive linemen and put them on skates. Norman-Lott sets his rushes up well with power and quickly converts to speed/finesse with good overall lower-body flexion to turn tight corners and dip around clean offensive line contact. Overall, Norman-Lott has a wide range of outcomes. I would not be shocked to see a team picking late in the first-round take a risk on this moldable pass-rushing asset, but his run-game portfolio is lacking. He’ll likely be selected somewhere on Day 2. Nevertheless, the best of this player has not been revealed and he could be one difficult pass-rusher to contain at the next level.
Alfred Collins, Texas: Lawrence, plus this 6-foot-6, 332-pound run stuffer with 35-inch arms and massive hands, would lead to a gigantic improvement in the Giants’ rushing defense — I’m sure Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden would be grateful. Collins has only played more than 400 snaps in a season once in his college career, and it was last season (his fifth). He recorded 38 tackles, 27 of which were STOPS. He was dialed in from a technique and intelligence standpoint as a run defender, but needs to develop as a pass rusher. Still, his presence would help the Giants immensely on the interior.
Day 3 options
Joshua Farmer, Florida State: One of the bright spots of Florida State’s defense, Farmer is an incredibly dense defensive lineman with elite length and big 10+ inch hands. His raw power and pop on contact shock offensive lineman and allow Farmer to initially win reps in one-on-one situations, when he keeps his hips and hat low. He has a high run defending floor and there’s still a ceiling to be scratched. However, his pass rushing ability is centralized around effort and power – he needs work to refine his moves, and there’s a lower ceiling due to a lack of suddenness/twitch. His arm length and power create a solid foundation for a pass rusher, but the lack of desired athleticism hinders his ability to be a true difference maker as an interior defensive lineman (three-technique), and he doesn’t possess the bend to threaten the edge as a rusher. His best fit is likely as a 3-4 end who can stay low and eat blocks at the point of attack. Still, Farmer is moldable, very physical/competitive, and is reportedly an excellent learner who transformed his body throughout his time on campus. He’s a solid swing early on day three.
Aeneas Peebles, Virginia Tech: Aeneas Peebles is a one-gap penetrating HIGH MOTOR pass rusher with significantly sub-par measurables that may hinder his overall upside. Peebles unlocks an array of pass-rushing moves with above-average overall athletic ability and impressive lateral movement skills for a 282-pound defensive lineman. Peebles aligned all over the defensive front but is best utilized inside the 4i-shade on passing downs, where he can threaten the interior offensive linemen with his short-area skills and active hands. Overall, Peebles is a stout defender who wins with leverage against the run if tasked to anchor but best penetrates forward. Unfortunately, his measurables are tough to overcome, and some teams will leave him off their board.
Yahya Black, Iowa: Black is an excellent – fundamentally sound – run defender who executed his assignments well within Iowa’s defensive structure. His good physicality and length allowed him to lock blockers out and anchor well at the point of attack; he possesses crafty hands to quickly separate while doing an adequate job locating the ball carrier near his gap responsibility. His size and run-defending prowess allow him to operate as a 1T in an EVEN front or an ODD front 4i-T. He’s a valuable asset but lacks the juice and athletic ability to be an impact player in passing situations. He separates well with precise hands but lacks the short-area quickness and twitch to threaten consistently, nor does he stress the pocket consistently with his bull rush. Overall, Black will quickly earn snaps on early downs and make impact plays as a smart run defender who eats space and dictates at the line of scrimmage. The Giants could use a player like him on day three.
Cam Jackson, Florida: Jackson is a good day-three anchor option next to Lawrence — similar to Texas’ Alfred Collins. Jackson is more than just a space occupier who eats double-teams like a famished child devours ice cream on a hot July day in Gainesville. He is, though, a two-gapping run stuffer who had 41 STOPs over the last two seasons. Jackson played his final two seasons at Florida; he started his college career at Memphis. Jackson does not have the same pass-rushing impact as other players on this list, but he would still be a welcome addition to the Giants.
Deone Walker, Kentucky: Deone Walker’s sheer size is incredibly rare even in today’s NFL. George Young’s prototype! Walker moves well with solid agility and feet on the line of scrimmage, and his ability to play nose through 5-technique should appeal to every defensive coordinator in the league. He is an aware run defender who understands how to read blocking schemes and best orient himself to make a play. Sudden down blocks, though, can pose trouble to him, for his inability to anchor his center of gravity when absorbing blocks from the side result in him being rarely moved off his spot. Walker takes on base and double team blocks well with a good overall ability to separate with his violent hands. Walker’s pass-rushing ability was on full display in 2023, but he did take a step back in 2024. He’s a power-based rusher who uses speed/quickness to his advantage. His hands are violent, but could use some precision. Overall, Walker would be a solid developmental addition if available on Day 3. The thought of this ball of clay with Andre Patterson, next to Dexter Lawrence – 700 pounds of interior defensive line — is intriguing for that reason. Patterson could allow him to unlock his upside, which – like him – is massive.
