While most of the attention on the New York Giants this offseason focused on the offense, the defensive unit has been quietly underrated heading into the 2024 season.
Core pieces were already in place on defense. All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence, edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, linebacker Bobby Okereke, and cornerback Deonte Banks highlight this young and energetic group.
The main acquisition this offseason was the Giants trading for Brian Burns from the Panthers, as general manager Joe Schoen made a splash move to hopefully improve the pass rush.
The unit has performed solidly over the last two seasons under former coordinator Wink Martindale. After an ugly ending to their relationship, head coach Brian Daboll hired Shane Bowen to replace Martindale. Bowen hails from the Titans, where he prides his units on stopping the run and implementing more zone-based coverages.
There have been some major changes to the Giants' defensive side of the ball this year; however, Cody Alexander of Field Vision still doesn't think this unit is among the league's better half, ranking it 19th in the NFL.
"Shane Bowen did an excellent job in Tennessee, though the stats might not have always shown it. He will be tasked with resurrecting a Giants defense that couldn't handle the heat Wink Martindale was cooking up,” Alexander wrote.
“There is talent at each level, as iDL Dexter Lawrence, ED Brian Burns (Panthers), and LB Bobby Okereke are all stars. Still, the secondary has major questions heading into the season that the Giants are hoping are solved by rookies."
One point Alexander touched on was the secondary. For most of the summer, the Giants had Banks moving up to be the No.1 cornerback. An open competition for the No.2 role was up for grabs, with Cor'Dale Flott and Nick McCloud battling all training camp.
This was true until the Giants recently re-signed Adoree’ Jackson, who had been the team's primary corner for the previous two seasons. Jackson had a down year in 2023 but is still 28 years old and capable of making plays. Having a presence in the cornerback room should ease many fans' minds heading into the season.
As for the safety position, the Giants lost star Xavier McKinney in free agency, allowing Jason Pinnock to move to free safety. Dane Belton and rookie Tyler Nubin have been competing at strong safety.
Still, in Bowen's defense, there will be three on the field enough times for both to see playing time. The nickel cornerback position was locked down by another rookie Dru Phillips, who displayed his physicality early in the preseason.
While the Giants' defense was the main reason they won six games last year, they still lacked in key areas. Their defense was 27th ranked in 2023, allowing 361.7 total yards per game. They surrendered a whopping 132.4 rushing yards per contest, again unable to stop the run for another year.
This is where Bowen will hopefully help. His Titans units consistently ranked near the top in the league in run defense. Can he produce the same results with the Giants? With players like Lawrence, Okereke, Thibodeaux, and Burns setting the edge, along with younger players such as Elijah Chatman in the fold, the run defense should be better in 2024.
There's much to like about the Giants' defense heading into this season. Their first test will be against Justin Jefferson and the Vikings offense this Sunday.
