The New York Giants are hot off a big win against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, September 22, which saw the team coming out victorious on the road, 21-15. While the game saw some great action from wide receiver Malik Nabers, who had eight catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns, some other areas of the Giants roster could use some bolstering.
In a September 23 Bleacher Report article about prioritizing every roster’s biggest weaknesses heading into Week 4, NFL expert and analyst Matt Holder points out a veteran defensive tackle that he believes would be a good fit for the Giants.
NFL Expert Suggests Giants Add Defensive Tackle Hassan Ridgeway ‘Now’
In the Bleacher Report feature, Holder names the Giants’ biggest weaknesses as quarterback, defensive tackle, cornerback, tight end and wide receiver.
He also notes that aside from Dexter Lawrence, “the Giants’ defensive tackles are pretty underwhelming.”
So, what’s his answer? Holder says to add veteran defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway “now” for some help. Ridgeway was drafted in the fourth round, 116th overall, of the 2016 NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts. He was with Indianapolis from 2016 to 2018 before signing with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2019. He played with the Eagles from 2019 to 2021, the San Francisco 49ers in 2022 and Houston Texans in 2023.
“Ridgeway isn’t a game-changer by any means, but those types of players aren’t available at this stage, and he could at least give the defense another experienced option to turn to,” Holder noted. “The eight-year veteran has been a solid rotational player throughout his career and logged 28 tackles, three TFL and four quarterback hits while playing in 12 games with just seven starts for the 49ers two years ago.”
Hassan Ridgeway is ‘Versatile’ and ‘Has a Sneaky Good Pass Rush’
Ridgeway has been talked up over the past year. In an April feature for Ramblin’ Fan, Bret Stuter named Ridgeway a player the Rams should sign to “fill their remaining needs.”
“Ridgeway has a sneaky good pass rush as an interior defensive lineman, and is versatile enough to play at either the 1-tech or 3-tech spot for the Rams,” he said.
In a July 5 piece for Sports Illustrated, Jack Hanzal named Ridgeway one of the top remaining free agent targets for the Tennessee Titans.
“The kicker on Ridgeway is that he did tear his Achilles last November and is on the road to recovery, but for a team that ranked 17th in sacks last season, taking a flier on someone who can provide interior pressure when healthy is not a bad thing,” he said.
In a July 17 feature for Toro Times, Chad Porto stated that “a career backup, Ridgeway has proven to be a vital part of several strong defenses.”
At the time, Porto thought Ridgeway could be a fit for the Texans, noting, “He’s not an elite player, nor has he ever been. He is coming off of an Achilles injury, so there is concern if he’d even be ready for the season in 2024, but if he is, the team may want to take a chance on him once again. The defensive tackle position may be the thinnest of any on the squad. Having depth isn’t a bad idea.”
