When Austin Johnson agreed to terms with the New York Giants, he did so knowing that he’d be joining an already deep defensive line consisting of Dexter Lawrence, Leonard Williams, Dalvin Tomlinson and B.J. Hill.
What that means for playing time is anyone’s guess, but it was the potential for dominance that really appealed to Johnson, who spent the last four years serving as a reserve in Tennessee.
“We’re going to have a really, really good defensive line,” Johnson told Big Blue View. “A lot of depth, a lot of talent.”
In addition to joining those big names, Johnson will also be reuniting with Sean Spencer, who was his positional coach at Penn State. Combined, he hopes that it helps propel him to the “next level.”
“He’s just an amazing coach. Great personality, great energy, loves what he does and you can tell. There’s just so much passion. It’s awesome. He’s definitely a high-energy kind of guy. He’s going to make sure you run to the ball. He’s going to run with you, he’s going to make you a better player. Whatever your strengths are he’s going to let you play to those and he’s just an all-around great coach.
“I feel like there’s always another level. There’s more things to learn. Always experience, so every year you learn something new, experience something new. As a player you grow every year.”
Even with all the talent across their defensive line, the Giants could certainly benefit from Austin reaching that next level in 2020 and beyond.
