The New York Giants have considerable depth along their defensive line, which helps combat the offensive line talent in the NFC East.
However, with such a deep positional group, it’s easy to understand why certain players fly under-the-radar. Defensive lineman B.J. Hill is a talent who is often forgotten about until he makes a big play, but it was actually defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson who was recently named the most underappreciated Giant.
NFL Network analytics expert Cynthia Frelund explains why Tomlinson got the nod over Hill:
NGS shows that Tomlinson earned 19 run stuffs — those are plays when a defender tackles an opposing rusher for a gain of zero or negative yards — in 2019, tied for third in the NFL. This helped the Giants’ defense allow the fourth-lowest rushing average (3.86 yards per attempt) despite allowing the eighth-most yards per game (377.3).
Tomlinson certainly isn’t overlooked or underappreciated by those who follow the team closely, but outside of East Rutherford, he’s not likely a name that will leap out to many fans. However, you can guaranteed opposing offensive coordinators make their team very aware of him.
A 2017 second-round pick, Tomlinson is entering Year 4 with the Giants and will likely be a cog in the middle of that defensive line for years to come.
