The New York Giants are exceptionally weak at the linebacker position, but that’s not to say there aren’t a few gems sprinkled throughout the unit.
Certainly, Markus Golden deserves praise for his unexpectedly successful season from a pass rushing perspective, while we can offer some credit to Lorenzo Carter for his career-best game in Week 16.
However, outside of that, there’s very little to write home about.
Alec Ogletree has been a disappointment for the Giants, especially against the pass, while rookie Oshane Ximines has been spotty, Josiah Tauaefa has made some mistakes and Deone Bucannon has been inconsistent.
Then there’s David Mayo, the free agent addition who had done very little earlier in his career, but had a history with general manager Dave Gettleman.
In New York, Mayo has experienced a break-out season, recording 48 tackles, six stuffs, two passes defensed and 1.5 sacks — all career highs. And while he, too, struggles against the pass, he has been stellar against the run.
Just how stellar? Mayo is among the very best.
Through 16 weeks, Mayo is the second-highest graded linebacker against the run out of the 59 players who qualified.
The Giants have been strong against the run all season thanks in part to Mayo and their four-headed monster along the defensive line, which begs the question: will the Giants bring Mayo back in 2020?
Mayo signed a one-year deal with the Giants in free agency and to date, there have been no extension discussions. However, given how well Mayo has played this season, particularly against the run, you’d think New York would want him to stick around, even if his role becomes more situational.
The Giants still have to fix the glaring hole in the middle of their defense against tight ends and wide receivers, and while Mayo is clearly a liability in that situation, he’s as good as it gets against the run.
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