The New York Giants are set to hire Patrick Graham as their new defensive coordinator. He is another name from the Bill Belichick coaching tree who is a Yale graduate that spent seven years on Belichick’s staff between 2009-2016 in various roles coaching the defense.
In 2016, Giants incoming head coach Ben McAdoo brought Graham aboard to oversee the defensive line. When McAdoo was canned in 2017, Graham, like most of the staff, went with him.
In 2018, Graham worked as the Green Bay Packers linebackers coach before taking the defensive coordinator job in Miami last year under first-year head coach Brian Flores, another Belichick disciple.
Now, with Joe Judge at the helm here in New York, Graham has agreed to return, but he may not be what Giant fans were hoping for after two miserable years under James Bettcher.
From SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano:
Whether the 40-year-old is up to the job remains to be seen. Last year was his first as a defensive coordinator and the Dolphins finished 30th overall in team defense rankings. In fairness to him, he was handed a roster that many thought was set up for tanking for a high draft pick. It was young, underwhelming and usually out-manned.
The fact that Dolphins head coach Brian Flores had no issue letting the Giants poach Graham could be alarming. Or it could just be a sign of a young coach who wanted to head in a different direction.
Graham will be charged with further developing the Giants’ pass rush and coverage schemes. He will also have to simplify things so that the many young and inexperienced players on defense can forge some semblance of cohesion. Far too often in 2019, the defense looked confused and disorganized allowing big, backbreaking plays.
It will be up to Graham finally put the Giants’ defense back on the map. The good thing about Graham is that he’s never out of a job long. He’s respected around the league. But is he the answer here in New York?
