When the New York Giants selected defensive lineman R.J. McIntosh in the fifth-round of the 2018 NFL Draft, they anticipated he would become part of the regular rotation, even if his reps were relatively limited.
Instead, McIntosh missed most of his rookie campaign due to a thyroid condition that had been diagnosed at the NFL Combine. And when he did return, McIntosh was so far behind that he was unable to make the sort of impact he would have liked.
However, here in 2019, McIntosh is not only completely healthy, but has had an entire offseason to get caught up with the defense while getting his feet back under him.
“Well anytime you have a chance to have a whole offseason, it helps you take a leap forward, so yes he has improved,” defensive line coach Gary Emanuel told reporters on Sunday. “Just overall, his footwork, his technique, his hand and his eyes and feet, just things you look for in a defensive lineman.”
Emanuel isn’t the only eye that’s been caught by McIntosh, who also drew praise from head coach Pat Shurmur.
“He is caught up,” Shurmur said. “He is doing well. With defensive linemen, we will see more once we can get in more hitting situations. He is moving around well and has gotten much stronger since he has gotten here. He fits well in the defense.”
Although Dalvin Tomlinson, Dexter Lawrence and B.J. Hill make up the starting three along the defensive line, depth will be imperative for the Giants, so if they can get McIntosh’s very best, it only adds strength to a unit that appears to be one of the team’s strongest.
