The New York Giants appear stout up front entering the 2019 season, having revamped their offensive line and added several quality pieces to their defensive line over the previous two seasons.
However, even with the presence of Dexter Lawrence, B.J. Hill and Dalvin Tomlinson leading James Bettcher’s 3-4 defense, Pro Football Focus is less than confident in the Giants’ ability to stop the run.
PFF ranked every team’s run defense entering 2019 and New York was ranked 21st.
21. NEW YORK GIANTS
The Giants certainly have the potential to stop the run with some of the big bodies they’ll be throwing out along the defensive line. B.J. Hill, Dalvin Tomlinson and Dexter Lawrence were all college nose tackles and make up the Giants’ interior rotation.
Although PFF sees potential for Big Blue, it wasn’t enough to even crack the top 50 percent of teams, instead landing the Giants between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks in the bottom half of the league.
The Giants at No. 21 may be a product of 2018 when the team finished 27th overall against the run, having allowed 1,933 yards and a 4.2 yards per carry average on the ground.
However, in the second year of Bettcher’s system coupled with the addition of run-stoppers likes the aforementioned Lawrence and safety Jabrill Peppers, the Giants should take a substantial leap forward in 2019 — even more than PFF seems to believe.
