Lined up alongside one of the NFL’s most notorious run stoppers in the league, Damon Harrison, is a much younger and smaller defensive tackle for the New York Giants. Sophomore defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson is that man, and after a stellar rookie season he will be looking to take his game to the next level in 2018.
While Tomlinson looked solid during the unspeakable 2017 season, recording 30 total tackles through 16 games, he still has some flaws that need fixing, and they will likely prove to be strengths in the season ahead.
The Giants chose to hire defensive coordinator James Bettcher from the Arizona Cardinals, who brings a 3-4 defense to New York. This new style may be new to the Giants but is very familiar to Tomlinson, who seems to remember something eerily similar during his time spent at Alabama.
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The most often word used in relation to the newly installed defense is… Attack. With three down lineman and a flock of linebackers to aid in stopping the run and pressuring the quarterback, the defense will be centered around putting pressure on the opposing offense at all times. Where Steve Spagnuolo was known to be blitz heavy play-caller, Bettcher will take that to another level. As Giants fans, we should all be excited about the future of the defense.
What did Tomlinson have to say about the change?
“It feels like the old defense I’m already a part of,â€Â Tomlinson told NJ Advanced Media. “We’re shooting more gaps and it’s more attacking, more going after it rather than waiting and seeing what’s given to you, I love the scheme. It reminds me of Alabama’s scheme. You can say you have less responsibilities, but a little more at the same time.â€
If you’re a college football fan, you know Alabama consistently has one of the best defenses year in and year out. Their scheme is all about disrupting the flow of the offense and leaving them confused and paralyzed.
Tomlinson earned the highest overall grade among rookie interior lineman in 2017, according to Pro Football Focus. Being that the sophomore run stopper will now benefit even further with a familiar scheme, we should expect to see him improve exponentially. His developmental process is far from over, and inserting him in a scheme that allows him to flourish is exactly the type of change that’s necessary, especially for a team that ranked 27th in rush yards allowed (120.8 YPG) last season.