The New York Giants’ defense has been enjoying a breakout campaign from one of its young leaders this season. Third-year linebacker Micah McFadden is off to a hot start this season and has sneakily been one of the best players in the NFL at his position.
Micah McFadden is among the NFL’s highest-graded linebackers by PFF
So far this season, McFadden leads the Giants with 18 solo and 27 total tackles. This is especially impressive when considering the fact that McFadden missed the first game of the season due to an injury. He has also added two tackles for loss, four quarterback hits, and 1.5 sacks this season.
McFadden has a 90.2 overall Pro Football Focus grade this season, ranking second in the NFL among all linebackers, placing him behind only San Fransisco 49ers All-Pro Fred Warner. His 90.1 run-defense grade is the second-best in the league at his position, ranking just behind Bobby Wagner of the Washington Commanders.
His 2.4 average depth of tackle ranks tied-17th in the NFL, indicating that, not only has McFadden been making stops against the run, but he is making them close to the line of scrimmage and preventing gains on the ground.
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The Giants’ linebacker corps is among the league’s best
McFadden plays alongside linebacker Bobby Okereke in the middle of the field. Last season, Okereke was one of just two players in the entire NFL to be on the field for 100% of his team’s defensive snaps. He has been solid again this season, totaling 25 combined tackles, three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one pass defense, and one fumble recovery.
Okereke and McFadden combine to make one of the league’s best linebacker tandems in the NFL. The duo has performed well, yet still, the Giants’ run defense has been inconsistent this season. They were thrashed on the ground in each of the first two games of the year but bounced back in Week 3 and Week 4 with the unit now allowing an average of 118.8 rushing yards per game on the campaign.
Finding more consistency will be key for Big Blue’s defensive unit. New defensive coordinator Shane Bowen is taking his time to integrate his players into the new defensive scheme. As the season goes on, the Giants will hope to see McFadden continue his breakout campaign and establish himself as one-half of an elite linebacker duo.
