Alexander Wilson
The New York Giants cut Bobby Okereke to save $9 million, then signed Tremaine Edmunds to a three-year, $36 million deal with $23.7 million guaranteed on Monday. At $12 million per season, Edmunds costs $3 million more annually than what they saved, but they’re getting a better, younger player who fits what Dennard Wilson wants to do.
Elite Run Defense, Major Coverage Concerns
Edmunds is 27 years old with eight NFL seasons under his belt. At 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, he earned his best run-stopping grade of his career in 2025: 95 tackles, 7.9% missed tackle rate, 47 run stops. That’s exactly what the Giants need after ranking among the worst run defenses in football.
The problem is coverage. Edmunds gave up 530 yards and four touchdowns last season with four interceptions and two pass breakups. Teams targeted him aggressively knowing he’s vulnerable in space.
That’s where Sonny Styles comes in. The Giants can draft the Ohio State linebacker at pick five and pair him with Edmunds, allowing Wilson to deploy Edmunds as a downhill thumper while Styles handles coverage. Edmunds crashes the box and fills gaps without getting exposed in coverage.
Perfect Fit for Wilson’s Aggressive Scheme
Dennard Wilson’s defense, influenced by Mike Macdonald in Baltimore, relies on linebackers who can set the tone physically and flow to the ball with speed. Wilson uses aggressive press coverage on the perimeter, which means linebackers must win at the line of scrimmage and fill gaps violently to prevent running backs from reaching the second level.
Edmunds profiles perfectly. His 6-foot-5 frame allows him to stack the line of scrimmage, and his athleticism (4.54 40-yard dash at 250 pounds) gives him sideline-to-sideline pursuit. As a green-dot linebacker who’s called defenses for eight years, he can quarterback Wilson’s scheme.
The Giants ranked 20th against the run in 2025, and Wilson wants to flip that. Edmunds’ 47 run stops and elite run-defense grade suggest he can anchor the middle and force offenses into passing situations where Wilson’s press coverage takes over. Add Styles in the draft, and the Giants have a linebacker duo that complements perfectly: Edmunds handling the physical work in the box, Styles covering ground in space.
At $12 million per year, Edmunds is a reasonable investment for a 27-year-old coming off his best run-defense season. The coverage issues are real, but Wilson’s scheme and a Styles pairing could minimize those weaknesses and maximize what Edmunds does best.
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