New York Giants: 3 players that need to step up on defense in 2020

New York Giants, Jabrill Peppers
Anthony Rivardo (Edit)

The New York Giants are heading into the 2020 season with unpredictability scattered across the board. Their offense might have some new talented pieces, but we don’t know what the offensive line holds or how Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley will perform behind them.

On defense, the Giants landed safety Xavier McKinney in the draft and brought in several new players in linebacker Blake Martinez and pass rusher Kyler Fackrell. With general manager Dave Gettleman attempting to piece together the defense and rid the team of underperforming athletes, we should expect an increase in production, but there are several players that need to step up and fill the void.

Here’s a look at three players the New York Giants need to step up on defense:

1.) Lorenzo Carter

Carter needs to improve in 2020, after posting two seasons of uninspiring play. After his rookie campaign, most were excited to see Carter make his debut in his sophomore season, as he contains the size and speed to be a quality player in the NFL.

After posting 4.0 sacks, 43 combined tackles, and 10 quarterback hits in just 40% of defensive snaps; he backed it up with marginal improvements in year two. Carter posted 4.5 sacks, 45 combine tackles, 13 quarterback hits, and a 15.1% missed tackle rate on 65% of snaps.

The sophomore slump is undoubtedly a real thing, as expectations were weighing down on Carter’s shoulders. At 24 years old, the Giants shouldn’t give up on him yet, and I expect him to earn about 50% of defensive snaps with Patrick Graham as defensive coordinator. If the Giants manage to retain Markus Golden on a one year deal, Carter could be pushed on the depth chart, but his development is essential in the progression of the Giants’ pass rush.