The New York Giants cleaned house and have an all new staff for the 2020 season, and that means they might have a very different looking defense. The addition of head coach Joe Judge and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham could mark big changes for some players at those positions – but one player that’s looking forward to working under the new staff is defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson.
Tomlinson has been one of the most active players for the Giants in the past three years and started all 16 games ever since his rookie year in 2017, for three seasons so far. This season, it looks like the trend will continue – albeit under a new coaching staff which may have different ideas about how the team’s defensive schemes should work.
However, Tomlinson does have reason to be optimistic about the new changes. For one, he has a previous connection with one of the new coaches, defensive line coach Sean Spencer. When Tomlinson was in high school, Spencer was one of the college coaches vying for his commitment.
“The crazy thing is he actually recruited me out of high school when he was at Vanderbilt. I’m excited about him. Great guy, great energy. I got to talk to him before (the shutdown). I’m looking forward to working with him,” Tomlinson said to the New York Daily News.
But the addition isn’t the only one that the defensive tackle is a fan of. Tomlinson also praised defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who has previous experience with Tomlinson and the organization due to his stint as a defensive line coach with the Giants in 2017. What did Tomlinson have to say about Graham’s skillset?
“He’s gonna critique you, help you grow as a player and as a person off the field, too. He wants the most out of every one of his players. He’s going to push you and get the full potential. He’s great at developing players.”
Additionally, head coach Joe Judge has experience with the same college program that Tomlinson came out of. As a former Alabama assistant, Judge can relate to Tomlinson in working under head coach Nick Saban.
“I could sense his energy already when I first met him before this started. I think everybody who’s had an affiliation with Alabama bonds a little bit. The first thing you say before anything is Roll Tide,” Tomlinson said about Judge.
The transition may be easier or harder on certain players but it looks like Tomlinson won’t have much trouble. Some of the key faces on the staff, after all, aren’t so new to Tomlinson – and that familiarity might just help in adapting to a revised scheme this season.