The New York Giants were looking to bolster their pass rush this upcoming season, which was attested by their moves to draft Elerson Smith and Azeez Ojulari. They also allocated free agency funds toward the outside linebacker unit, adding Ryan Anderson and Ifeadi Odenigbo.
Last season, the Giants collected 40 sacks, good for 12th in the NFL, despite a serious lack of talent at OLB. They deployed seventh-round pick Carter Coughlin and practice squad player Jabaal Sheard as their primary pass rushers at the position in the 3-4 scheme. However, they tried to be as multiple as possible to curate pass rush from other positions, including the interior and secondary.
Giants’ DC Patrick Graham stated in 2020 that while they want to be multiple, perfecting the fundamentals is a priority:
“Even with trying to be multiple, the idea is to be multiple in a limited amount of scheme so that we’re doing all the fundamentals that we are looking for on defense,” Graham said. “In terms of playing with our hands, playing with good pad level, setting the edge, defending the deep part of the field and tackling, that’s what we focus on.”
A diverse defensive scheme is essential in the NFL, creating confusion for opposing quarterbacks and offensive coordinators, but if you can’t perfect the fundamentals, it is all for naught.
The front office did Williams a big favor, adding plenty of complementary talent at OLB. Specifically, Georgia standout pass rusher Ojulari could end up being a catalyst for William’s success in the future. Ojulari ranked first in the SEC in sacks and forced fumbles, representing one of the best pass rushers in the draft class. Pairing him with Williams off the edge will demand attention from opposing offensive lines, as Williams can soak up double-teams and enable Ojulari to take on offensive tackles 1V1.