The New York Giants‘ defensive line is slowly turning into one of the best units in the NFL. The combination of Leonard Williams, Dalvin Tomlinson, and Dexter Lawrence will leave opposing offensive lines struggling to gain ground in 2020.
On that defensive line, there is a player who is rarely talked about. Dalvin Tomlinson, the heart and soul of the Giants’ defensive front, has been one of the best and most consistent defensive linemen in the NFL over the past few years. Heading into 2020, Tomlinson is still an underrated and underappreciated talent.
Why Dalvin Tomlinson Deserves More Respect
Since entering the league as a second-round draft pick in 2017, Dalvin Tomlinson has been a rock on the Giants’ defense. Dalvin has not missed a game in his career, starting in 16 games every season for the past three seasons. Tomlinson was already a solid player in his rookie 2017 season but he has only gotten better each year.
Dalvin Tomlinson is good at football pic.twitter.com/5nvdiYKqVn
— Nick Falato (@nickfalato) July 15, 2020
Tomlinson finished with 50 or more tackles in each of his first two seasons. In 2017, Dalvin totaled 50 tackles, and in 2018 he totaled 59. He improved his tackles for loss total to 5 in 2018 after posting only 1 in 2017. Dalvin Tomlinson is not a flashy player, but he gets the job done.
In 2019, Dalvin Tomlinson recorded 49 combined tackles with 7 tackles for loss. What made Tomlinson’s 2019 season so exciting though was his improvements as a pass-rusher. After failing to record a single sack in 2018, Tomlinson totaled a career-high 3.5 sacks in 2019. Dalvin Also totaled 13 pressures in 2019, 5 more than he did in 2018.
Dalvin Tomlinson is far from a household name. He has never been to a Pro Bowl and he is rarely discussed as one of the best defenders on the Giants. But silently, Dalvin has been the Giants’ best defensive player over the past three years. Entering a new Alabama-like system in 2020, Tomlinson is bound to break out and get the respect he deserves (and maybe even a new contract).