The New York Giants’ pass rush could come together nicely in 2020

New York Giants, Oshane Ximines
Sep 8, 2019; Arlington, TX, USA; New York Giants linebacker Oshane Ximines (53) and Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard (20) in action during the game between the Cowboys and the Giants at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Taking a look at the New York Giants‘ pass rush and how it could come together in 2020:

This week the Giants used the rare free agent tender to lock down Markus golden for the 2020 season. This does not guarantee his services but rather grants the Giants rights over his contract next season unless he can find a different team to play for that is willing to pay a higher price. The deal would be 110% of his 2019 contract, so he would earn around $5 million next season if he fails to sign elsewhere — a low number for a player who racked 10 sacks last year.

This would be a huge boost to the Giants’ defensive unit that was scheduled to lose Golden in free agency. The only allocations they spent in free agency toward a replacement was for Kyler Fackrell, who recorded 10.5 sacks in 2018 but fell into a reserve role last year, playing just 40% of snaps and logging one sack on zero starts.

His playing time fell off tremendously after defensive coordinator Patrick Graham left the Green Bay Packers and moved on to the Miami Dolphins. However, Graham and Fackrell will reunite this upcoming season in New York, in the hope is they can replicate is 2018 performance. Prior to Golden receiving the tender, the Giants were expected to elevate Oshane Ximines, their third-round draft pick in 2019, to a more significant role.

Ximines had a solid rookie campaign, playing in 45% of defense of snaps and recording 4.5 sacks. In an increased workload, the expectation is that he can post reasonable numbers and utilize his array of pass rush moves to help the defense. With minimal cap space available, the Giants weren’t in a position to allocate elite pass-rusher money in the market, which forced them to rely on Fackrell and Oshane before Golden re-entered the picture.

A unit consisting of Golden, Ximines, and Fackrell would be able to generate enough pressure to help the Giants succeed in 2020. Considering how much they spent on the secondary this off-season and the drafting of Xavier McKinney, the unit should be improved. Patrick Graham is known for his blitzing schemes and heavily involving linebackers and safeties, which suggests that the Giants will likely incorporate multiple positions into their system.