Aug 28, 2020; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) looks to pass as linebacker Lorenzo Carter (59) tackles during the first half of the Blue-White Scrimmage at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
If there’s any reason to be excited about the New York Giants in 2020, it’s because of their youth foundation. The Giants have made it a priority to fill weak positions with draft picks and young free agents who can uplift the team for the future. They have fully committed to the rebuild with new head coach Joe Judge under the helm, and understand that developing high upside players is how they can become a good football team. The defense is likely the most unproven unit between the offense and special teams.
The secondary is a patchwork situation, and the pass rush has not entered the elite or above average category just yet. Nonetheless, they have several young players at every unit that could have been fantastic 2020 campaigns.
When the Giants drafted 6-foot-4 and 342-pound interior defender Dexter Lawrence, everybody saw the writing on the wall. This had Dave Gettleman written all over it, and while some might have been disappointed in this election, Lawrence proved that he has a bright future in the NFL. A player of his size with his athleticism is tough to come by, and he posted 38 combined tackles and 2.5 sacks in his rookie season. He played in all 16 games, getting to the quarterback more times than even Leonard Williams managed (not a tough thing to do).
Lawrence spent this offseason slimming down to improve his mobility in the trenches:
“This offseason I definitely focused on (that),” Lawrence said. “I got a personal trainer, we focused on eating, portion control, I got a chef. I didn’t really like my build last year (when his listed weight was 342 pounds). This year I tried to focus on losing a little bit of weight just so I can be better on the field. I’m out there running a lot better than I did last year. That’s just the goal for me each year. Feel better and be better.”
Lawrence is an elite run stopper who can also push the pocket and get after the quarterback. His blend of attributes and talents are only starting to reach their potential, which is the most exciting part of his game. I fully anticipate Lawrence taking a major step forward in 2020, given the chemistry between himself, Williams, and Dalvin Tomlinson. In addition, new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham loves to dial-up unique blitzes, and I believe he’ll be factored into that equation. Drawing multiple double teams at every interior defensive line position it will open up opportunities for them to put immediate pressure on quarterbacks.
The Giants are set to face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers in week one next Monday, and their head coach, Mike Tomlin, had very nice things to say about Lawrence’s game.
“He’s a big dudeâ€, Tomlin said of Lawrence yesterday in speaking to reporters. “He’s uniquely active for a guy his size, and he’s ridiculously agile for a guy his size. I think all of that makes him the dangerous guy that he is, and that’s why he was drafted where he was draftedâ€.
Ahh, the Lorenzo Carter situation. After two inadequate seasons in the NFL, Carter has found himself looking to break out in year three. His rookie season was promising, as he tallied 4.0 sacks and 43 combined tackles. However, after doubling his defensive snaps last year, he only had 0.5 sacks and two additional tackles to show for it. His statistics don’t tell the full story, as a scheme led by James Bettcher did not utilize him in the most advantageous ways.
Traditionally, he was a defensive end at Georgia and made the transition to outside linebacker with Big Blue, where he was asked to drop back into coverage occasionally. While he did a solid job, limiting opponents to a 60% catch-rate, his best attribute is rushing the passer using his unique length and speed.
Carter gave us a glimpse of his potential during intrasquad scrimmages this training camp period. He racked up at least four sacks against Daniel Jones, absolutely torturing new offensive tackle Andrew Thomas. While these scrimmages don’t represent much in terms of actual production on the football field, it was promising to see him dominate at such a high level against good talent.
The Giants’ defense will be different in 2020, focusing more on keeping their eyes up and watching the play develop. Carter is ready to do his job at a high-level and not travel outside his responsibilities to try to make a play. Doing everything by the book and being perfect at your job is how the Giants will win games. Carter has fully bought into that mantra.
“This year there’s a lot of emphasis on doing your job and making sure that you don’t try to go outside your responsibilities and give up different things by trying to make a play,” Carter said. “That if we do our job and just stay locked in on the moment, locked in on the play, then it’s going to come to you. It’s either going to come to you or you’re going to force it to someone else. That’s just the big thing, staying patient. Being a lot more patient this year than just trying to go do things outside of your responsibilities.”
This post was published on 2020-09-09 12:00
