4 Biggest Questions About NY Giants Defense Ahead of Week 1 Opener

Last year, the Giants' run defense was a problem, yes, this despite having all-world defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II anchoring the unit. 

There were many factors behind the Giants' run defense’s struggles, as the unit ranked 27th league-wide (136.2 yards per game) and held the league’s eighth-worst average depth of tackle (4.37 yards per attempt according to the NFL Pro). 

Missed tackles were a big one–the Giants, per data from Pro Football Focus, tied for eighth league-wide in missed tackles (86) with the Colts. Personnel was another–besides Lawrence, there weren’t many playmakers up front that were clogging up the interior lanes.

General Manager Joe Schoen placed a heavy emphasis on adding depth to the defensive line this past offseason, with names such as Roy Robertson-Harris, Caucy Golston, and youngster Darius Alexander. 

Some of these, along with the other holdovers — Rakeem Nunez-Roches and D.J. Davidon — need to step up, as Lawrence can’t do it all by himself on that first line of defense.

Who is CB2?

There has been a quiet confidence growing inside 1925 Giants Drive that cornerback Deonte Banks, the team’s first-round pick in 2023, is on the upswing after a dismal second season last year.

That optimism is rooted in the fact that Banks no longer has to automatically worry about the opponent’s top receiver, plus Banks has locked in on the little things necessary to become a better player.

Banks, who played in just one preseason outing this summer due to an undisclosed injury, managed to get extensive work in that lone preseason appearance against Buffalo, being the only starter on defense to play for the entire first half.  

In 13 coverage snaps, he posted a 73.1 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus, having allowed just one of three pass targets against him to be completed for 12 yards (one yard after the catch). 

Banks’s main competition for CB2 was Cor’Dale Flott, who, after missing the preseason opener, played in the second and third preseason games and looked just as good in coverage. 

While the Giants haven’t officially declared a winner in the competition, it’s believed that Banks will be the starter and see most of the snaps, though Flott certainly played well enough to warrant a place in a rotation.  

Will the pass rush live up to its preseason billing?

The revamped Giants pass rush has been the talk of the town as far as the defensive side of the ball is concerned, but in terms of the preseason, the unit had a relatively quiet showing.

The Giants mustered up just three sacks in three games, 28th in the league. Two of those sacks were by players who did not make the 53-man roster (defensive lineman Jordon Riley and outside linebacker Tomon Fox).

While sacks are the ultimate goal, Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen should feel rather encouraged by the fact that his defense finished the preseason with a 49.1% pass-rush win-rate (PRWR) based on data calculated from PFF, and that two of his projected key outside linebackers (Carter and Burns) each delivered a PRWR of at least 28%. 

Is Shane Bowen on the hot seat?

Speaking of Bowen, people rightfully have high expectations for the defense, especially after general manager Joe Schoen poured roughly $126.3 million into adding veterans to the unit and used two of his top three draft picks on future staples.

Barring a catastrophic injury situation wiping out key starters for large chunks of the season, there are ZERO excuses for this Giants defense to not be at least a top-10 unit this season.

If the Giants fall short of that goal, they might want to reconsider whether Bowen is the right choice to lead the defense moving forward.

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