The New York Giants have made a move to bolster their defense, signing linebacker Jarrad Davis off the Detroit Lions’ practice squad. Earlier this week, the Giants lost a linebacker off their own practice squad, as former starter Tae Crowder signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. This left the Giants with the need to add some talent to the position. In response, the Giants have signed hard-hitting linebacker Jarrad Davis.
What does Jarrad Davis bring to the Giants?
Jarrad Davis is a former first-round pick who began his career with the Detroit Lions. Davis spent his first four years in the NFL with Detroit before signing with the Jets in 2021, then re-joining the Lions in 2022. Now, Davis is on his way back to MetLife stadium, but trading his green jersey for a blue one as a member of the New York Giants.
Davis has spent six years in the NFL playing in 67 games and totaling 333 combined tackles throughout his career. Davis is a hard hitter and a force in run defense. He also provides some upside as an additional pass rusher from the linebacker position. This should make Davis a perfect fit for New York Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s blitz-heavy scheme.
Martindale is known for imploring an aggressive defensive scheme. In 2022, no team has blitzed more frequently than the New York Giants. Martindale’s unit leads the NFL with a 40.1% blitz percentage. This aggressive defensive approach has yielded 36 team sacks for the New York Giants this season.
The signing of Jarrad Davis adds some depth to the Giants’ linebacker corps which has struggled all season long. Davis is 28 years old and stands at 6-1 and 245 pounds. He packs a punch, routinely blowing up opposing blockers as a run-defender and as a blitzer with a full head of steam. Davis was the 21st overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He came into the league with high expectations but has struggled to find his footing as injuries have held him back. Davis has missed games with knee and ankle injuries each of the last three seasons.
This season, Jarrad Davis saw minimal playing time with the Detroit Lions. He appeared in only three games for the Lions, totaling three combined tackles and one pass defended. Davis has an opportunity to see increased playing time with the Giants, though, as their linebacker corps has been stretched thin with injuries.
The New York Giants are preparing for a crucial Week 17 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts. At 8-6-1, the Giants are one win away from clinching their first playoff berth since 2016. Wink Martindale’s defense will need to play an integral role if the team wants to earn the victory against the Colts. With Jarrad Davis being thrown into the mix, Martindale and the Giants can feel more confident defending the run on Sunday.
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