Tomon Fox: The Giants' Forgotten Man at OLB
Tomon Fox, Outside Linebacker
Height: 6-foot-2 | Weight: 253 pounds
2022 Stats: GP 16 / GS 0, 24 tackles (15 solo), 3 tackles for loss, and 1 sack
Any undrafted NFL player will tell you how difficult it is to rise above the vast competition in training camp to make the end of the roster. Those same players will say the same to a greater degree for the final regular season roster when perhaps one or two will be lucky to enter the fold.
For Tomon Fox, the outside linebacker pleased the New York Giants enough in 2022 to do both and etch his name in an exclusive class of achievers. The 25-year-old and Suwanee, Georgia native signed with the team as an undrafted free agent following that April’s draft and was the only undrafted free agent to make the final roster in New York’s first season under the Brian Daboll regime.
Before earning his spot in East Rutherford, Fox played at the University of North Carolina for five seasons, where he started 47 games and racked up an impressive 29.5 sacks by the end of his senior year. Interestingly, that sack total helped put him third on the Tar Heels all-time list ahead of Giants great and alum Lawrence Taylor, who preceded him by 36 years at the school.
Fox jumped onto the playing field quickly after making the Giants' 53-man squad, earning his first career sack against Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill in New York’s 21-20 season-opening victory. He appeared in limited snaps for the remainder of 2022 but added an extra contributor to the run and pass rush defense for defensive coordinator Wink Martindale.
In addition, Fox was an occasional contributor on the special teams unit, adding reps covering and returning kickoffs and punts.
Best Case Scenario
The Giants might enjoy an underdog story within their ranks, and that could keep Tomon Fox around for another season to see what he can do behind the likes of fellow outside linebackers Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari, who will see a majority of the snaps. That said, Fox's stats from North Carolina show he can be a menace in the backfield, and it’s possible a second year under the Martindale system could resurrect that beast inside of him.
Fox is also a player that can be placed into different alignments and still make contributions. In 2022, he played 304 snaps from the defensive line as an edge rusher, but the Giants experimented with reps in the box, out wide in the slot, and even as a hybrid corner.
There is always room for fresh legs in the special teams area, so Fox could earn his time there when not on the defensive side of the ball.
Worst Case Scenario
The duo of Thibodeaux and Ojulari appear destined to retain their starting roles at the outside linebacker spots, and the battle for depth spots is open in training camp. With Fox, the Giants have OShane Ximines, Elerson Smith, Jihad Ward, and Habakkuk Baldonado on the 90-man roster for this year’s competition.
While he was better in some contests than others, Fox still has work to do to level up his game in terms of pressures and excelling in coverage. He posted grades of 52.1 or worse on PFF for run, pass defense, coverage, and tackling. He held an 18.5% missed tackle rate in the open field and allowed an average of 10.8 yards per reception in 2022.
The Giants have suffered their share of losing football from porous defense and an inability to create a solid pass rush at the quarterback. Players with grades like Fox won’t get privileges when it comes time for decision-making in August.
What to Expect in 2023?
Short of retaining him as a “prove it” player or an asset for special teams, it seems like a low probability that Tomon Fox will make it onto the Giants’ regular season roster for a second year. It’s fair to say Thibodeaux and Ojulari already fill the starting roles at outside linebacker, and the Giants have a handful of more experienced veterans to fill voids in the snap counts.
Fox is young, but the Giants are inching closer than ever to win-now mode, and only the most solid pieces should make the cut when it comes to protecting the endzone and crashing down the edge.
The Giants also have to worry about roster spots taken by the linebacker room, of which 15 players currently comprise the position. They’ll surely need a few spots to use on other positions for the 53-man selections, so Fox could easily be on their shortlist of candidates to send off.
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