Giants Player Profile | Chris Peace, OLB
2019 Season Rewind
Considering that Chris Peace barely saw the field during his rookie season in 2019, most Giants fans are probably not very familiar with who this waiver wire pickup is.
The undrafted free agent out of Virginia who started the 2019 campaign with the Chargers, only played in five games last year, four of them with the Giants.
Peace's stint in Los Angeles did not last very long. He appeared in the Chargers’ season opener against the Colts but was waived six days later. The Chargers ended up re-signing him three days after that but then cut him again toward the end of September.
The Giants claimed Peace off waivers two days after the Chargers cut him. Peace logged just 21 total snaps in five games played between the two teams during his rookie season. He only played two snaps on defense for the Giants.
After redshirting his first season at Virginia in 2014, Peace had a respectable four-year collegiate career. He did not get a lot of playing time until his redshirt sophomore season, a year in which he had 53 total tackles (6.5 tackles for loss), two sacks, and two passes defended.
Peace’s breakout season for the Cavaliers was in 2017, as he recorded 68 total tackles (10.5 tackles for loss), 7.5 sacks, two passes defended, two forced fumbles, and an interception.
That year, he had the most sacks among ACC linebackers and was fifth in the conference for that category. Peace was named an All-ACC honorable mention for 2017.
He finished his college with another solid season in 2018, tallying 63 total tackles (10 tackles for loss), 7.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. He led all ACC linebackers in sacks. He was named to the 2018 All-ACC third team.
It’s hard to evaluate what the Giants have in Peace because he barely spent any time on the field last season. The 6'2", 250-pound Virginia product showed some potential during his four-year collegiate career.
He’s a decent tackler who can line up at either outside linebacker or defensive end. The problem is, there might not be a spot for him on the Giants’ 53-man roster this season.
Looking Ahead
One advantage that Peace has in his quest for a roster spot is his versatility. In addition to playing special teams, he has some experience as an edge rusher. Regardless, Peace is facing an uphill battle to stand out among the diverse group of linebackers the Giants currently have.
General manager Dave Gettleman used free agency and the draft to revamp this area of the defense during the offseason. He signed Blake Martinez and Kyler Fackrell, and then selected Cam Brown, Carter Coughlin and Tae Crowder in this year’s draft. Gettleman also decided to bring back David Mayo, who had 82 total tackles last season.
With all of these linebackers to compete with, Peace’s best path to making the 53-man roster is probably as a down lineman is as a defensive end and situational pass rusher. He recorded 15 total sacks over his final two seasons at Virginia and was a decent enough pass rusher, though he's yet to show that at the NFL level.
The problem though is the competition in front of him. The Giants already have an outside linebacker who can also line up at defensive end, Kyler Fackrell, who registered double-digit sacks playing under Patrick GRaham in Green bay back in 2018.
Additionally, there’s still a promising chance that Markus Golden will be back with the Giants in 2020. Golden, who recorded 20 sacks for the Giants, is coming off his best season since 2016 when he recorded 12.5 sacks for the Cardinals.
Because of the additions that Gettleman made at linebacker this offseason, Peace's chance to the 53-man roster might have to start on the practice squad.
