This Player Might Be the NY Giants' Most Underrated Offseason Move

Defensive lineman Chauncey Golston has been flying under the radar this spring but he brings quite a bit to the pass rush.

Former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Chauncey Golston signed with the New York Giants this past offseason. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

New York Giants fans have a healthy amount of doubt regarding multiple position groups entering next season, but there is no shortage of confidence when it comes to the pass-rush.

The defensive line aims to rattle opposing quarterbacks. With two-time Pro Bowler Brian Burns, rookie sensation Abdul Carter, and potential breakout candidate Kayvon Thibodeaux rotating on the outside, Big Blue may have the personnel to inflict such damage. 

But there’s another pass rusher who has been sort of flying under the radar this offseason, yet who needs to be mentioned.  

Former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Chauncey Golston drew some attention early in free agency when he signed a three-year, $18 million contract with $12 million fully guaranteed, but his arrival was overshadowed after New York added safety Jevon Holland, Carter, and quarterback Jaxson Dart.

Overlooking Golston is a mistake, though. There will come a time when defensive coordinator Shane Bowen will call on someone outside the core to step up, and that someone could very well be Golston.

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Why opponents shouldn't sleep on Golston

New York Giants defensive end Chauncey Golston came over in free agency from the Dallas Cowboys. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

While fans are excited about the individual abilities each player possesses, the main selling point is the collective strength the D-line can unleash on offenses next season.

Opposing offensive linemen will be forced to split their focus, which should then give New York's pass-rushers plenty of one-on-one matchups to exploit. 

That plan crumbles a bit if either Burns, Carter, or Thibodeaux lands on the shelf, but newcomer Golston can ensure that the team still brings pressure.

The former Iowa Hawkeyes standout boasts one vital skill that can allow him to seamlessly transition to this defense: he can get to the quarterback at a decent rate.

According to NFL Pro, Golston’s get-off average on the pass rush was one second last season, a year in which he recorded a career-high six quarterback pressures and 5.5 sacks (1.3% sack success rate).

Interestingly, in 430 pass rush snaps, Golston blitzed on 98.9% of those snaps. But if there was something that might raise some concern, it’s that his average time to sack was a career high 5.2 seconds, even though he posted a career best average (3.4 seconds) to pressure.

After getting by with a minimal number of pass rushers in the first three years of the Schoen-Brian Daboll era, the Giants are upping the ante in ensuring that they have an identity. That identity is a strong pass rush, of which Golston is very much going to be a part of.