NY Giants Unit Review: The Run Defense Continues to Look Shaky Up Front

There’s good news and there’s bad news regarding the performance of the New York Giants’ defensive line.

The good news, per Pro Football Focus, is that there was a reduction in missed tackles from this group–seven this week, down from the 11 the week prior.

The bad news is that six of the missed tackles came against the run defense, which this week gave up a whopping 141 yards on 33 carries to the Jets for a 4.3 per carry average.

The even worse news is that while one can point to the absence of Dexter Lawrence as a reason for the continued gashes against the run defense (which was most obvious in the first half when the Jets racked up 85 of their rushing yards in the game’s first 30 minutes), the Giants just don’t seem to have anyone who has stepped up and shown that there is no more than a minimal drop off when Lawrence isn’t in there.

Let’s take a look at the performers this week.

Roy Robertson-Harris

With Dexter Lawrence again not playing in a pointless pre-season game (fyi, Lawrence is completely healthy), Robertson-Harris was the D-Line’s most physical presence during his brief appearances on the field. In very limited snaps, the big guy compiled four total tackles, and consistently shrugged off blocking to get in on tackles. At 32 years old, Robertson-Harris’s snaps will have to be managed to keep him standing, which is exactly what the coaches need to do.

Darius Alexander

Getting an increase in his snaps, Alexander was consistently slow to attack his man off the snap and spent most of his time wrestling with single blocking. One measly assist later, it’s rather obvious that this talented rookie is still adjusting to the NFL game, despite some of the raves he’s been earning in practices.

Elijah Chatman

Making a couple of neat plays with his quicks to avoid blocks and mess up several early Jets runs, Chatman eventually turned invisible and got swallowed up by bigger blockers as the game wore on.

Chatman looked rather interesting in his lone snap at lead FB, looking nimble as he led his back into a hole.

Might the Giants have something there? It seems like a long shot, not because we doubt Chatman's capabilities, but rather due to the frequency of injuries, making it rare for a team to retain an undrafted free agent who works on both sides of the ball (although not impossible).

D.J. Davidson

Getting plenty of snaps over the nose with Lawrence inactive, Davidson held his ground well, but there wasn’t much space or opportunity to run to the ball.

He managed one assist and was sealed away from the action a bit too much for our tastes, but this big young man certainly is not out of the running for a spot on this defensive line.

Jordon Riley

This big body got in on some late-game snaps with the backups and managed to produce one assist.

We think Riley has lost the competition with Davidson and doesn’t seem long for this team, though there’s always the practice squad.

Rakeem Nunez-Roches

The veteran accrued one solo tackle and drew an offensive holding call, which is solid production for his game that rarely flashes. He seems to be lining up over the nose more so this pre-season, which shows off his versatility.

We’re still not 100% certain he survives the roster cutdown date, given his contract and the arrival of Roy Robertson-Harris. Still, we also wouldn’t be surprised if he does stick around, perhaps even at a reduced rate, given his leadership and influence in the locker room as one of the more experienced members on that defensive line.

Chauncey Golston

After missing last week’s game, we were looking forward to having our first look at Golston. He’s certainly not a physical edge force against the run. He’s mostly a rusher and is very slippery and upfield quick on his pass rush.

He was not as productive defending the run, which is said to be a strength of his. He’s long with long arms, but he’s also lean. He managed one tackle this week while being handled by solo-blocking on the edge on running downs.

Jeremiah Ledbetter

Getting some late-game snaps, this veteran interior player seemed more heavy-legged than usual and hobbled off at one point. Still, he managed to work his way into three total tackles, each of them coming on the Jets’ final, get-off-the-field drive.

Elijah Garcia

Accruing three tackles, this defensive end spread out his tackles throughout the game, getting his snaps with the starters as well as with backups.

Another long shot for the roster, Garcia remains a reliable running down specialist who can help calm down an opposing running attack as a defensive end in a 4-man line.

Corey Durden

The team’s longshot nose tackle earned his lone assist on that final Jets drive, but is probably the longest of longshots to make the 53-man roster given the depth in front of him.

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