What Each Giants Projected Defensive Starter Needs To Prove in 2020

As an organization, the Giants have a lot to prove in 2020.

The defensive side of the ball has been a particularly low point for the Giants in recent years, as the unit has finished 28th, 22nd, and 23rd each of the last three seasons, respectively.

What will it take for the Giants' defense to turn the corner in 2020? It will take strong individual efforts out of the team's key players, as they will have to prove their negative outlook wrong.

Here's a look at what the projected starters on defense need to show if the unit is to improve this season.

DL Leonard Williams: Finishing Plays

Leonard Williams likely believe he's worthy of a big-money contract. But while he's definitely among the better defensive linemen of the league, he's not quite there in terms of overall production, certainly not after recording just a half-sack in eight games with the Giants last year.

According to Pro Football Focus, no player had a more significant difference between their pressure rate and sack rate rank than Williams.

In eight games with the Giants, Williams finished third on the defense with 31 total pressures. He also ranked 13th in pressure rate at 11.3 percent (out of 87 defensive linemen) and tied for the lead in quarterback hits (19) with Calais Campbell.

RELATED: How Leonard Williams Plans to Become a More Productive Pass Rusher

Part of the problem with Williams has been his inability to finish off his pass rushes. He's come close so many times, but unfortunately for him, this isn't a game of horseshoes where coming close is good enough.

The Giants hope that a tweak in his responsibilities in the scheme combined with some coaching points from defensive line coach Sean Spencer will yield better results.

DT Dexter Lawrence: Well-Rounded

Defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, listed at 342 pounds, is one of the Giants defense's biggest men. He's also one of the budding stars on that defensive unit and is a guy who last year was a stout force against the run.

But Lawrence--and by extension, the Giants--would like him to be much more. The coaches believe that Lawrence can be a pass-rushing force capable of pushing the pocket

Lawrence quickly turned that narrative around when he got on the field, displaying his pass-rush ability by generating 30 total pressures in 412 pass-rush snaps, per Pro Football Focus.

Against the run, he was even better. His 88.0 run-defense grade from PFF was ranked sixth among all defensive tackles in 2019, and he led the Giants interior defenders with 26 run-stops for zero or negative yards.

Lawrence ended up being the highest-graded rookie at his position in 2019 by PFF. But the Giants need him to play like that deeper into games, and he has already taken steps to prove he can do that in 2020.

Lawrence admitted that there were instances where he was winded by the fourth quarter. To address this, Lawrence hired a personal trainer and a private chef, the latter to control his food portions, and he lost some weight and body fat.

RELATED: Dexter Lawrence II Explains Why He Lost Weight in Off-season

Now Lawrence needs to apply his new-found endurance to help the Giants' defense close out games, something they were unable to do in 2019.

DT Dalvin Tomlinson: Pass Rush Potential

It's hard to imagine Dalvin Tomlinson has much to prove after his first three NFL seasons.

Tomlinson has started all 48 games for the Giants since being drafted in the second round in 2017 and has shown year-to-year improvement in every phase of his game.

The 2019 season was Tomlinson's best yet. He racked up career-highs in tackles for loss (7), quarterback hits (9), and sacks (3.5) en route to being the Giants' highest-graded defensive player by Pro Football Focus (78.1).

In 2020, Tomlinson is going into a contract year. If his first three years are any indication, he is in for a big payday in 2021. But can he prove to be a "must re-sign" player for the Giants?

RELATED: Dalvin Tomlinson: New Giants Defense Has a Familiar Feel

Tomlinson could make the case to be retained by the Giants at a high price if he drives up his sack and quarterback pressure numbers. But he will need to make some improvements to his transition from run defense to pass rush.

When Tomlinson bursts off the line anticipating a run play and it turns out to be a pass, he doesn't change his momentum or technique and gets caught in a prolonged battle with blockers instead of detaching from them. This is thought to be something he's focused on trying to fix for the upcoming season.

If Tomlinson can apply his year-to-year improvement to that area of his game, he can prove to be one of the best all-around defensive tackles in the NFL and a player that the Giants can't afford to let walk.

EDGE Lorenzo Carter: Breakout Season

Edge rusher Lorenzo Carter didn't take the second-year leap the Giants hoped he would in 2019.

Carter saw a bump in defensive snaps, from 442 as a rookie to 723 in his second season but only finished with two more tackles, a half more sacks, and six more total pressures.

Much of that had to do with his own lack of consistency, as he didn't always set the edge against the league's better offensive tackles.

But to be fair, Carter's deployment in the defense by former defensive coordinator James Bettcher was a head-scratcher.

Bettcher assigned Carter to drop into coverage, cover backs out the backfield, and carry tight ends vertically. He lined up at defensive end, outside linebacker, middle linebacker, and defensive tackle.

RELATED: Film Analysis | How Lorenzo Carter Has Been Misused in the Giants Defense

Carter's tape has shown that he is most effective when he rushes the passer and uses his speed-to-power moves as a 9-tech (outside the tight end’s alignment) to overwhelm offensive linemen.

Under new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, Carter should get more opportunities to use his natural skills as a pass rusher so he can focus more on refining that part of his game. Still, it is up to him to play with the consistency and effort to make the most of those opportunities.

EDGE Oshane Ximines: Stoutness vs. the Run

Edge rusher Oshane Ximines certainly isn't small for his position at 6'4" and 252 pounds, but he isn't the type of player that can use his size to overpower blockers either.

Ximines' athleticism and speed-rushing technique allowed him to flash as a rookie with 4.5 sacks. But when it came to anchor against the run, he'd get swallowed up and sometimes driven out of plays by bigger, stronger blockers.

Again, part of the problem with Ximines was how he was deployed in his rookie season. To line him up across from an offensive lineman with 40-50 pounds on him isn't a fair fight.

Ximines spent the off-season getting stronger, which will undoubtedly help him better anchor against the run. What will also help him is being correctly deployed to his strengths, which defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has vowed to do with all his players.

EDGE Markus Golden: Repeat Performance

Veteran edge rusher Markus Golden had a lot to prove in 2019.

Working his way back from a torn ACL suffered in 2017, Golden sought to show the league that he was as good as new.

To his credit, he did just that. Golden played all 16 games for the Giants and led the team in sacks with 10, becoming the first Giants defender to record double-digit sacks since Jason Pierre-Paul recorded 12.5 in 2014, and the first outside linebacker to accomplish that feat since the great Lawrence Taylor.

However, his stellar production didn’t’ translate into a multiyear, lucrative contract, so Golden, who received the seldom-used UFA tag in May, ended up returning to the Giants on a one-year $4.125 million contract.

No matter, as Golden, always a confident sort, is even more confident after accomplishing what he did last year. Of course, that was with defensive coordinator James Bettcher, for whom Golden has had two double-digit sack seasons. But just because Bettcher is gone doesn’t mean Golden doesn’t have a chance at an encore with the Giants.

Patrick Graham has pledged to put all his players in the best possible spots to achieve success. It will be interesting to see if he deploys golden similar to how Bettcher did last year or if he unlocks a whole new way of unleashing the 29-year-old’s talent.

EDGE Kyler Fackrell: Bounce back

Edge rusher Kyler Fackrell was this year’s Markus golden, a pass rusher who at one time proved himself capable of producing double-digit sacks, as he did for the Packers in 2018, but who seemed to be phased out in Green Bay to where a fresh start was necessary.

Fackrell's declining production in Green Bay last season might have been due to a reduced role. The Packers upgraded their edge rusher group last offseason, adding unrestricted free agents Za'Darius Smith and Preston Smith.

RELATED: Kyler Fackrell Seeks Giant Redemption After Disappointing 2019

The addition of those two dropped Fackrell to third on the team's depth chart last season and significantly cut into his playing time.

Fackrell will get a fresh start in New York playing in Graham’s defense. Graham, Fackrell’s position coach when he recorded the double-digit sacks, knows his player very well and has already deployed him in some exciting ways that could end up being very productive.

ILB Blake Martinez: Impact Plays

Linebacker Blake Martinez is looking for his fourth straight season with at least 140 tackles on defense.

While the numbers are impressive, the fact remains that not all tackles are created equal when we're talking linebackers. In the three seasons in which Martinez recorded an astonishing 443 tackles, only 25 of those were for a loss.

Martinez, who last year in Green Bay admitted to being more of a "clean-up" type of player, is hoping to change that this year in the Giants defense.

When he initially spoke to reporters after signing with the team back in March, he spoke about not having many gap responsibilities with the Packers last year, a big reason why the number of impact plays he was able to make were so low.

RELATED: Blake Martinez Wants To Be The Giants' Rock

“The way we ran the defense, at least the last two years, is I’m kind of put into the clean-up crew guy," Martinez said.

"There’s a lot of situations where you see numerous other defenses where it’s like, ‘OK, you have A-B gap responsibility as an inside linebacker, you have one gap responsibility.’

“In our defense no matter what it was, since I was the only (true) linebacker on the field, I was taught and told once again, to be the clean-up crew guy. There weren’t any gap responsibilities for me."

In 2020, Martinez would probably welcome fewer tackles if it means increasing the number of impact plays he's able to contribute at or near the line of scrimmage.

ILB Devante Downs: Dependability

Devante Downs is entering his third NFL season and his second with the Giants. This summer, he took advantage of the week in which now-former teammate Ryan Connelly was sidelined and stepped up when Martinez dealt with an undisclosed issue.

These days, Downs projects to be the other starting inside linebacker for the Giants' base 3-4 defense.

The one-time seventh-round pick of the Vikings in 2018 is thought to be fully recovered from a knee injury suffered in his final season at college and showed some flashes on special teams for the Giants last year. Now he has a golden opportunity to show that he does indeed belong on an NFL field.

"The one thing that showed up with him that stuck up is his athletic ability, the ability to play on his feet, not be on the ground, have some good speed, some good burst," said defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.

"When we got a chance to meet him, he had the right demeanor that you're looking for in a linebacker—just building his confidence that he can do this.

"This guy has worked his tail off its camp leading into the first week of the regular season, and I'm talking about everything we've asked him to improve on. He still has a ways to go, but there's been a steady improvement in terms of reachable goals.

CB James Bradberry: Lockdown Potential

Cornerback James Bradberry was the team's other major free-agent signing this offseason, coming to New York from the Carolina Panthers on a three-year $45 million deal.

Bradberry is projected to line up across from the opponent's top receiver, something he did well in Carolina against some of the league's top receivers such as Atlanta's Julio Jones, Tampa Bay's Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, and New Orleans' Michael Thomas.

Against Evans, Godwin, Jones, Ridley, and Thomas, Bradberry allowed 27 catches on 43 targets (62.8 completion percentage) for 356 yards, 21 first downs (48.8 first down percentage), one touchdown, and two interceptions.

RELATED: Film Review | What Can Cornerback James Bradberry Bring to the Giants Defense?

Although the NFC East doesn't quite have the firepower at receiver as the NFC South--the Cowboys boast the most firepower at wide receiver with Amari Cooper and rookie CeeDee Lamb--that doesn't lessen the expectations the Giants have for Bradberry.

Graham, by the way, wouldn't say if he planned to have Bradberry travel with the opponent's receivers, instead, saying that he would look to put everyone in the best possible spots to be successful.

But there's no question that the expectations are high for Bradberry given his contract and his experience.

CB Logan Ryan: Difference Maker

Veteran cornerback Logan Ryan is coming off the best season of his career from a statistical perspective.

In 2019, Ryan started all 16 games for the Tennessee Titans, the first time he had done so in his career. He racked up career highs in tackles with 113, sacks with 4.5, and passes defended with 18.

RELATED: New York Giants Top 7 Most Critical Players of 2020: DB Logan Ryan

At 29 years old, Ryan has shown no signs of slowing down. His level of play speaks for itself, and if he can replicate his 2019 season in 2020, he will prove he has a lot of football left in him.

Ryan can offer the Giants versatility in that he can play the perimeter, the slot, and safety. Having a guy like that allows the coaching staff to play matchup football and give Ryan a chance to be one of the difference-makers on the team.

S Jabrill Peppers: Versatility

Defensive back Jabrill Peppers will hold a lot of responsibility in Graham's defense.

Peppers will likely be deployed primarily as a box safety, but he has the size, speed, and athleticism to serve as a pseudo linebacker in the three-safety set.

Peppers spent part of his off-season training with Brian Walker of the DB Academy. Walker not only worked with Peppers on the fundamentals necessary to excel at safety, but he also cross-trained him in skills related to some of the responsibilities a cornerback might have to do.

“With his skill set, he's going to factor into a lot of sub-packages,” head coach Joe Judge told reporters on a video conference call Wednesday.

“Traditionally you've seen him play a lot in the box in different schemes and roles. He has that body type that so fits that, but he's going to have to be able to play the deep part of the field as well as the box for us.”

RELATED: Is Jabrill Peppers a Legitimate Option at Cornerback?

Peppers is no stranger to having played some snaps at cornerback last year, specifically in the slot, so his versatility will undoubtedly come in handy. And speaking of which, he'll also be called upon to contribute on special teams, where last year he was on the punt coverage team and served as a punt returner.

Peppers' versatility and how he performs in his numerous roles will be key for the Giants' success in 2020.

S Julian Love: Versatility

Defensive back Julian Love got his first opportunity to be an NFL starter when Peppers went down with an injury in Week 13. He made the most of that opportunity, recording 35 total tackles, one interception, and three passes defensed.

Love is again projected to be in the starting lineup after rookie Xavier McKinney suffered a broken foot that will likely keep him out for half the season.

Love will have that time to build off his impressive rookie season and establish himself as a core player for the Giants' secondary. He is already a fit for the versatile philosophy of Graham's defense.

According to Pro Football Focus, as a rookie, Love saw snaps as a slot corner, wide corner, free safety, box safety, and the defensive line last year.

"My mindset at all times is 'Whatever they want from me I'm going to play,'" Love said. "I've bounced around positions my whole life in the defensive backfield and it's no different now, no matter where I'm at or how old I am I'm always ready to play whatever."

Love will not only have to prove he is capable of starting for the Giants, but he will have to do so in a variety of roles, and it seems as though he's up for the task.

CB Darnay Holmes: Slot Ability

Darnay Holmes, the giants' fourth-round draft pick, is looking at a potentially significant role with the Giants in 2020.

In a thin and unproven secondary, Holmes has already emerged as one of the team's biggest playmakers on defense throughout training camp, and he has earned his fair share of snaps when the regular season begins.

Leading up to the draft, many analysts had Holmes projected to be one of the best nickel corner prospects in this year's class, even though he didn't play much in college.

His tackling efficiency, recovery speed, and footwork at the line of scrimmage are among his best traits. If Holmes can apply those physical gifts while also achieving technical improvement, he will have a significant role in the defense.

However, the NFL learning curve has a way of knocking rookies off their game, and Holmes will need to prove that he can make the transition to the pro game without faltering as past rookies have.

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