What Could Jadeveon Clowney Bring to the Giants Defense?

As the Giants ready themselves for free agency, they seem assured to be in the market for an edge rusher.

Many believe that they will either re-sign Markus Golden, who led the team in sacks this past season with 10 or go after Seahawks edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney. Both guys are likely to come with different price tags, so the question becomes who would bring the most value to this new defense as being run by defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.

Golden is your tailor-made 9-tech. He has had the majority of his success when aligned out wide, where he can use his speed and bend to fly around offensive tackles and get to the quarterback.

Clowney is cut from a different cloth in that his size allows him to play on the interior while his athleticism allows him to play on the edge. His change of direction is also extremely good for a man his size.

With Leonard Williams almost sure to return to the Giants, this would give the Giants two disruptive forces on the interior of the defense with Williams and Dexter Lawrence.

So, where would Golden and Clowney fit into Graham’s defense? And which player is the better option if it comes down to one or the other?

The image above is of Graham’s Miami defense versus Washington last season on a 1st and 10. The red circles indicate where Clowney would potentially line up, and the gold circle is where you would likely see Golden.

Clowney’s ability to play the 5-technique (outside shade of the tackle) and the 9-technique means that Graham would be able to move him around and take advantage of varying personnel groups.

On this particular play, the defense shifted, the defensive right end (left side of the screen) slid down to a 3-technique (outside eye of the guard), and the linebacker came down to a 9-technique.

In such an alignment, Clowney would provide a force playing inside with Lawrence and Williams.

This play would also give a 9-tech like Golden a one-on-one matchup with the tackle, which Golden has the advantage to win.

You can see how the play allows the defense to be gap sound against the run but also puts the defenders in situations to win their one-on-one matchups if there is a play-action pass.

This second image (above) came on a 2nd-and-11. In this alignment, Graham expanded his ends to ghost 9-techniques (aligned outside of where the tight end would be), and he had his middle linebackers walk up into the B-gaps (between the guard and tackle).

Again, keeping in mind that Graham could potentially put Clowney anywhere in the three positions, this alignment also means that Golden could be at one of those ends, which could bring an extra linebacker on the field.

There are one-on-one matchups available outside, but the defense is gap sound so that they are prepared for a draw.

This final image separates how Graham could use Clowney as opposed to Golden. This is a 3rd and long (an obvious passing down), and Graham has a dime defense on the field. He also only has one defensive lineman on the field along with four linebackers.

This is all about creating confusion for the offensive line and quarterback. In the following video, you will see the defenders moving around in what many refer to as “Radar,” as on the snap of the ball, they will all hit a gap on their blitz.

Clowney’s ability to play this 1-technique and use his explosion to defeat a block or to dart to another gap gives Graham the ultimate trump card in bringing exotic pressures.

Golden would be one of the linebackers in this scheme, but that would then force Lawrence or Williams into this position, and you are getting less dynamic.

So Who Will it Be? Golden? Clowney? Someone Else?

The difference between whether the Giants re-sign Golden or can land Clowney will come down to money.

Golden is probably looking for a contract that averages $10-$12 million per year while Clowney will likely command almost double of that.

If the Giants want to make a couple of free agency splashes, then Golden makes more sense. His likely price tag would allow them to bring in a veteran offensive lineman and a cornerback to mentor that young secondary.

But given how the draft is projected to shake out, Clowney makes a lot of sense. Clowney gives you the capability of rushing three and getting home with him, Williams and Lawrence.

He also provides versatility. When you also consider that Lorenzo Carter could replace Golden and hopefully replicate his production as an edge rusher, it could make the potential loss of Golden tolerable.

This also means that the Giants could focus their attention on offensive line and linebacker in the draft.

They could draft their choice of tackle with their first-round pick and come back with a linebacker like Willie Gay Jr. in the second round.

Or they could draft Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons in the first round and snatch Isaiah Wilson in the second round. Both scenarios would give New York one of the most athletic front sevens in the NFL.

A man with Clowney's talent is rarely available without having to sacrifice something to get him. It seems like a no brainer that if the Giants have an opportunity to get him, they should, even if it comes with a healthy price tag.