Coach Burn has been rehired by the New York Giants. In his last two seasons as the Giants head coach, he was able to take them to the playoffs so they wanted him back. His Giants of 2021 versus the Giants he has inherited now are very different teams. They have some of the same players as before, however, a lot has changed with this roster. In this article we will take a look at which players are still here, if they are any better than they were, and which players are new at each position. We started with the offense in the last article and will finish with the defense in this article.
Left End: Dexter Lawrence (2021), A’shawn Robinson (2023)
Lawrence is still on the team, he just switched positions for this year. Robinson is an older player who will manage the left end spot on base plays. He’s a mediocre player who will serve his purpose this season. This is a downgrade.
Defensive Tackle: Danny Shelton (2021), Dexter Lawrence (2023)
Shelton was a stop gap at this position. He did not contribute much. Lawrence on the other hand has blossomed into one of the best defensive tackles in the league and the best player on the Giants defense. He is their lone superstar on defense and its commander. Lawrence will anchor the team for the entire cycle. This is a huge upgrade.
Right End: Leonard Williams (2021), Leonard Williams (2032)
Williams has managed the right side of the defensive line throughout the years. He was paid a huge contract, however, if you ask Coach Burn, he hasn’t lived up to the hype. Williams is an average player who isn’t worth his huge contract. With him on a contract year, he will need to show something great in order to be re-signed. This is a downgrade when compared to the 2021 version.
Left Outside Linebacker: Lorenzo Carter (2021), Azeez Ojulari (2023)
Carter was a fast pass rushing specialist who used his speed to get to the quarterback. Ironically, Ojulari is similar to Carter. Ojulari is a little bit slower, however, he has more potential given his age. This is neither an upgrade or downgrade.
Middle Linebacker: Blake Martinez (2021), Bobby Okereke (2023)
Martinez was tackling machine in the middle of the field. The Giants have been looking for another Martinez and they believe they have found him in Okereke. Okereke is a fast player with blazing speed and great tackling. He was just signed this offseason and will be on the team for years to come. This is an upgrade.
Right Outside Linebacker: Azeez Ojulari (2021), Kayvon Thibodeaux (2023)
Ojulari is still with the team, albeit on the opposite side of the field. He will be paid with the 5th pick from last year’s draft. Thibodeaux has high expectations coming from his rookie season. He is a fast, powerful, pass rushing specialist. Coach Burn expects great things from him. At this point in time, Thibodeaux is an upgrade over the then rookie Ojulari.
Cornerback: James Bradberry (2021), Adoree Jackson (2023)
Bradberry was the guy back in 2021. He was expected to cover the opponents number one guy all over the field. He played very well when he was with the Giants. Jackson has been promoted to number one corner on the roster. He is much faster than Bradberry was, however, Bradberry had better coverage skills. Jackson will need to be the mentor on the roster for the younger corners. Jackson is a downgrade compared to Bradberry.
Adoree Jackson (2021), Deonte Banks (2023)
Jackson has been promoted and has played well for the Giants. Banks, whom the Giants drafted this offseason, is a tall, fast, player who can play man or zone. He is similar to Jackson except for being faster and taller. At this point Banks is an upgrade compared to Jackson from before.
Keion Crossen (2021), Aaron Robinson (2023)
Crossen was a very fast player who lacked coverage skills. He was a great player to build and start the year with. Robinson is a similar player except he isn’t as fast. Robinson will be a great player once his coverages are built into. The only issue with him is he will be out for 4 to 8 weeks due to injury. Robinson is a downgrade due to Crossens speed being higher to start with.
Darnay Holmes (2021), Tre Hawkins (2023)
Holmes was an average player with average speed and didn’t really make an impact for Coach Burn in his time with the Giants. He was expected to grow into a starting player but that never happened. Hawkins on the other hand is a at a great starting point as a rookie. He is a tall, fast, corner who Burn will use in the slot to start with. In a few years, he will be a starter. He is an upgrade over Holmes.
Free Safety: Logan Ryan (2021), Xavier Mckinney (2023)
Logan Ryan was a slow veteran with good coverage and ball skills. He was a great mentor for all of the defensive backs on the team. Mckinney was the backup in 2021 to Ryan. He now takes over the starting spot. He is the exact same player as Ryan albeit a lot younger. He is on a contract year and is one of the slowest players on the team. Coach Burn doesn’t like slow players on defense so Mckinney will need to show something special to keep his spot on the roster.
Strong Safety: Jabrill Peppers(2021), Isaiah Simmons(2023)
Peppers was an average speed player who had decent coverage skills, however, was a strong hitter. He was a good starting player for the Giants. Simmons on the other hand is a freak player who is tall, strong, and fast. Simmons is a swiss army knife of a player who will play sub linebacker. Coach Burn expects him to be in the running for defensive player of the year. Simmons is a significant upgrade over Peppers.
The Giants 2021 defense had a decent amount of speed, however, the 2023 Giants have one of the fastest teams in the league on paper. Coach Burn will look to use this defense in unique ways in order to get them to be one of the best defenses in the league.
