Giants Country

10 Most Indispensable Players: No. 9 is Key for Giants' Run Defense

Some believe Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams is slowing down performance-wise, but he's still very much an indispensable member of the team. Here's why.

Patricia Traina

10 Most Indispensable Players: No. 9 is Key for Giants' Run Defense
10 Most Indispensable Players: No. 9 is Key for Giants' Run Defense /
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Who are the most indispensable New York Giants players? The Giants Country editorial team took a vote and ranked its top 10, which we are counting down on our way to the start of training camp.

Leonard Williams, DE

Height: 6-foot-5 | Weight: 302 pounds
College: USC | NFL Experience: 9 years
Career Stats: 124 games played, 116 games started. 449 total tackles, 38 tackles for a loss, six forced fumbles, 38 sacks, 157 quarterback hits

Coming in at No. 9 on our most indispensable New York Giants player list is a player who, at one point, divided Giants fans as to what his value was truly worth to the team.

But veteran defensive end Leonard Williams has since quelled the rumblings of the naysayers by delivering impact against the run and as a pass rusher, making him a valuable every-down player who, up until last year at least, never missed a game due to injury.

Williams, acquired in a midseason trade with the Jets in 2019, had a huge year in 2020 with 11.5 sacks, his first double-digit sack season. Since then, his sack totals have dwindled, but when it comes to being a complete defensive lineman, Williams is it, and that's where his true value lies.

Although his run defense wasn't as good last year as it's been in the past--the neck and knee issues he fought through likely had a lot to do with that, as did the unholy amount of snaps he had to play in given the lack of depth behind him--the organization still seems to be tied into Williams for at least this year, the last of his contract.

TOP 10 Indispensable Players 

No. 10: Kayvon Thibodeaux  

Why He’s Indispensable

Any time a team has a front-seven defender that can hold his own in both run defense and rushing the passer, he's a keeper. That, in a nutshell, is Leonard Williams. Although he has a lot of mileage on his tires--certainly, the injury situation is one to watch moving forward--Williams still appears to have enough juice left in his game and seems to enjoy playing alongside Dexter Lawrence, arguably one of the top interior defensive linemen int he game today.

As for the run defense, of which Williams was part of the problem last year, the good news, according to the defensive lineman, is that the fits should be much better than last year.

"I think we have been working a lot on fits so far, which is the one thing we can work on when we're not in pads," Williams said during the mandatory minicamp last month.

"I think that's just a matter of what it was last year, honestly, is just making sure that we're trusting the guy next to us, make sure we're staying in the gap that we're responsible for, trusting that the guy in front of us, next to us, behind us, is going to fit his gap as well."

The improved talent around him should help, as should the fact that the Giants added depth at his position to where Williams hopefully won't have to play more than 65 percent of the defensive snaps this season, which would, in turn, help keep him fresh.

What Happens if He’s Missing?

Despite his production drop-off last year, again likely due to the injuries, Williams is, right now, one of two complete defensive linemen this team has that's able to hold his own against the run and in the pass rush.

Although the team added new talent on the line in veterans Rakeem Nunez-Roches and A'Shawn Robinson and rookie Jordon Riley to go along with returning defender Ryder Anderson, none of those players, at least as of this writing, offer the versatility and production Williams is capable of generating when he's in the lineup.

Final Thoughts

Many people, myself included, thought the Giants might look to extend Williams's contract to lower his $32 million cap hit this year and potentially remove a major decision they'll need to make next off-season. Instead, the Giants seem intent on letting Williams play out the deal to see if he can rebound production and healthwise to the level he's fully capable of reaching.

That makes this year a big one for Williams. He's still a very good player when healthy, but he does have a lot of mileage on his tires, having played over 6,600 defensive snaps in his career. It will be interesting to see what happens with his contract in the off-season if the Giants look to extend him, or if they move on.

 

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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