How the Giants Are Likely to Deploy Their Newest Additions on Defense

Although we've yet to hear from new Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham about his plans for the Giants defense, Gene Clemons takes a look at the tape to see what specific roles the new defensive players acquired via free agency might potentially fill and what looks we could see in 2020.

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While the Giants have certainly been busy in free agency, they have not been flashy. 

Outside of franchise tagging Leonard Williams and signing James Bradberry, the moves the team has made wouldn't be considered climate shifting like Tom Brady signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Just because they have not been sexy moves doesn't mean the Giants have not made signings of value. 

One could argue that the signings so far, especially on defense, points to a philosophical change for this team. 

The Giants will rely heavily on a committee to have success, rather than just the performance of individual stars.

Expect Bradberry's role to look similar to what it has always been, defending the best receiver on the field. 

The confidence new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham will have in Bradberry should allow Graham to dial up some combination coverages, leaving Bradberry by himself and zoning in other areas of the field.

The Blake Martinez and Kyler Fackrell signings were very interesting. They both have a familiarity with Graham when he was the linebackers coach and run game coordinator for Green Bay.

That year, Martinez and Fackrell had their best seasons. Martinez recorded 144 tackles and five sacks from the middle linebacker position, while Fackrell tallied 10.5 sacks coming off the edge.

The Giants are hoping they can duplicate that effort this season. With key signings at every level, there is hope that the defense has the beginnings of what it takes to improve from 2019. 

If we take a look at that 2018 Packers defense, we can get a good understanding of what this 2020 Giants defense should look like with the personnel as it now has. 

This first image is against "21 personnel" (two running backs and one tight end). It's predominantly run-heavy or play-action personnel. 

NFL Game Pass

When you see the Giants line up against bigger personnel groups, expect the defense to look similar to this. Martinez and Fackrell will play in their familiar areas. 

Williams will most likely be the end aligned over the tight end, and Bradberry is out wide locked up on the top receiver. Every gap is accounted for, and as long as everyone does their job, they should be in position to stop the run.

The next image is a look at a disguise we will definitely see from Graham in 2020. It is third and long, and the offense has "20 personnel" (2 backs 0 tight ends) on the field. 

Via NFL Game Pass

Graham's defense has countered with a dime package (6 defensive backs). There are only two down linemen on the field, and both are playing a 3-technique (outside eye of the guard). 

The two outside linebackers (Fackrell and Carter most likely) are in ghost 9-techniques representing that they are rushing. The middle linebacker (Martinez) and one of the safeties are on the line of scrimmage in the A gaps, looking as if they are coming. 

There's also another safety who has run down and stacked the linebacker. Pre-snap it seems like any combination of those seven defensive players could be rushing.

The only two guys the offensive line can account for are the two down linemen; the other defenders will be in wait-and-see when the ball is snapped. That makes them reactionary instead of proactive in their blocking and immediately tips the scales towards the defense.

When the ball is snapped, the two outside linebackers rush with the two down lineman, and everyone else scrambles back into coverage, confusing the pre-snap reads of the quarterback, who likely read man-to-man (which they were to his hot-read side on the right). 

The addition of the extra three guys confused the quarterback enough to force a bad throw and subsequent punt.

That kind of result would certainly be a welcome sight for Giants fans who unfortunately saw their team far too often fail to get off the field on third down last year, the unit finishing 20th in the league in third-down defense (39.81%).