Coming off a 3-14 record, one of the worst seasons in franchise history, the New York Giants have plenty to look forward to after an impressive NFL Draft.
In the first round, the Giants drafted edge-rusher Abdul Carter with the third pick and traded back into the round to select QB Jaxson Dart at No. 25 overall.
Many fans of the Giants will remember the team identity that won Big Blue four Super Bowls: hard-nosed defense. The common theme with those Super Bowl-winning teams was getting after the opposing QB.
In 1986 (fourth), 2007 (first) and 2011 (fourth), New York’s defense landed in the top four in the league in sacks. Although in 1990 New York didn’t rank highly in sacks (24th overall), it was the top team in points allowed, second in yards allowed and eighth in turnovers.
In three of those four Super Bowls, New York’s offense ranked in the middle of the league in points scored and total yards, meaning it was the defense that gave the Giants a winning edge. In the 2011 playoffs, the defense allowed 14 points per game, followed by 16.2 in 2007, 11.6 in 1990 and only 7.6 PPG in 1986.
Historically, Super Bowl-winning seasons for the Giants have been built around a game-wrecking defense, even when the offense was rather average.
For 2025, the Giants have the players to build that style of defense. Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II is ranked third at his position by Pro Football Focus. Outside linebacker Brian Burns has averaged 9.5 sacks through five seasons, and although he still has much to prove, defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux (11.5 sacks in 2023) has shown moments of greatness in three seasons.
The biggest defensive bright spot for New York in 2024 was that it ranked eighth in the NFL in sacks with 45 although Lawrence and Thibodeaux each missed five games.
Building around these three players, the Giants added the Penn State product Carter and spent a third-round pick on defensive tackle Darius Alexander. Out of Toledo, Alexander, the 65th selection in the draft, was ranked by many as a top-50 player. Alexander is expected to slide in behind Lawrence as the team’s second tackle.
For the 2025 season, the Giants are running out an unproven offense that ranked near the bottom of pretty much every offensive stat in 2024. With Russell Wilson expected to take over as QB1, the fate of the offense is unknown.
What’s not up in the air is the defense. With Lawrence, Burns, Thibodeaux and now Carter and Alexander, the Giants have built a front five that is ready to compete with anyone next season. Expect New York’s defense, especially its pass-rushers, to be one of the elite units in the league, adopting that hard-nosed, game-wrecking mentality that helped the Giants win four Super Bowls.
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