NFL.Com (Gregg Rosenthal): Top Front Sevens in 2017:

Until Goodson shows what he can do. Personally, I think he is a more athletic version of Sheppard, so I think that is an upgrade. Casillas and Robinson held their own last year. Goodson is definitely the X-Factor.

Maybe they sign LB Hodges.

But DE Devin Taylor is a greater need IMO, you can never have enough pass rushers. Can play outside and inside.

He will likely play more snaps than one or both of Kennard/Goodson.

But is it completely fair to base projections on past performance only? Goodson "barely" playing ... well, I think we all expect that to be quite a bit different, and the optimists in the crowd have good reason to be. Lots of potential there.

I'd think we have the optimal set up, though. I'd much rather have a good D-Line and good secondary then have a good LB corp. It's easier to mask some of the problems that will arise with have subpar LBs with good cover guys in the secondary and pressure on the QB

by Rosenthal...

But what sets the Giants D apart is the combination of a great front 4 with a great secondary. Who else on that list has a secondary as good as the Giants do. I'd much rather have the great secondary to go with the front 4 than better LBs.

In comment 13480597 BillT said:

Quote:

But what sets the Giants D apart is the combination of a great front 4 with a great secondary. Who else on that list has a secondary as good as the Giants do. I'd much rather have the great secondary to go with the front 4 than better LBs.

That probably describes the Giants thinking and I agree with it. But I also think Goodson will be a step up over Shepard.

It's possible, maybe even likely, that Robinson will see more snaps than any other Giants LB and yet he is left out of the equation. And it's not like the teams ranked ahead of the Giants by Rosenthal are loaded at the LB position. And his point about it being "another year of the Giants' defensive line and secondary trying to cover for the guys in between" is also unfair, because they aren't "covering" for poor LB play, it's just that the Giants don't look to their LB'ers to be playmakers. It's not as if they are missing tackles right and left or blowing their assignments.

He dismisses Goodson as "a second-year fourth-round pick who barely played as a rookie" and will be "taking over at middle linebacker," but Goodson isn't being handed the position. He will have to shine in order to keep Robinson off the field in the base defense. If Goodson is as weak a link as Rosenthal suggests, he won't be part of the front seven, Robinson will be.

p.s.--In today's game, teams are in their nickel defense more often than they're in their base defense, so perhaps the better discussion would be a a look at the front six instead of the front seven.

frustrating that Hankins was so close to being included in this breakdown. I think the Giants would have a top 3 front 7 if they were able to retain him

a)

Okwara/JPP/Harrison\Tomlinson\Vernon

(Thomas/Adams)

Jackrabbit/DRC/Apple

(Collins)

Or what have you regarding safety allocation


b)

JPP/Tomlinson[Harrison]Bromley\Vernon

c)

'Inside out 5 '

Snacks/Okwara/JPP/Vernon\Tomlinson

'Inside out 5' = Snacks and Tomlinson keep things within the pocket, containment, the 3 ends wreck the pocket, passing unit vs roll out QB play, possibly to generate interior rush

d)

Snacks(Kennard)Tomlinson(Vernon)JPP

...............Collins............

same idea,

contain the edges and wreck the gaps

among linebackers. Odd omition.

Based on it.

He didn't look at who had the most snaps.

Never mentioned the weakness at 4th corner

plays a lot like a LB in passing situations and was extremely successful at it last year.

Robinson and Castillas. They can use DRC as the third CB and move Collins up and jam the run. This will work nice if Thompson is back to full health. I can see this defense in a lot of 4-2-5 this year.