Week 1
Jordon Riley had a TFL on an impressive play usually reserved for Lawrence. I continue to be impressed with his play at his size.
Week 2
D.J .Davidson was active in place of Jordon Riley, which I like because these two will be competing for snaps all season and that will bring the best out them respectively. He added one tackle.
Week 3
D.J. Davidson got the look over rookie Jordon Riley again, and he showed why. On just 19 snaps (9 run / 10 pass) he finished with a half-sack, 2 pressures, and a pass break up at the line. He was injured on a dirty play by Jake Brendel, a play he should be fined for. Davidson was pushing the interior SF linemen around every time he got on the field. The injury to the elbow appeared to be fairly serious.
Week 4
Davidson was the overlooked stud of the game. On just 19 snaps, he finished with a TFL and 2 pass break ups. His feel for the play and sheer power were difference makers.
Week 5
The backups A’Shawn Robinson, D.J. Davidson, and Rakeem Nunez-Roches are cut from similar cloths. Big and strong, but slow and ineffective in space. None of them came in and made an impact. The latter did have one pressure early in the game.
Week 6
The backup trio Rakeem Nunez-Roches, A’Shawn Robinson, and rookie Jordon Riley saw limited snaps and we did not see much other than assists from any of them.
Week 7
N/A
Week 8
Rakeem Nunez-Roches and D.J. Davidson both played under 10 snaps and did not move the needle in either direction.
Week 9
N/A
Week 10
I thought D.J. Davidson flashed late in the game where his snaps saw an uptick. He had 2 pressures and 2 tackles. He has shown a knack for getting to the passer via a strong bull rush.
Week 11
Rakeem Nunez-Roches and D.J. Davidson spelled Robinson a lot through the second half. The former had a pressure and a tackle and the latter added one tackle.
Week 12
D.J. Davidson and Jordon Riley rotated in, and while they struggled to get off blocks in the passing game, I thought their stoutness against the run was solid. Where they currently struggle is shedding the blocks and making plays on the ball carrier. Riley missed two tackles.
Week 13
Rakeem Nunez-Roches added 2 tackles while backups D.J. Davidson and Jordon Riley saw a few snaps. Davidson was flagged for a false start early and missed a tackle, while Riley made a nice run stop where he showed good stack-and-shed with an explosive finish.
Week 14
The Jordon Riley vs. DJ Davidson “battle” (if you will) is interesting to watch. They fill the same role and give similar results, but the route in which they get there is very different. Riley looked better in this matchup, finishing with 2 tackles away from the starting point. He shows better movement traits and just-as heavy contact as Davidson.
Week 15
Good to see Jordon Riley on the field for a season-high 35 snaps. His previous high was about half of that. He had a tackle near the line of scrimmage where he looked like a the rookie version of Lawrence. I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves with this evaluation, but the way he abused All-Pro Center Jason Kelce on the play is something we see happen to Kelce maybe a handful of times in an entire season. Heavy hands, fast bench press, excellent pad level, dense presence, and a strong finish. These flashes are very encouraging for the future of the defensive line.
-D.J. Davidson added two tackles in relief and newcomer Timmy Horne (from ATL) got his feet wet with 7 snaps. I wouldn’t mind seeing some more of him, the initial look was promising.
Week 16
D.J. Davidson and Jordon Riley played uneventful snaps (about a dozen each) in back-up roles.
Week 17
D.J. Davidson and Jordon Riley played a handful of snaps in spot duty once again, not really making much of an impact. Riley has no variety to his pass rush plans.
Who plays where is one of the things I'm dying to know.
Heck, Dottino thinks Boogie Basham might play DT.
That said, the guy is a big dude and he's a great locker room presence.
Quote:
I seem to recall he was slotted as a nose tackle and Dex's backup on the depth chart last season, but I don't know if the distinctions actually matter.
Who plays where is one of the things I'm dying to know.
Me too.
Looking forward to seeing him this year.
What intrigues me is that Patterson had a lot of nice things to say about him.
“You had a good game playing against the best Center in the league” - ( New Window )
Talkin’ Giants
@TalkinGiants
Giants DL Coach Andre Patterson on Jordon Riley growing despite being inactive
Compares it to Danielle Hunter not playing his 1st 5 games in Minnesota
https://twitter.com/TalkinGiants/status/1708194724362735824 - ( New Window )
The distinctions matter on some level. For example, Dex shouldn't play outside where a constant refrain, particularly in 2021, was that he was playing out of position as a defensive end.
Pass rushing DT is one of those positions that will likely have to wait until next offseason.
Other reviews....not so much
basham as a lighter down pass rusher is interesting. bowen had success with players like him in TEN (autry being the main one).
Passing on DTs the entire draft (some good ones, too) tells me they have a plan with the current guys. I fear there won't be enough pass rush depth.
Passing on DTs the entire draft (some good ones, too) tells me they have a plan with the current guys. I fear there won't be enough pass rush depth.
I do wonder what they would have done had Newton somehow slipped to them at #47.
Ruke Orhorhoro
Johnny Newton
T'Vondre Sweat
Braden Fiske
Passing on DTs the entire draft (some good ones, too) tells me they have a plan with the current guys. I fear there won't be enough pass rush depth.
im with you - i'm not so worried about pass rush though because they can always kick pass rushers inside, but just athleticism and movement.
your comment in the game reviews matches what i saw - they had a lot of big space eaters without the mobility to make plays too far from their starting point.
what they dont seem to have is that highly active DT who can make plays across the formation (like LW).
if i were running their draft i think id have gone day 2 or 3 with jenkins or dorlus.
Maason Smith
Kris Jenkins
Michael Hall Jr.
Ruke Orhorhoro
Johnny Newton
T'Vondre Sweat
Braden Fiske
Maason Smith went 1 pick after Nubin Jenkins went 2 picks later. Dorlus went 2 picks after Theo Johnson.
All of those prospects had flaws enough that i can kind of understand picking a player they liked better (Nubin) and thinking Horne/Basham if viewed as draft prospects may not be so different in the boxes they check (not to mention Riley/DJD/Anderson).
The question really is a guy like Smith or Jenkins better than Nubin? Some people were really down on this safety class and said a safety never should have gone in round 2. Others said they felt Nubin was a late 1st round value.
We shall see. I do think Bowen's defense needs both types of players. Safety is big in his defense and Nubin has the leadership skills to hold together the entire secondary (I really think he will be a coach and fan favorite). But I also think Bowen needs that 3-technique.
Ruke Orhorhoro
Johnny Newton
T'Vondre Sweat
Braden Fiske
I suspect Fiske would have been a Giant. He’s exactly what we needed at DE.
(Also, watch the war room camera interaction between Daboll and Bowen at the 5:45 mark).
New York Giants Draft Picks - 2024 NFL Draft (Malik Nabers, Tyler Nubin & More!!!) - ( New Window )
The question really is a guy like Smith or Jenkins better than Nubin? Some people were really down on this safety class and said a safety never should have gone in round 2. Others said they felt Nubin was a late 1st round value.
We shall see. I do think Bowen's defense needs both types of players. Safety is big in his defense and Nubin has the leadership skills to hold together the entire secondary (I really think he will be a coach and fan favorite). But I also think Bowen needs that 3-technique.
I liked Jenkins a lot. There were knocks on how many plays he made but he tested great. I think he can clearly hold up at the POA but also had athleticism where someone like Patterson could unlock him, especially in a different system than Harboughs. I think he was a safer pick than Nubin, at a more premium position. I'd have picked him and just signed Micah Hyde or whichever veteran they like best for S.
I liked Newton too but i think he fell because of injury concerns and when that's the case i try to not get too over my skiis bc the nfl is usually pretty smart when name brand players fall due to medical (not unlike when we "stole" Ojulari). Broken feet on 300lb'ers are not faint of heart injuries.
replace Leo or Ashawn. But Fiske appears to be some player. I’ll have to look at Sy’s ratings of Fiske and Nubin to compare. I would have preferred Fiske personally because I have more faith in Pinnock, Belton, Owens, Mills, etc.
So maybe the calculation for the Giants was always safety/CB or CB/safety in rounds 2 and 3. And DE/DT wasn’t high on their list of priorities. They may have more faith in Riley, Davidson, Horne, Boogie, etc than we do.
“ *Now this is a name to keep an eye on for the Giants pick at #47. One of my favorite guys to watch in the entire class. Fiske broke out in a big way down the stretch, but don’t mistake this for a one-shot wonder. He was a pro prospect coming into 2023 and everyone wanted a piece of him in the transfer portal. This might be one of the best five athletes we have ever seen at DT in combine history. His energy is contagious and whoever drafts him will have a new coach/fan favorite. There is some hot/cold to his game and it may keep him in a rotational role. But he will make an impact player. Ideal fit for NYG.”
Passing on DTs the entire draft (some good ones, too) tells me they have a plan with the current guys. I fear there won't be enough pass rush depth.
I chalk it up to “you can’t fix everything”. They filled holes all over the roster. RB, TE, S, CB, OL, WR in the draft or with FA. There is a limit.
Also, a mid/late-round rookie DT is not something that's actually going to address frontline needs. The responsibility falls on the non-rookies like Davidson (a draft pick) and Riley, a developmental guy, to take the next step and claim a role.
I like what they did at Edge, WR,TE, OL, RB, LB and safety...even the addition of Lock was an upgrade.
Rhey mught have enough at DT and corner, but another vet would be nice
Hall Jr had locker room issues - not off field concerns. Just more of a "me" guy that would turn some effort off and on - by no means a guy that ends up on the news though.
I don’t see Riley or Davidson . Just because you’re big doesn’t mean you’re a run stopper. If they were why did teams run through them like an expressway when they were on the field ? Riley made a couple high visibility plays because somebody forgot to block him .
The Giants will still be looking for DT depth . Hey it’s not easy to do . That said I see these guys as third-team depth . Nothing more .
That said, the guy is a big dude and he's a great locker room presence.
I thought that was a good signing until I realized how old and how big he is. Over 30 and big guys fall off the cliff quickly. May be a year or two too late for him. Maybe if he is just a space eater at backup nose tackle, he can contribute but I thought that was Nachos role.
Agree, Davidson is more the guy you want at the Nose, he a brute fireplug. Riley is more interesting, as massive as he is he gets skinny and pushes his way to the backfield.
The Eagles' Kelce was the master of getting lower than any other lineman in the league, then lifting the opponent off the ground. I've seen him do that to Dex.
Riley, by nature is very crafty and knows how to avoid getting tangled up like that. When second rate lineman want to stand up and wrestle him, he throws them around like rag dolls. If he keeps working and listens to coach Andre', we could see him at the Pro Bowl very soon.
I don’t see Riley or Davidson . Just because you’re big doesn’t mean you’re a run stopper. If they were why did teams run through them like an expressway when they were on the field ? Riley made a couple high visibility plays because somebody forgot to block him .
The Giants will still be looking for DT depth . Hey it’s not easy to do . That said I see these guys as third-team depth . Nothing more .
But teams didn't run through them. Where are you getting that?
I don’t see Riley or Davidson . Just because you’re big doesn’t mean you’re a run stopper. If they were why did teams run through them like an expressway when they were on the field ? Riley made a couple high visibility plays because somebody forgot to block him .
The Giants will still be looking for DT depth . Hey it’s not easy to do . That said I see these guys as third-team depth . Nothing more .
Dexter Lawrence took 3 years to show out. He was a 2 sack a year guy before he took a leap.
There needs to be a little more patience with these guys who aren't first round picks.