FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The New York Giants could turn out to be the type of team that relies on dominant defense and hopes to get opportunistic, big-play offense in 2025.
While the offense endured an up-and-down day Tuesday against the Jets, the defense clearly won the day against the Jets’ offense. Particularly the Giants’ defensive front seven.
“I think we did well,” said star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, who took a handful of team reps after sitting out Saturday’s preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. “Still learning, learning how to communicate through different things and learning who’s rushing beside you and just honing in on your technique more. We’ve got a few more weeks to get that down, but I think we just keep getting better and progressing every day.
“Every day I see improvement. Guys not making the same mistakes, so that’s the best thing to ask for right now.”
Safety Jevon Holland, one of the team’s key free-agent acquisitions, agreed with Lawrence that there has been improvement.
“I mean, I think so, I would hope so, otherwise we’re not going to win a lot of games if we don’t,” Holland said. “We are definitely taking steps together and growing, steadily improving.”
The teams matched up in 1-on-1 drills before the team periods began. Abdul Carter split the two reps I saw against Olu Fashanu, the Jets left tackle who was Carter’s Penn State teammate. Carter beat him inside on one rep, but Fashanu did neutralize Carter when he tried to beat him to the outside.
Both Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux appeared to get the better of right tackle Armand Membou, with Burns beating Membou badly to the inside.
Roy Robertson-Harris bulled his way into drawing an egregious holding penalty, though I could not see who the offensive lineman was.
There has been concern about the Giants’ run defense. Last season they were 24th in the league, giving up 4.6 yards per rushing attempt.
Tuesday, the run defense looked excellent.
There was one significant run by Braelon Allen of the Jets on a stretch play toward Kayvon Thibodeaux, but otherwise the run defense seemed stingy.
On the first play of 11-on-11, Thibodeaux and corrnerback Tae Banks set the tone, crashing into the backfield to stop Breece Hall for a loss of yardage.
Linebacker Micah McFadden was in the backfield for a couple of tackles for loss.
Working with the second- and third teams, rookie defensive tackle Darius Alexander had what would have been a tackle for loss and a run stop at the line of scrimmage.
Lawrence likes what he is seeing from the third-round pick.
“He’s growing a lot, honestly. And he’s a willing learner. He’s humble,” Lawrence said. “I like his attitude. He comes out here, whatever Coach Dre or I say to him, he corrects it the next day. So I love the way he responds to adversity.
“B Cox [assistant defensive line coach Bryan Cox] is on him hard. But, he’s got a good head on his shoulders, and, you can see him keep growing every day.”
Defensive tackle Elijah Chatman also blasted several yards into the backfield for a run stop on Kene Nwangwu.
“I think we played well in the run,” Lawrence said. “We were physical. We got knock back, and that’s the best thing you can ask. Yeah, so I think so.”
With slot cornerback Dru Phillips sidelined with an undisclosed injury apparently suffered during Saturday’s game, it looked like the Giants used a good bit of a three-safety package with Dane Belton joining Holland and Tyler Nubin. When they played a true slot cornerback, former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Nic Jones got some first-team opportunities.
When Jets quarterbacks Justin Fields, Brady Cook and Adrian Martinez tried to pass, they spent a good bit of time running for their lives.
Carter was a menace. He had a sack of Fields that came before Fields launched a deep pass for a completion to a receiver defended by Holland who’s number I could not see.
Carter had another sack, this one of Cook, while working with the second team.
It wasn’t just Carter. Burns, Thibodeaux and Lawrence regularly collapsed the pocket. Lawrence had a pass defensed and chased Justin Fields out of the pocket. Burns had at least one sack, and was regularly forcing Fields to move in the pocket. Micah McFadden had a sack, benefitting from other rushers forcing Fields to step up in the pocket — right to him.
Lawrence thinks Burns, who had 8.5 sacks in his first season with the Giants in 2024, could be headed for a big season.
“I think his game is unlimited, honestly. He can speed rush you, he can power you, he can finesse you,” Lawrence said. “He’s got a lot, because he’s not a little guy either, so he’s got a lot to his game, and, he’s tapped in it more this training camp, and that’s good to see.”
On the negative side, undrafted free agent cornerback O’Donnell Fortune did give up a long completion on a pass from Cook. Again, I could not see the receiver as the play was on the opposite side of the field.
There were also a couple of other completions of note, especially a highlight-reel grab by rookie right end Mason Taylor of the Jets over safety Raheem Layne.
The Giants’ defense was not as good in the red zone during the final period of practice as it had been throughout the rest of the day.
- Hall victimized Bobby Okereke for a 13-yard catch-and-run from the 18-yard line.
- Fields, under pressure from Carter while rolling left on a third-and-goal at the 4-yard line, beat safety Tyler Nubin by slinging a sidearm touchdown pass to Jeremy Ruckert.
- Layne committed defensive pass interference at the goal line on a crossing route intended for wide receiver Brandon Smith. That throw, from Cook, came on a play that started at the 18-yard line.
- Belton had the best play of the period for the Giants, jumping a wide receiver screen and turning it into a loss for the Jets.
- The Giants gave up touchdowns on the final two plays of practice. Art Green was beaten for a 4-yard score by Nwangu and K’von Wallace gave up a 3-yard touchdown to Arian Smith.
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