Home NFLNFC EastNew York Giants A matter of Safety

A matter of Safety

by Christopher DuVall
Safety D Thompson NY-twitter
Safety D Thompson NY-twitter

Safety D Thompson NY-twitter

In 2015, the New York Giants ranked 6th in offensive scoring, with Eli Manning under center. With such a prolific offensive attack, one would think Big Blue would be a playoff contender. Not so. New York finished in third place in the NFC East with a dismal 6-10 record.

 

Blame Game…

The culprit? The Giants’ defense was a shell of its former self. Although the pass rush was cause for concern, the Achilles heel of the team is the secondary. Early on, New York’s inexperienced safeties were plagued with injuries.  As a result, the team finished the season ranked 32nd in pass defense. While the Giants added six players this off-season to upgrade the defense, uncertainty at safety will continue into the 2016 season.

 

Next Man UP

Due to the outbreak of injuries, New York had little choice but to start 6-0, 220lb rookie, Landon Collins. The former Crimson Tide star became the first rookie safety to start all 16 games in Giants’ history. Landon had mixed results with 84-tackles, 9-passes defensed and one interception at free safety. The most notable mistake came in week 10 against the New England Patriots, when Collins dropped a game winning interception late in the fourth quarter. The Giants went on to lose the game 26-27. Overall, Collins showed potential, and should get better, as he is slated to return to his natural position of Strong Safety in 2016. With just one year under his belt, the 22-year-old Collins is the “seasoned veteran” among five other safeties on the roster.

 

Promising Rook needs a deeper look

Defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo is searching for a starter on the back end of the defense, among second-year players: Mykkele Thompson, Nat Berhe, Bennett Jackson, Cooper Taylor and rookie Darian Thompson. The most intriguing candidate is rookie Darian Thompson out of Boise State. Thompson was selected in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft to add depth and strengthen the secondary, but the 6-1, 213 lb former Bronco is quickly becoming a favorite to start at free safety. The description being used to describe the Mountain West all-time interceptions leader at (OTAs)  is “ball hawk”.

 

Will he be enough?

Thompson is said to be absorbing the playbook and grasping the defense with unusual confidence. Head Coach Ben McAdoo  said that Thompson is “making the most of his opportunities” with the starting defense. He has the best pedigree of any of the safeties in the competition. Additionally, he is the highest draft pick among a group that has little to no experience at the pro level. Although Collins and Thompson show promise, the question of whether this unit will do enough to close the gap in the passing game remains to be seen.

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Christopher DuVall is a writer for the Couch Rider Report. Follow him on Facebook.

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