Damontre Moore has a perfect opportunity to shine

Typically, when a team is bad, the younger players get more playing time down the stretch. Second-year defensive end Damontre Moore is a perfect example, as he could be the beneficiary from recent injuries to the New York Giants’ defensive line.

Earlier this week the G-Men placed defensive linemen Mathias Kiwanuka and Robert Ayers on season ending injury reserve, according to ESPN.

Taken in the third round of the 2013 draft, Moore has raw athletic ability, and he is a player that can provide speed of the edge. He has a high motor, and he had a forced fumble and a blocked punt in his rookie year.

I’ve been very high on Moore, and I think he can eventually blossom into an every-down kind of player. Moore’s best asset is his versatility and he has a chance to solidify himself as a legitimate pass-rusher.

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In last Sunday’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Moore saw the most playing time of his entire career. Moore played 43 snaps, had two batted passes, a tackle and a quarterback hit and hurry, per Profootballfocus.com.

In the eyes of many, Moore’s extended playing-time was long overdue. Head coach Tom Coughlin even admitted the young defensive end should’ve seen more action, particularly in the loss to Dallas.

“Young Damontre, everybody wants him in the ball game, he did have some success the other day (the week 10 loss to Dallas) with a sack,” Coughlin said. “He should have been playing a little more.” Despite having raw talent, Coughlin outlined the caveat with Moore. “There are times, to be honest with you, during the week when you talk about confidence level, whether it’s assignment football or whatever, for whatever reason, it hasn’t been something that we thought [Moore] knows exactly what he’s doing and so on and so forth.”

Well, ready-or-not, the Giants have no choice but to start Moore at defensive end opposite of Jason Pierre-Paul. Despite Moore’s obvious inexperience, I think the duo compliment each other well, as JPP has evolved into more of a run-stopping end, while Moore can be a presence off of the edge. The duo is not going to be Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora, but the two young players could very well generate some sacks in the remaining four games.

And even if the man nicknamed “DaMonster” is still a little green, what do the Giants have to lose? At 3-9, the absolute best case-scenario is 7-9, so why not see what young players you have on the roster? Moore shouldn’t be the only Giant to see more playing time. Let rookie Nat Berhe see the field, throw Jay Bromley too. Rookie linebacker Devon Kennard has played well, and he could be a starter in the future.

This is a defense that has been devoid of a consistent pass-rusher all season. Moore has three career sacks (all this year), though he has yet to start a game at the professional level. Originally considered a first-round pick, the former Texas A&M Aggie had a porous combine outing, which contributed to him falling to the third round.

I’ve talked extensively about how the rest of the season will be the “Odell Beckham Show,” but Moore has a similar chance to show his worth to the Giants organization. I wouldn’t be surprised if Moore had some success in the final four games. At the very least, the Giants will know whether or not Damontre Moore has the potential to be the player they envisioned he could become when they took him in the draft.

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