Power Rankings: Top Post-Draft Defenses (5-10)

Dec 15, 2013; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants strong safety Antrel Rolle (26) intercepts a pass intended for Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Ricardo Lockette (83) during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Seattle Seahawks defeat the New York Giants 23-0. Mandatory Credit: Jim O

New York Giants 7-9
Last Season’s Rankings: #8 Overall Defense (332.3 total yards per game allowed) #10 Passing Defense (223.3 passing yards per game allowed) #14 Rushing Defense (108.9 rushing yards per game allowed)

Last Season
After such promise going into the 2013 season, the Giants ended up losing their first six games, allowing an atrocious 34.8 points per game on defense. Despite better defensive play as the year dragged on, the Giants offense caused the Giants eventual 7-9 record. Last season, even with their horrid six games, the Giants ended up eight in total defense with 332.3 total yards given up per game. Although they did lose DE Justin Tuck to the Raiders and DT Linval Joseph to the Vikings, I expect to see giant improvements to this New York defense. This off-season the Giants added Oakland RB Rashad Jennings to the offense, which should surely give the Giants’ defense some help with time of possession issues. They’ve added some key pieces in LB Jameel McClain (52 tackles in 2013), DE Robert Ayers (29 tackles and 5.5 sacks), FS Quintin Demps (35 total tackles, four interceptions and nine passes defended) and CBs Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (31 tackles, three interceptions, and 14 passes defended) and Walter Thurmond (33 tackles, one interception and six passes defended).  With those guys and some other position players, the Giants are going to be the best defense in the NFC East.

Run Defense
While the Giants may have lost Tuck and Joseph, they still have good defensive linemen to make up for it. For instance, the Giants were able to pickup former Bronco DE Robert Ayers who sacked QBs 5.5 times for Denver in 2013. Although he doesn’t surpass Tuck’s ability, he surely is able to stop ball carriers all the while being able to get to the QB. As for other parts of the Giants 4-3 defense, the Giants do have the versatile Jason Pierre-Paul returning. Last season JPP was forced to miss some games due to injury. This season he will be bringing his pass-rushing and run-stopping abilities back to the big apple to do some damage. LB Spencer Paysinger (74 tackles) and Jon Beason (93 tackles) finish off the Giants’ line backing corps in 2014. In terms of draft picks, the Giants were able to select USC OLB Devon Kennard and Syracuse DT Jay Bromley who will most certainly bring some depth at the DT and OLB positions. While the Giants may not have the same personnel that they had last year, I believe that they can be just as or even more effective than 2013. Granted Beason comes back healthy after his foot injury, the sky is literally the limit for the Giants.

Pass Defense
Don’t get me wrong, the New York Giants pass defense saw some better days than last season, however they can make plays. Last season the Giants had three players record double-digit passes defended (SS Antrel Rolle had 12, CB Prince Amukamara had 14 and CB Trumaine McBride had 15 in 2013). As well SS Antrel Rolle intercepted opposing QBs a total of six times in 2013. Not to mention, the Giants ranked second in the NFL in tackles last season with 1,167 total tackles. In the off-season, the Giants were actually able to draft two solid players in CB Bennett Jackson out of Notre Dame and safety Nat Berhe out of San Diego State. The only problem with the Giants last season was that they allowed too many deep plays to opposing offenses. This season with the combination of Demps, Rolle, Cromartie and Amukamara in the secondary, the Giants should see substantial improvement in their passing defense.

In The End
Overall this Giants defense is a safe bet for a top-10 defense and as safe a bet as you can get in the wild NFC East. Other than Justin Tuck, the Giants have all of their pieces from 2013 and added new talent in Ayers, Demps and McClain. Their secondary is really what makes this team though. Last season it was ranked 10th in the league, expect them to be at least seventh in 2014.