Matt Citak

Last offseason, the Giants made a big splash at the start of free agency with the acquisition of outside linebacker Brian Burns in a trade with the Panthers.

Burns was added to a defensive front that already consisted of Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Thibodeaux. For a good part of the season, the unit not only led the NFL in sacks, but were on pace to break the single-season sack record. Injuries derailed that chase as both Lawrence and Thibodeaux missed good chunks of the season, but the Giants' 45 sacks still finished tied for the eighth-most in the league.

The presence of those three talented pass rushers certainly wouldn't prevent the Giants from adding another early in next week's draft, as general manager Joe Schoen told the media during his pre-draft press conference.

"Everybody watched the Super Bowl, right? Philly rushed with how many, four the whole game? That's one way to do it" Schoen said. "You've got Kayvon, and you've got Burns, you've got Dex inside. It gives you a lot of options."

Schoen added: "Yeah, you can't have enough pass rushers."

While the unit got after the quarterback, the rush defense struggled and finished 27th in yards and 24th in yards per attempt allowed.

The Giants already added some players in free agency to shore up the front seven, and there may be more moves to come.

Below is a look at the state of the front seven with the draft just days away:

2024 GAME-BY-GAME STARTERS

THE NEWCOMERS

DL Chauncey Golston

Golston, 6-5 and 268 pounds, is coming off his most productive season in four years with Dallas. He played all 17 games and recorded career highs in starts (13), tackles (56), sacks (5.5), passes defensed (five), tackles for loss (five), and quarterback hits (five). Golston also recorded his first career interception in Week 12 at Washington.

Overall, Golston has nine career sacks, 17 quarterback hits, eight tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble in 64 regular-season games (16 starts). Golston also has four postseason appearances.

The Cowboys used Golston in multiple spots along their defensive front after selecting the Iowa product in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

DL Roy Robertson-Harris

Robertson-Harris, 6-foot-5 and 290 pounds, has played in 117 regular-season games with 62 starts with the Chicago Bears (2016-20), Jacksonville Jaguars (2021-24), and Seattle Seahawks (2024). The veteran defensive tackle has registered a total of 19 sacks, 27 tackles for loss, 67 quarterback hits, 14 passes defensed and 211 total tackles (122 solo) across his eight-year career.

The 31-year-old tackle has also played three games (two starts) in the playoffs and recorded one sack, five tackles for loss, two quarterback hits and two passes defensed to go with 14 total tackles (seven solo).

Prior to signing with the Bears as an undrafted free agent, Robertson-Harris played at the University of Texas-El Paso, where he was named All-C-USA Honorable Mention as a junior in 2014. He finished his collegiate career with 10.5 sacks, 26 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, nine passes defensed and 138 tackles (62 solo).

DL Jeremiah Ledbetter

After entering the NFL as a sixth-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the 30-year-old has played 53 games with five starts for the Lions (2017), Buccaneers (2018, 2020), and Jacksonville Jaguars (2022-24). Ledbetter also spent time on the practice squads of the Ravens (2019) and Cardinals (2021).

Across his six-year career, the 6-foot-3, 299-pound lineman has registered 3.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 12 quarterback hits, one fumble recovery and one pass defensed to go with his 80 total tackles (36 solo).

Ledbetter is coming off the best season of his career with the Jaguars, as he set new career-highs with two sacks and 38 total tackles, including eight tackles for loss, in 15 games.

He began his collegiate career at Hutchinson Community College, where he was named second-team NJCAA All-American as a sophomore in 2014. Ledbetter then transferred to Arkansas, where he compiled 104 tackles, including 15.0 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks, in 26 games (25 starts). He lined up at both defensive tackle and defensive end during his time with the Razorbacks.

LB Chris Board

Board, 6-2 and 240 pounds, has played in 114 regular-season games (four starts) with the Ravens (2018-21, 2024), Lions (2022), and Patriots (2023). Board has missed only two games in his seven NFL seasons and also has six postseason appearances, all with the Ravens.

During his second stint with Baltimore in 2024, Board led the Ravens with 382 plays on special teams. He is fifth in the NFL with 65 total special teams tackles since he originally entered as an undrafted free agent in 2018.

In his first season, he led the Ravens with a career-high 12 special teams tackles, the second-most by an undrafted rookie in franchise history (trailing only Bart Scott's 16 in 2002).

Board's defensive numbers include 90 tackles, 3.5 sacks, three passes defensed, nine quarterback hits, five tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.

Board was a four-time FCS national champion (2013-15 and 2017) at North Dakota State and three-time Missouri Valley Football Conference Honor Roll selection. He received the MVFC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award in 2015 and graduated with a degree in accounting and criminal justice and a minor in psychology in 2017.

LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles

Flannigan-Fowles, 6-2 and 223 pounds, played in 73 regular-season games with seven starts across five seasons with San Francisco. He spent the majority of the 2019 season on the practice squad as an undrafted rookie out of Arizona. Flannigan-Fowles has also made nine postseason appearances.

In 2024, he started a career-high three games and recorded his first interception in the season opener against the Jets.

Since 2020, Flannigan-Fowles is tied for 19th in the NFL with 37 total tackles on special teams. He was fifth in the league with 15 special teams tackles in 2022.

In 2020, he was named the recipient of the 49ers Thomas Herrion Memorial Award, which was established in 2005 by team owners Denise and John York and is presented to a rookie or first-year player who best represents the dream of Thomas Herrion. The recipient has "taken advantage of every opportunity, turned it into a positive situation and made their dream turn into a reality." The award is voted on by the coaches.

OLB Victor Dimukeje

Dimukeje, 6-foot-2 and 262 pounds, has played in 55 games with eight starts since being drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

The outside linebacker has registered 67 tackles (42 solo), four sacks, seven tackles for loss, 16 quarterback hits, two forced fumbles and one pass defensed across his first four seasons.

His best campaign came in 2023 when he played a career-high 16 games (with six starts) and recorded all four of his career sacks, along with five tackles for loss, eight quarterback hits and one forced fumble.

In addition to his snaps on defense, Dimukeje also played at least 65 percent of Arizona's special teams snaps over the last three seasons.

Prior to being drafted by the Cardinals, Dimukeje played four seasons at Duke where he finished his collegiate career with 21.5 sacks, 39 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, three passes defensed, one interception and 167 total tackles (79 solo).

As a junior in 2019, Dimukeje totaled 8.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss across 12 games on his way to being named second-team All-ACC.

THE RETURNEES

DL Dexter Lawrence

Career:92 G, 85 GS

2024 snap count:552 defense, 8 special teams

DL Rakeem Nunez-Roches

Career:133 G, 57 GS

2024 snap count:610 defense, 75 special teams

DL Elijah Chatman

Career:17 G, 3 GS

2024 snap count:423 defense, 51 special teams

DL D.J. Davidson

Career:32 G, 4 GS

2024 snap count:262 defense, 95 special teams

DL Jordon Riley

Career:21 G, 5 GS

2024 snap count:249 defense, 59 special teams

DL Elijah Garcia

Career:10 G, 3 GS

2024 snap count:143 defense, 20 special teams

DL Casey Rogers

Career:2 G

2024 snap count:33 defense, 9 special teams

DL Cory Durden

Career:8 G

2024 snap count:84 defense, 18 special teams

LB Bobby Okereke

Career:93 G, 78 GS

2024 snap count:736 defense, 55 special teams

LB Micah McFadden

Career:47 G, 35 GS

2024 snap count:670 defense, 72 special teams

LB Darius Muasau

Career:15 G, 7 GS

2024 snap count:435 defense, 248 special teams

LB Ty Summers

Career:83 G, 3 GS

2024 snap count:112 defense, 272 special teams

LB Dyontae Johnson

Career:2 G

2024 snap count:37 defense, 28 special teams

OLB Brian Burns

Career:97 G, 84 GS

2024 snap count:866 defense

OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux

Career:43 G, 43 GS

2024 snap count:594 defense

OLB Tomon Fox

Career:28 G, 1 GS

2024 snap count:207 defense, 205 special teams

THE DEPARTURES

The Giants parted ways with outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari, who started 30 of 46 games over the last four seasons. Ojulari signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as he enters his fifth NFL season. Outside linebacker Patrick Johnson, who appeared in 12 games for the Giants last season, returned to Philadelphia, where he played in 49 games over his first four seasons. Meanwhile, linebacker Matthew Adams, linebacker/safety Isaiah Simmons, and defensive lineman Armon Watts remain free agents.

THE PROSPECTS

The top five defensive tackles in the 2025 NFL Draft,according to NFL.coms Bucky Brooks:

"With the talent and depth on offer in the DT class, teams seeking disruptive interior defenders should be able to address their needs. Mason Graham is the top dog in this group due to his rugged skills as a point-of-attack weapon. A relentless pursuer with heavy hands and exceptional lower-body strength, the Michigan product is the kind of disruptor every defense seeks on the interior. Walter Nolen is a destructive force with outstanding agility, quickness and might. The Ole Miss standout can win with finesse or power as a scheme-diverse player with violent hands. Derrick Harmon flashes havoc-wreaking skills as an interior defender who can make an impact against the run and pass. As an athletic big man with a versatile game, the Oregon standout could develop into a difference-maker early in his pro career. Kenneth Grant is a monstrous interior defender with the athleticism and aggressive mentality to dominate opponents at the line of scrimmage. Though he is built like a jumbo run-stuffer, his crafty pass-rushing skills make him more than just a pocket pusher in a traditional defense. Darius Alexander is a rare find as a hefty defender with nimble feet and heavy hands. The Toledo product whips blockers with a combination of "shake and bake" and violence, making him a potential double-digit sack artist from the interior."

Brooks' top five defensive ends:

"This group is loaded with potential difference-makers. Shemar Stewart is a boom-or-bust prospect with wildly tantalizing tools as an edge defender. Though his superior traits did not produce big numbers at Texas A&M, the freak athlete could develop into a game wrecker as a pro. Nic Scourton is a disruptive force off the edge as an energetic pass rusher. The Texas A&M/Purdue product plays like a bull in a china shop, exhibiting a combination of strength and power that overwhelms blockers at the line. Landon Jackson continues to rise up the charts as evaluators gain a greater appreciation of his game as a rugged pass rusher with exceptional length and a nonstop motor. Jack Sawyer is a no-nonsense defender with a polished game that could make him an annual double-digit sack producer. The Ohio State product outworks and outlasts blockers on the edges, utilizing superb hand skills and a nonstop motor to stack wins in one-on-one matchups. Princely Umanmielen is a long, rangy pass rusher with a crafty style that creates problems off the edge. Though he lacks elite explosion, the Ole Miss standout's length and unorthodox approach make him a challenging matchup for heavy-legged blockers in space."

Brooks' top five outside linebackers:

"This year's crop of outside linebackers/designated pass rushers features several explosive sack artists with sky-high potential. Abdul Carter is the gold standard as an agile athlete with exceptional first-step quickness and closing burst. A speed-rushing phenom with outstanding balance and body control, the Penn State star has the potential to single-handedly transform a defense as a disruptive force. James Pearce Jr. is a freakish pass rusher with explosive quickness and active hands. The Tennessee standout overwhelms offensive tackles with his cat-like quickness and "shake and bake" pass-rush maneuvers. Mike Green is a productive sack artist with a polished pass-rushing plan that enables him to win utilizing various speed-rushing techniques. Whether using his quick arm-over or slick dip-and-rip maneuver to win off the edge, the Marshall product wreaks havoc on opposing blockers unable to handle his explosiveness and nonstop motor. Mykel Williams is a rugged hybrid defender with heavy hands and a power-based game. He overwhelms blockers with his violent hand-to-hand combat maneuvers on the way to chasing down quarterbacks and ball-carriers in the backfield. Donovan Ezeiruaku is an underrated pass-rushing force with outstanding quickness and burst, as well as elite production this past season. As a relentless pursuer, the Boston College star is a quarterback's biggest nightmare."

Brooks' top five linebackers:

"The evolution of the off-ball linebacker has prompted defensive coordinators to covet versatile defenders with pass-rush potential. Jalon Walker is a possible game-changer as a natural edge defender with "MIKE" linebacker skills. The Georgia standout flourishes as a designated playmaker with a versatile game that forces opponents to play "Where's Waldo?" when facing the 6-foot-1, 243-pounder. Jihaad Campbell is an active defender with effective pass-rushing skills from the line or depth. The Alabama product has a knack for creating splash plays as a "see ball, get ball" monster in an aggressive defense. Carson Schwesinger might scare some evaluators away as a potential one-year wonder, but astute scouts will rave about his production and disruption as a tackling machine. After earning a scholarship as a special teams standout, the former walk-on opened eyes in 2024 as an instinctive playmaker on the second level. Danny Stutsman is a dynamic tackling machine with a strong nose for the ball. As a sideline-to-sideline pursuer with exceptional instincts and underrated athleticism, the Oklahoma product routinely runs down ball-carriers. Barrett Carter earns high marks as a Swiss Army Knife defender with impact potential from various spots. A pass-rushing "MIKE" linebacker, the Clemson standout can affect the game from the line of scrimmage or second level as a designated playmaker in a multiple scheme."

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