As part of The Post’s 2021 NFL Draft preview, we examine what the Giants might do at each position. Tuesday: Edge rusher.
Somehow, the Giants produced 40 sacks on defense in 2020. That was mainly based on the ingenuity of defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and Leonard Williams notching a career-high 11.5 sacks as a defensive tackle. The edge rushers on the roster did not contribute much here. Kyler Fackrell led the way with four sacks and he will not be back (he signed with the Chargers). All of the returning edge rushers combined for just 2.5 sacks, making this an area of extreme need.
The Giants hope Lorenzo Carter (one sack) and Oshane Ximines (no sacks), both coming off injury-filled seasons, have recovered and can apply pressure on the quarterback. This is a hope and cannot be considered anything more than that. The coaching staff feels Cam Brown has potential as a pass rusher as does Carter Coughlin, both members of the 2020 draft class.
A strong case can be made there is a desperate need for an edge rusher in the first round. This is not a strong draft class for edge rushers, though, as some scouts do not have a prototypical edge rusher in the top 20-25 prospects. It would be considered a reach for the Giants at No. 11 to go with Kwity Paye (Michigan), Jaelan Phillips (Miami), Jayson Oweh (Penn State), Carlos Basham Jr. (Wake Forest) or Gregory Rousseau (Miami). Georgia linebacker Azeez Ojulari has pass-rush potential. Figure the Giants trade down or wait to try to fill this need on the second day of the draft, as there will be intriguing pass rushers (all have some warts) to take a shot on, especially in the second round.
