New York Giants Offseason: Reviewing the Defensive Tackle Position
By Sean Dyer
2017 Depth Chart
Damon Harrison – 76 tackles, 1.5 sacks (signed through 2020)
Dalvin Tomlinson – 50 tackles, 1 sack (signed through 2020)
Jay Bromley – 21 tackles, 1 sack (unrestricted free agent)
Robert Thomas – 16 tackles, 0 sacks (exclusive rights free agent)
2017 Review
Damon Harrison is the greatest run defender of all time, hands down. “Snacks” is a beast in the middle of the defense and clogs up running lanes better than anyone else. He led the league in 2017 with 40 run stops.
Harrison surpassed 70 tackles and 40 run stops for the third year in a row and led the league in run-stop percentage (13.4) for the fourth time in the past five seasons, according to Pro Football Focus. PFF recognized Harrison’s run stopping ability by naming him their best run defender.
The New York Giants defense as a whole fell off in 2017 but “Snacks” continued to dominate for 16 games.
After losing Johnathan Hankins late in the offseason when he decided to sign with the Colts, Big Blue drafted Dalvin Tomlinson in the second round of the draft. Paired with Harrison in the middle of the defense, Tomlinson was also a stout run stopper.
Tomlinson was not named PFF’s best run defender but he was PFF’s highest graded rookie interior defender. For all the misses Jerry Reese had in the draft, he appears to have hit a home run with Tomlinson. “Snacks” thinks so and believes the sky is the limit for his fellow defensive tackle.
https://twitter.com/snacks/status/971119575650787334
Speaking of Reese missing in the draft, Jay Bromley was a wasted third-round pick in 2014. Bromley made four starts in 2015 but was exclusively a reserve after that and recorded just two sacks in four seasons. He recorded 21 tackles this past season (second-most in his career) but his impact was minimal aside from giving Harrison and Tomlinson a breather.
Robert Thomas also made a minimal impact on the Giants 2017 season. He’s a thick nose tackle-type who’s flashed pass rushing ability in the past. With Harrison and Tomlinson playing so well, Thomas was a serviceable backup.