New York Giants Offseason: Reviewing the Defensive Tackle Position
By Sean Dyer
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NFL Draft: Maurice Hurst
Because of the transition to a 3-4 defense, the New York Giants really only have one starting defensive tackle spot. Damon Harrison has that locked down and if anything were to happen to him, Dalvin Tomlinson would be ready to step in.
Basically, any additions the Giants make to their defensive line this offseason will be players who can play the five-technique defensive end position. If they invest significant resources into adding five-techniques, we can expect Olivier Vernon and Jason Pierre-Paul to move to outside linebacker.
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When reviewing the defensive ends yesterday, we talked about a bunch of draft prospects who could play the five-technique for Big Blue, most notably Harrison Phillips. The Giants won’t be drafting another nose tackle, so this section of our defensive tackle review would have many of the same players as our defensive end review.
We didn’t mention the top defensive line prospects yesterday because Vita Vea, Taven Bryan, and Da’Ron Payne aren’t worthy of the No. 2 overall pick and likely won’t be available in the second round, taking them off of New York’s radar.
One talented prospect who could slide to the second round is Maurice Hurst. Hurst was widely considered a first-round prospect but had to skip the NFL Combine because of a heart condition. An irregular EKG during his physical prevented doctors from clearing him to work out.
Hurst said he had a similar issue at Michigan but was eventually cleared to play and hopes the issue will again be resolved in a similar fashion.
However, if his heart condition scares enough teams off, Hurst could fall to pick No. 34 where the Giants could come away with a steal. Like with Phillips, Hurst joining Harrison, Tomlinson, Vernon, and Pierre-Paul along the defensive front could be dangerous for opposing blockers.
Next: New York Giants Offseason: Reviewing the Defensive Ends
As the New York Giants undergo changes with their defensive line personnel, one thing is for sure; they have the best run stuffer in the NFL. Damon Harrison and Dalvin Tomlinson solidify the middle of Big Blue’s defense for the foreseeable future. The Giants will likely look to add a five-technique defensive end during the offseason but this is not one of their most pressing needs.