New York Giants Offseason: Reviewing the Linebacker Position

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PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 02: Linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

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NFL Draft: Harold Landry, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Lorenzo Carter, Malik Jefferson, Uchenna Nwosu, Shaquem Griffin

The addition of Alec Ogletree likely eliminated Roquan Smith, Tremaine Edmunds, and Rashaan Evans as draft options for the New York Giants. However, there are plenty of talented draft prospects who should be on Big Blue’s radar.

Harold Landry is one of the best pass rushers in this year’s class. I selected him in my most recent Giants mock draft and would love if that projection came true. He has great quickness and constantly gets to the quarterback. Lining him up at outside linebacker and letting him rush the passer along with Olivier Vernon and Jason Pierre-Paul would be trouble for opposing offenses.

Ogbonnia Okoronkwo is also a good pass rusher. He’s undersized to play defensive end in the NFL but his length would make him a solid outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. His high motor and speed would help disrupt opposing quarterbacks.

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Lorenzo Carter was an NFL Combine standout as he put his athleticism on display. Carter was a 5-star recruit out of high school who never really put it all together at Georgia. He has the speed and flexibility to get after the quarterback and is also solid against the run. James Bettcher could be the defensive coordinator to get the most out of Carter.

Malik Jefferson is super athletic and flies around the field. He has a ton of potential but also hasn’t completely lived up to it. Ogletree may knock Jefferson off the Giants draft board, but the blitz-happy Bettcher could turn Jefferson into a stud.

Uchenna Nwosu can do a little bit of everything but is at his best when rushing the passer. Nwosu has a good combination of speed and strength as well as an array of pass rush moves despite being relatively new to football. He would be a perfect fit as an outside linebacker in Bettcher’s system and could even log some snaps at inside linebacker.

Perhaps the biggest winner of the NFL Combine was Shaquem Griffin. The one-handed wonder dazzled fans and scouts with 20 reps on the bench press with a prosthetic hand and a 4.38 40-yard dash, the fastest ever by a linebacker. Griffin was at his best when rushing the passer in college, which could make him a fit in Bettcher’s system. Griffin is undersized to play outside linebacker in the NFL but could play inside linebacker on passing downs and get after opposing quarterbacks.

Next: New York Giants Offseason: Reviewing the Defensive Tackles

The New York Giants’ urgency to improve their linebackers decreased when they acquired Alec Ogletree. The former first-round pick puts Big Blue in much better shape, however, there is still work to be done.

The transition to James Bettcher’s 3-4 defense requires pass-rushing outside linebackers. Olivier Vernon and Jason Pierre-Paul could end up fulfilling those roles, but with a majority of the Giants’ linebackers hitting free agency, there will be new names coming in.

Dave Gettleman seems to be putting an emphasis on improved linebacker play, which Jerry Reese refused to do during his Giants tenure. This is a position to watch this offseason.

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