Giants Coach Heading to AFC East Team for 2024 Season
By Jovan Alford
The New York Giants will have to make some more changes to their defensive coaching staff this offseason.
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reported Sunday that the New England Patriots are hiring Drew Wilkins as their outside linebackers coach. Wilkins spent the last two seasons as the Giants’ outside linebackers coach.
The Patriots are hiring Drew Wilkins as their OLBs coach, per source (@RapSheet first). He spent the past two years with the Giants in the same role.
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) February 11, 2024
Wilkins played a significant role in New York’s defensive game planning over the last couple of years as he helped design blitzes and third-down packages in Wink Martindale’s scheme. The Giants were ranked ninth in third-down conversations (37%), second in blitzes per dropback (45.4%), and seventh in QB hurries per dropback (8.8%).
With former defensive coordinator Wink Martindale at the University of Michigan and Wilkins going to New England, it will be interesting to see if the Giants can continue to bring pressure under new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen.
Second-year outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux went off this season in the Big Apple, as he recorded 50 combined tackles, 16 quarterback hits, 12 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles. The Giants will miss Wilkins’ presence as they transition to a new defense under Bowen in 2024.
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