The Giants Are Thinking About Signing Four Pending UFA Edge Rushers
The Giants are going to need aid from free agents in order to acquire an edge rusher. Joe Schoen, the general manager, might find these four veterans to be the best choices.
Shane Bowen is the new defensive coordinator for the New York Giants, and they hope he does well.
And in order to accomplish that, he will have to receive far more from the team’s edge-rushing unit than they did the previous season.
By choosing Azeez Ojulari in the second round of the 2021 draft and Kayvon Thibodeaux in the first round of the 2022 draft, the Giants attempted to bolster this position.
The 50th overall pick in 2021, Ojuari, looked like a force in the upcoming years after having a fantastic rookie season. 8.5 sacks in his debut season and appeared to have a bright future. He’s struggled to maintain his health with the Giants, though.
With four sacks and thirteen quarterback hits on eighteen pressures in his rookie season, Thibodeaux—the fifth overall pick in 2022—had a strong showing.
With 11.5 sacks and 16 quarterback hits on 35 pressures in 2023, he had an absolute career year. But the Giants’ edge rushers had trouble applying constant pressure.
The Giants defense, which ranks 28th in the league, produced just 28.2% of pressure without blitzing. They tied for 29th place in the league with just 34 sacks overall as a squad.
When considering pressure, sacks don’t matter as much as moving a quarterback off his mark at home, and the Giants weren’t able to do that on a regular basis.
Pro Football Focus believes New York should look into bringing in some outside talent and has identified two pending free-agent pass rushers as possible fits for the Giants, even if the coaches will still work with Ojulari and Thibodeaux.
The first is the Jets’ Bryce Huff, about whom PFF said Huff adds an immediate effect on money downs for any club willing to pay a bit extra to obtain a premium designated pass rusher, a skill set both of these NFC East teams urgently need.
Huff made his debut in 2023, appearing in just 480 plays for the Jets and finishing with 10 sacks in short snap counts.
The sense is that Huff may wind up being the odd man out since the Jets have a number of edge rushers who require compensation.
Leonard Floyd, who is now with the Bills, is another guy mentioned as a possible match for the Giants.
Giants supporters should be familiar with Floyd’s name because the team was first connected to him when he was selected with the ninth overall pick by the Chicago Bears in the 2016 draft.
Floyd has always followed the money, signing with the Rams from 2020 to 2022 and the Bills last year despite the Giants’ attempts to sign him. Floyd’s age by Week 1 will be 32. Nonetheless, his sack totals have been steady.
He has had 10.5 sacks in 2020, 9.5 and 9 in 2021 and 2022, and 10.5 sacks with the Bills this past season.
Floyd’s availability is a compelling incentive to sign with him, as he hasn’t missed a game in the previous six seasons.
Denico Autry, a guy with connections to Bowen from their time together in Tennessee, is the third player PFF thinks might be a strong fit for the Giants.
After joining the NFL in 2014, Autry played for a number of clubs before settling down with the Colts in 2018.
In 2021, he signed a contract with the Titans, and it was the same year that Bowen was appointed defensive coordinator.
Autry racked up 108 tackles, 28.5 sacks, and 54 quarterback hits in his three seasons with the Titans.
Similar to Floyd, Autry is getting older—he will turn 34 in a few weeks—but he would be a great fit for the Giants if they need a seasoned player who is knowledgeable about Bowen’s scheme and can still apply pressure.
Yannick Ngakoue, who is currently with the Chicago Bears, is the last player listed by PFF. Ngakoue was linked to the Giants in the 2020 offseason, but the Jacksonville Jaguars dealt him to the Minnesota Vikings in the end.
He has since played for the Bears, Ravens, Raiders, and Colts. Ngakoue had a disappointing season with the Bears the previous year, playing in only 13 games and recording four sacks along with seven quarterback hits.
Despite having ten sacks with the Raiders in 2021 and 9.5 with the Colts in 2022, he is still a good player.
He would provide the Giants’ still-young edge-rushing group with a reliable veteran presence as he approaches 29 in a few weeks.
The Giants may select at this spot, but they should be seeking to select players for the interior defensive line, offensive line, quarterback, and receiver in order of priority.
In order to acquire a quarterback, they would probably have to give up both of their second-round picks.
Whatever strategy they choose, the Giants need output and can’t depend solely on a rookie to increase their low-pressure rate. It would be ideal to have one of these four names added to the roster.
