Giants.com is counting down to the start of 2024 Giants Training Camp with 24 questions in 24 days.
7) What is the biggest area the Giants need to improve on defense?
Matt Citak: Over the last three seasons, the Giants have allowed an average of 132.4, 144.2 and 129.0 rushing yards per game. All three of these marks led to the Giants finishing in the bottom eight in the NFL, including bottom five in each of the last two years. Stopping the run was the biggest strength of the Titans defense while Shane Bowen was coordinator there, so I do expect that area to improve drastically. That is why I'm going with the pass rush as the biggest area the Giants need to improve on defense this season.
The Giants had a pass blitz rate of 54.2 percent last season, according to Pro Football Focus, which was the second-highest blitz rate in the NFL. Despite this fact, the Giants still managed to record just 34 sacks on the year, which tied with the New Orleans Saints for the fifth-fewest in the league. As we've discussed at length over the last few months, Bowen's defensive scheme will look a lot different from what the Giants have been running the last few years. During the three seasons he ran Tennessee's defense, his unit ranked 31st (16.2 percent), 30th (15.7 percent) and 24th (20.4 percent) in blitz rate across the league. Of course, this means that the pass rush relies heavily on the front four to succeed in getting after the quarterback, which likely played a significant role in the Giants' trading for outside linebacker Brian Burns.
The unit's front four now includes Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Dexter Lawrence, which has to be up there among the NFL's best pass-rushing trios heading into the 2024 campaign. The group registered 148 total quarterback pressures between the three of them last year, according to PFF. Based on the draft capital surrendered in order to acquire Burns, along with the accompanying contract extension he received, it seems clear that GM Joe Schoen also came to the conclusion that the pass rush needed a big boost.
View photos of the New York Giants' 2024 active roster as it currently stands.


ILB Matthew Adams

CB Deonte Banks

TE Daniel Bellinger

S Dane Belton

QB Tim Boyle

OLB Brian Burns

DL Elijah Chatman

QB Tommy DeVito

TE Greg Dulcich

DT Cory Durden

OT Jermaine Eluemunor

OL Joshua Ezeudu

CB Cor'Dale Flott

OLB Tomon Fox

WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton

K Graham Gano

DL Elijah Garcia

P Jamie Gillan (6)

RB Eric Gray

CB Art Green

OT Chris Hubbard

WR Jalin Hyatt

CB Adoree' Jackson

S Anthony Johnson Jr.

ILB Dyontae Johnson

LS Casey Kreiter

G Jake Kubas

QB Drew Lock

TE Chris Manhertz

LB Micah McFadden

RB Dante Miller

ILB Darius Muasau

WR Malik Nabers

T Evan Neal

DL Rakeem Nuñez-Roches

CB Dru Phillips

S Jason Pinnock

DL Jordon Riley

WR Wan'Dale Robinson

C Austin Schlottmann

C John Michael Schmitz Jr.

S/LB Isaiah Simmons

RB Devin Singletary

WR Darius Slayton

WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette

G Aaron Stinnie

CB Greg Stroman

LB Ty Summers

OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux

RB Tyrone Tracy

G Greg Van Roten

DB Dee Williams

CB Divaad Wilson
Previous Questions
Get excited for the 2024 season with photos from Media Day at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.

DL Dexter Lawrence II (97), ILB Bobby Okereke (58)


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WR Malik Nabers (9)

OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5)

ILB Bobby Okereke (58), CB Deonte Banks (3)

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DL Dexter Lawrence II (97)

RB Devin Singletary (26)

WR Darius Slayton (86)

WR Jalin Hyatt (13)

CB Deonte Banks (3)

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S Jason Pinnock (27)

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WR Darius Slayton (86)

WR Jalin Hyatt (13)

DL Dexter Lawrence II (97)

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WR Jalin Hyatt (13)

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WR Isaiah Hodgins (18)

WR Isaiah Hodgins (18)

WR Isaiah Hodgins (18)




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DL Dexter Lawrence II (97), ILB Bobby Okereke (58)

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CB Deonte Banks (3)

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WR Wan'Dale Robinson (17)

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WR Wan'Dale Robinson (17)

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DL Dexter Lawrence II (97)

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RB Devin Singletary (26)

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RB Devin Singletary (26)

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DT Jordon Riley (95)

ILB Darius Muasau (53)

WR Jalin Hyatt (13)

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WR Malik Nabers (9)

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S Tyler Nubin (31)

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S Tyler Nubin (31)

S Tyler Nubin (31)

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CB Deonte Banks (3)

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QB Daniel Jones (8)

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CB Cor'Dale Flott (28)

QB Drew Lock (2)

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CB Cor'Dale Flott (28)

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S Jason Pinnock (27)

S Jason Pinnock (27)

S Jason Pinnock (27)

OLB Boogie Basham (55)

S Jason Pinnock (27)

OLB Boogie Basham (55)

OLB Boogie Basham (55)

WR Darius Slayton (86)

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OLB Boogie Basham (55)

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WR Darius Slayton (86)

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OLB Brian Burns (0)

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CB Dru Phillips (22)

Jimmy Morrissey (67)

WR Dennis Houston (88)

DL D.J. Davidson (98)

ILB Micah McFadden (41)

P Jamie Gillan (6)

P Jamie Gillan (6)

T Andrew Thomas (78)

DL Ryder Anderson (90)

DL D.J. Davidson (98)

T Andrew Thomas (78)

G Aaron Stinnie (64)

C John Michael Schmitz Jr. (61)

G/C Austin Schlottmann (65)

ILB Carter Coughlin (52)

DT Jordon Riley (95)

ILB Darrian Beavers (43)

DT Jordon Riley (95)

C John Michael Schmitz Jr. (61)

ILB Carter Coughlin (52)

ILB Darrian Beavers (43)

WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton (6)

ILB Darrian Beavers (43)

T Andrew Thomas (78)

S Dane Belton (24)

RB Eric Gray (20)

TE Lawrence Cager (83)

TE Daniel Bellinger (82)

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WR Dennis Houston (88)

TE Lawrence Cager (83)

RB Eric Gray (20)

WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton (6)

RB Eric Gray (20)

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WR Isaiah Hodgins (18)

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CB Nick McCloud (44)

S Dane Belton (24)

WR Isaiah Hodgins (18)

OLB Boogie Basham (55)

TE Daniel Bellinger (82)

Nathan Rourke (3)

G Aaron Stinnie (64)

K Graham Gano (9)

OLB Boogie Basham (55)

S Jason Pinnock (27)

WR Miles Boykin (81)

Elijah Riley (34)

OL Marcus McKethan (60)

TE Chris Manhertz (85)

WR John Jiles (0)

WR Malik Nabers (9)

CB Dru Phillips (22)

RB Devin Singletary (26)

T Evan Neal (73)

TE Theo Johnson (47)

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WR Wan'Dale Robinson (17)

G Jon Runyan (76)

WR Darius Slayton (86)

WR Ayir Asante (19)

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Elijah Chatman (94)

WR Jalin Hyatt (13)

RB Dante Miller (25)

Jake Kubas (63)

DB Jalen Mills (21)

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DL Dexter Lawrence II (97)

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