Patrick Graham is in his second season as the Giants' defensive coordinator/assistant head coach. Graham was the team's defensive line coach in 2016-17.
Graham has 12 years of NFL coaching experience with four teams. He has coached in the playoffs in eight of those seasons and has been part of teams that have won seven division titles, two conference championships and one Super Bowl (XLIX).
The Giants' defense improved significantly in Graham's debut season as coordinator. The unit ranked ninth by allowing 357 points, 94 fewer than their total in 2019.
The defense was 12th in the NFL by allowing 349.3 yards-per-game after finishing 27th at 377.3 yards the previous season. It was their best defensive finish since 2016, when they were 10th in the league by allowing 339.7 yards a game. Giants opponents averaged just 5.3 yards a play, the NFL's ninth-lowest figure.
One year after placing 20th in the NFL, the rushing defense ranked 10th, allowing 111.4 yards a game. That was also their best figure since 2016 (when they were tied for third at 88.6 rushing yards a game). The pass defense jumped from 28th in the league in 2019 to a tie for 16th by giving up 237.9 yards game, the team's lowest figure since 2013, when the Giants allowed 223.3 yards a game through the air and were 10th in the league.
In 2020, the Giants recorded 40 sacks of opposing quarterbacks, their highest total since they had 47 in 2014 and four more than they had in 2019. Leonard Williams led the team with 11.5 sacks, the most by a Giants' player since Jason Pierre-Paul's 14.5 in 2014.
Inside linebacker Blake Martinez, Pro Bowl cornerback James Bradberry and safety Logan Ryan were veterans who excelled in their first season in Graham's defense. Martinez led the Giants and was third in the NFL with 151 tackles (86 solo). Bradberry started all 15 games in which he played, led the team with three interceptions and was one of three players tied for second in the NFL with 18 passes defensed. Bradberry, who was often assigned to cover the opposition's best wide receiver, finished with 53 tackles (43 solo), two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Ryan, a cornerback most of his career, started 13 games at safety and finished second on the team with 92 tackles (67 solo), 1.0 sack, one interception, nine passes defensed, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Graham was the Miami Dolphins' defensive coordinator in 2019. He led a unit that had a constantly evolving cast of players because of roster transactions and injuries. The secondary's best player, former first-round draft choice Minkah Fitzpatrick, was traded to Pittsburgh on Sept. 17. Cornerback Xavien Howard played in five games before going on injured reserve with a knee injury. Safeties Reshad Jones, a two-time Pro Bowler, and Bobby McCain appeared in four and nine games, respectively, before they were placed on I.R. on the same day.
Despite the changes, the defense helped Miami win five of its last nine games after an 0-7 start. In the season finale on Dec. 29, the Dolphins earned a 27-24 victory at New England that cost the Patriots – who won the first meeting 43-0 - a first-round bye. Graham's defense limited the Pats to 352 yards, 18 first downs and three third-down conversions.
Prior to joining the Dolphins, Graham spent the 2018 season as the Green Bay Packers' inside linebackers coach and defensive run game coordinator. Under his tutelage, Martinez totaled 144 tackles (91 solo) and a career-high 5.0 sacks. Green Bay's defense limited opponents to 4.3 yards per rush, which was 13th in the league.
In his second season with the Giants in 2017, Graham helped Pierre-Paul lead the team with 8.5 sacks and Damon Harrison posted 76 tackles, which led all NFL defensive tackles.
The previous year, Graham's unit was instrumental in the Giants' defense becoming the most improved in the NFL. The team allowed 158 fewer points and 1,290 fewer yards than it did in 2015. Their 17.8 points per game allowed was second in the NFL and the team's best since 2002.
Graham began his NFL coaching career in New England, where he spent seven seasons with the Patriots (2009-15). He was a coaching assistant in 2009 before being promoted to defensive assistant in 2010 and linebackers coach in 2011. Graham moved to defensive line from 2012-13 before returning to the linebackers in 2014-15.
During his tenure with New England, the Patriots won the AFC East title all seven seasons, the conference championship twice and Super Bowl XLIX. In his five years as a position coach (2011-15), New England led the NFL in takeaways (150) and was tied for fourth in sacks (214).
In 2015, Graham's linebacker unit helped the team finish ninth in total yards allowed (339.4) and 10th in points allowed (19.7). Jamie Collins tied a Patriots record with five forced fumbles, earned the first Pro Bowl selection of his career and was named second-team All-Pro.
The 2014 Patriots finished their season with a Super Bowl victory against Seattle. Graham's linebackers helped the team's defense rank eighth in the league in points allowed (19.6) and ninth in rushing yards allowed (104.3) despite Jerod Mayo and Dont'a Hightower missing 14 games combined due to injury. Collins led the team with 115 tackles (74 solo) and also totaled four sacks and four forced fumbles.
Graham worked with the Patriots defensive line for the second straight year in 2013. Though nose tackle Vince Wilfork was lost for the season in Week 4, New England's defense finished fifth in the league in sacks (48) and 10th in points allowed (21.1). The team's five top sack totals all came from defensive linemen, topped by defensive end Chandler Jones (11.5).
In 2012, Graham helped Wilfork earn first-team All-Pro honors and a fifth Pro Bowl selection. Wilfork totaled 59 tackles (41 solo) with three sacks, two forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries. Rob Ninkovich transitioned from linebacker to defensive end and totaled eight sacks.
Graham's first season as a position coach was in 2011 with the linebackers. New England was 13-3 and AFC champions and Mayo led the team with 103 tackles (97 solo) and became the first Patriots player to total 100-plus tackles in each of his first four seasons.
Graham spent the 2010 season as a defensive assistant with the Patriots, who finished second in the NFL with 38 takeaways and eighth in points allowed (19.6). He began his NFL coaching career in 2009 as a coaching assistant with New England.
Graham joined New England following two seasons (2007-08) as a graduate assistant at Notre Dame, where he worked with the defense. He spent three seasons (2004-06) as an assistant coach at Richmond, mentoring tight ends from 2005-06 and the defensive line in 2004.
Graham began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Wagner (2002-03), while he pursued an MBA with a concentration in finance. He coached the junior-varsity team to an undefeated season and also served as strength and conditioning coach and academic coordinator.
Graham played collegiately at Yale, where he was a defensive lineman for the 1999 team that shared an Ivy League title with Brown. He earned his bachelor's degree in sociology with a concentration in economics and African American studies.
A native of Waterbury, Conn. (born in Des Plaines, Ill.), Graham and his wife, Pamela, have two children, Morgan and Silas.
2002-03 Wagner College graduate assistant
2004 University of Richmond assistant defensive line
2005-06 University of Richmond tight ends
2007-08 University of Notre Dame graduate assistant
2009 New England Patriots coaching assistant
2010 New England Patriots defensive assistant
2011 New England Patriots linebackers
2012-13 New England Patriots defensive line
2014-15 New England Patriots linebackers
2016-17 New York Giants defensive line
2018 Green Bay Packers inside linebackers/defensive run game coordinator
2019 Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator
2020-21 New York Giants defensive coordinator/assistant head coach
