The New York Giants need a pass rush. As of right now the entire defensive end rotation is in flux, with Jason Pierre-Paul and Robert Ayers free agents, Owa Odighizuwa coming off of a lost year due to injury and other spare parts that factored in, like Kerry Wynn and George Selvie nothing more than spare rotation parts. The Giants will need to invest heavily in the position this offseason.
Both Ayers and Pierre-Paul should be brought back. Ayers led the team with 9.5 sacks last season in just 12 games, while JPP was far from his usual self after missing most of the year recovering from hand surgeries for injuries suffered in a fireworks accident. However, when Pierre-Paul did come back he did boost the pass rush, even if his sack numbers (just one) don’t reflect that.
Odighizuwa was a raw talent when the Giants drafted him. He has a lot of upside, but missing a year as he did last season didn’t help him or the Giant. He can’t be counted on to be a major contributor at this juncture.
The Giants will need to use their first-round pick, No. 10 overall, on a defensive end. Free agency has few pass rushers, Ayers and Pierre-Paul included. The best options at this point for the Giants would be to re-sign Ayers and Pierre-Paul and draft a defensive end, such as someone like Shaq Lawson who can make an impact right away.
Pierre-Paul could play next season without the club that seemed to inhibit his ability to make plays at times. He had another surgery on his hand to fix his middle finger, and if all goes well he could show up to camp without his club. That would be huge and certainly his progress will have an impact on negotiations.
Vinny Curry would have been an interesting option, but he signed a large contract to return to the Philadelphia Eagles who are switching to a 4-3 under new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. Curry’s contract might mean players like Ayers and Pierre-Paul will be commanding a hefty price tag themselves. The Giants need both back but can’t get insane when it comes to contracts given that they have 29 free agents of all types, including 20 unrestricted. They will need every bit of their cap room in order to not only restock the roster but do so with talent that is a clear upgrade.
