00:06The Giants defense hired the play caller that can unlock its defensive personnel,
00:12especially in the secondary. That's only the spring and we're going into the summer,
00:17but the Giants defense has looked completely different than what they
00:21looked like at this point last season. And that may not be saying much to a lot
00:26because, come on, pads aren't even on yet. But if you went to any of the OTA or even minicamp
00:32practices,
00:33then you saw firsthand that the DBs looked better than this time last year.
00:39With new defensive coordinator Denard Wilson calling the plays and the shots,
00:44there's an expectation within the building and a hope brewing within the franchise
00:49that the 2026 Giants defense has a chance to be a top at least 10 to 15 passing defense.
00:58This is a DB coach by trade running the defense. Nine seasons coaching defensive backs with the Rams,
01:05Jets, Eagles and Ravens before coming the defensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans in 2024.
01:12He's bringing the whole Baltimore 2.0 system to New York to get the most out of a Giants defense
01:19that,
01:20let's be honest, no disrespect, had no real identity in 2025 and they couldn't close games out to save their
01:26lives.
01:27It's a system that he's built on disguised coverages and simulated pressures. He's wired to develop the
01:35back end, not just scheme arrived. And he's had success doing it. In 2024 with the Titans as DC,
01:43they were second in the NFL in pass defense, only giving up a buck 77.3 yards a game.
01:49And they're a second in total defense, near league bests. In 2023 as the Ravens defensive coach
01:55or defensive back coach with Mike McDonald calling the plays, Baltimore ranked sixth in pass defense
02:03and safety Cal Hamilton made his first pro bowl under Denard Wilson's tutelage. In 2025, that's where
02:10we did see a drop off with the Titans, but he didn't have any real dogs on the defensive side
02:16of the
02:16football and he didn't have any personnel to really run his schemes on the back end. He has a lot
02:22more
02:22talent in the secondary here in New York than he did in Nashville. That's for sure. It's a talent that,
02:30for whatever reason, underachieved in 2025. And they'll tell you themselves. The roster on paper,
02:37it was absolutely loaded. Paulson Adebo, Javon Holland, Drew Phillips, Tyler Newbin, plus an elite
02:44front. Before the season, people were calling it one of the best defensive rosters in the league,
02:50but it still finished 30th in points and yards allowed. On top of that, and I hate to relive it
02:58with
02:58some of y'all. Five blown fourth quarter leads of 10 plus points, which was most in the NFL.
03:05Everything went wrong in 2025 for the Giants defense and management decided that it wasn't
03:11a personnel problem. And that's why they fired Shane Bowen after a two and 10 start, but that's the past.
03:19Fresh DC, fresh ideas, fresh schemes, and a new mentality heading into a season that has a lot
03:27riding on it for a lot of people. They addressed the corner position during both free agency and the
03:33draft. So even if Newsom doesn't end up as the starter, at least there's some veteran depth there.
03:40Now they got the guy that they wanted and hood in the second round, who recorded 77 total tackles,
03:47five and a half tackles for loss, three INTs, one return for a touchdown, 14 pass breakups,
03:54and two forced fumbles in just three seasons in college. But most impressively, you guys gonna love
04:01this stat. He allowed only one touchdown throughout the entire 2025 season, and quarterbacks had a low
04:08passer rating when throwing at him. Just like Newsom, if he doesn't start, which, come on now,
04:14he eventually will, he's still gonna add some sort of depth. Adarius Washington, he's a hybrid nickel
04:21safety straight from the Baltimore tree. That's even more depth and versatility. He can play the slot,
04:29he can play free safety, he can play in the box. Yes, he is coming off a torn Achilles, so
04:34it's a
04:35healthy addition, but he already knows the language of the scheme. Safety Jason Pinnock makes his return
04:42back to New York. He started 37 games for the Giants before leaving for the Bay Area. More veteran
04:48depth and familiarity. But let's talk about who's really going to benefit most with Denard Wilson
04:55calling the shots on defense. And that's safeties Javon Holland and Tyler Newbin. Two versatile
05:02safeties who are going to have to be more of an engine of a Baltimore 2.0 McDonald-style disguised
05:10defense. Now, Javon Holland, you guys know, he was paid a lot of money to be an anchor in that
05:16secondary last season, but he didn't have the stats to match the price. Same with Tyler Newbin. He took a
05:22step back in 2025 after a very promising rookie season. But in comes Denard Wilson, who's developed
05:29safeties like Cal Hamilton and knows how to get the most out of the back end. I expect a lot
05:37of
05:37production out of these, this duo, and you can see them getting more and more comfortable with this
05:43scheme day by day, practice by practice throughout spring OTAs. Paulson Adebo is another guy who's paid
05:51a lot of money in last year's free agency to be the CB1, but he didn't have the production to
05:56match
05:57the price. But I think with the way that Wilson disguises coverage and then uses his pass rush to
06:03create chaos up front, Adebo could have a breakout year and you could already see it in the spring.
06:09And the practices that I went to and saw he had a pick, ran and moved very well in coverage
06:15and
06:16finally looked comfortable and blue and he looked healthy as well. But lastly, and I know a lot of
06:23the fan base probably not trying to hear this because a lot of y'all has already given up on
06:28former
06:28first round pick, corner, Taye Banks, but the Giants didn't. And they're banking on Denard Wilson into making
06:35Banks into a weapon this season, not a liability. He's another guy that's had a pretty solid spring,
06:42creating turnovers. He ran step for step with some of the wide receivers and everybody knows
06:47the athleticism is there, but hopefully Wilson can be the defensive coordinator to unlock the dog
06:55that had 53 tackles and two INTs his rookie season like Wink Martindale. Unpredictable, aggressive,
07:04violent, suffocating. Those are my words. Those are all words Denard Wilson has used to describe his
07:11defensive mindset and philosophy and what he's going to bring to this team this year. You add the pass
07:18rush that on paper looks like a top pass rush in the NFL. This year's secondary with its personnel
07:26should be a strength on this defense and finally play up to the hype. So this off season was never
07:33about going out and finding better players for the back end. The talent was already in the building.
07:40It was about finding a coach who'd finally put them in position to step up and make some plays and
07:47most
07:47importantly close games out. A former defensive backs coach running a disguised defense that inherited a
07:56secondary that was busting coverages with pro bowl caliber pieces on the field. If you're a Giants
08:03fan, that's the unlock. That's the reason to believe.
08:10All right, and I'll have to talk to you next time.
08:10You get a little bit more iconic. This is what I get to start with.
08:11That's how I get to make a big stadium.
08:11Bye.
08:11Bye, man.
08:11Bye.
08:12Bye.
08:12B视r't.
08:12Bye.
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