NFL analyst predicts New York Giants will have a top-10 defense
The question now is, what will this defense look like, and how effective will it be?
ESPN NFL studio analyst Mina Kimes believes the Giants can have a top-10 defense in 2025.
"I chose this team entirely based on the idea that the defensive line can just completely take over games and ruin the lives of quarterbacks," Kimes said on The Mina Kimes Show.
Kimes likes the synergy that the Giants hope to achieve with their secondary, which consists of high draft picks Deonte Banks, Tyler Nubin, and Dru Phillips, as well as recent free-agent pickups Jevon Holland and Paulson Adebo.
'They also added some players in the back end that I think could stabilize things with Javon Holland at safety, Paulson Adebo, Phillips is really good. I really like the combination of Javon Holland and Tyler Nubin together, because I think you can have Nubin playing closer to the box where he's better, personally," Kimes said.
The real selling point is still the defensive front seven, which features All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, edge rusher Brian Burns, and rookie linebacker Abdul Carter.
"But set that aside. This is all about the front: Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence, Abdul Carter, Kayvon Thibodeaux. Yeah, it's a nightmare," she said. "And they're deep, I like the D-Tackles they have. They drafted Darius Alexander as well, and bring in Chauncey Golston.
"Every year there's a defense where the pass rush just goes nuclear and I feel like 'why not the Giants?' Why am I crazy to have them at 10?"
She's not delusional. The Giants look scary on paper, and Kimes is not the first to let their imagination roam about what the defense can be. The addition of Carter, who the Giants plan on playing all over the field, could make them special.
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The first preseason game is always an interesting exercise to see the team's initial thought process on some new pieces, and it doesn't get much different from 2024 to 2025 than what the Bills have on the defensive line. The Bills had some very specific pairings by position without any mixing and matching through the top six at each position — all of whom have a good case to be on the team in 2025. The defensive ends began with Rousseau (left DE) and Bosa (right DE), the next pairing had Michael Hoecht (left DE) with A.J. Epenesa (right DE), and they were followed up by the younger duo of Javon Solomon (mostly left DE) and Jackson (mostly right DE). At defensive tackle, the Bills kept the obvious starting pair of Ed Oliver (three-technique) and DaQuan Jones (one-technique) together. The first substitute pair in the game was Larry Ogunjobi (mostly three-technique) with DeWayne Carter (mostly one-technique), followed by the rookie pairing of Sanders (mostly three-technique) and Walker (mostly one-technique). The defensive end rotation feels a bit more set in stone than the defensive tackle one at this point, but it's an intriguing jumping off point to the year. Advertisement Cole Bishop, Curtis Samuel get some warmup reps — Although the Bills have gone several practices without projected starting safety Cole Bishop (quad) and rotational wide receiver Curtis Samuel (hamstring), the duo took a potential step forward on Saturday. Bishop and Samuel went through warmups, which is the most on-field work they've done since their injuries occurred. While it doesn't mean they'll play against the Bears next week, it's a promising sign. Laviska Shenault, the ST chess piece? — McDermott said that the team was 'intentional' in giving Shenault as many reps as they did. The Bills had Shenault return a kickoff, return a punt, on kickoff coverage, as a gunner on punt coverage, and they even put him out wide to block the Giants' gunner on punt return. Having that many hats to wear on special teams is a potentially promising sign for him, especially if he shows some ability as a returner. Put his receiving ability in the mix for the occasional play, and that's a potentially versatile piece to keep. There's a long way to go, but that was quite the eye-opening role debut for Shenault. Bills trying to see what Lundt can do — When the Bills took offensive tackle prospect Chase Lundt in the sixth round, they were getting a player who spent almost all of his college time at right tackle, and that seemed to be a bit of the early lean for him in Bills camp. But in the first preseason game, the Bills tried to see if there was some versatility in Lundt's game. 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It still may not be a promising sign as Ulofoshio was the fourth one in with three linebackers already out, but perhaps they're trying to see the entire picture before deciding whether or not to move on at final cuts. Brad Robbins has so-so debut as punter — Saturday represented the Bills' first chance to see Robbins punting in a game situation, and after a strong punt of 43 net yards to begin his day, his next three had a net average of only 35 yards. He had another really good net punt of 57 yards near the end of the game, but it was quite an uneven showing. He averaged 4.52 seconds of hang time, along with a net yardage of 40.9 yards. For context, that net average would have been tied for 25th in the NFL last year, and ironically, tied with the Bills' 2024 punter, Sam Martin. Did not play: QB Josh Allen (rest), RB James Cook (business), WR Khalil Shakir (ankle), WR Curtis Samuel (hamstring), WR Kaden Prather (hamstring), RT Spencer Brown (back), OL Alec Anderson (knee), OL Sedrick Van Pran-Granger (calf), OL Tylan Grable (concussion), LB Terrel Bernard (hamstring), LB Dorian Williams (calf), LB Shaq Thompson (hamstring), CB Maxwell Hairston (knee), S Cole Bishop (quad), S Taylor Rapp (knee), K Tyler Bass (pelvis). (Top photo of Joey Bosa: Tina MacIntyre-Yee / USA Today) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
