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Giants have a major X-factor in the middle of their defense
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- Giants have a major X-factor in the middle of their defense
Giants have a major X-factor in the middle of their defense originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
John Harbaugh has been a busy guy this offseason. He has new digs in New York City. He's now heading up the New York Giants after being with the Baltimore Ravens for a whopping 18 seasons.
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He has tall tasks of trying to rebuild this team. They were 4-13 last season. So, yes, he has a big job, and he's been doing it.
While the offense usually gets all the attention in football, or at least a lot of it, the defense is just as important. Now, Harbaugh has a defensive star who could break out and have a stellar season. That would go a long way to get this team to where it needs to be.
DJ Reader could be a key piece for the Giants
Ben Solak of ESPN has released a feature with the X-factor for each NFL team going into the new season. With the Giants, he says that this is a crucial year for defensive tackle DJ Reader.
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In this piece, he notes that even with all the buzz of having Harbaugh on board, the team "failed to make a big splash along the interior defensive line. Veterans Reader and Shelby Harris are slated to start inside for Big Blue."
They also traded away elite nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II, of course. That doesn't make things easier.
But Solak has hope in Reader. Even though his numbers were down the past few seasons, he notes that he has lots of potential.
"How many snaps does Reader have in him at his age, and can he achieve more impact against the run in a new defensive system in New York?" he asks. "Without a renaissance Reader season, I'm worried that we'll see another season in which the Giants' defense is too easy to run on for its pass rush to really matter."
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