Three defenders the Giants should consider targeting this offseason

The New York Giants have plenty of holes on offense to address, but their defense might only be a few pieces away from being one of the NFL's better units. With the exception of their own impending free agents, here are three defenders who the Giants should consider signing this offseason to bolster their unit.

Edge-rusher Bryce Huff

Despite OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux registering a career-high 11.5 sacks in 2023, the former first-rounder only ranked 66th in the NFL in total pressures generated (44). As a team, the Giants had the fourth-fewest sacks in the NFL this past season (34). Considering those facts, the team should acquire another threat off the edge. And if GM Joe Schoen is willing to splurge, Huff should be near the top of his target list.

The former undrafted free agent followed up a promising 2022 season with a full-blown breakout in 2023 and established himself as one of the league's top young edge-rushers. In 17 games for the Jets, Huff posted a team-leading 10 sacks, along with 10 tackles for loss and 21 QB hits. His success wasn't solely because of playing for an elite Jets defense line either, given that Huff was tied for sixth among NFL edges in pass-block win rate (22%), per ESPN Analytics. 

It's worth noting that ESPN's Rich Cimini recently suggested that Huff could be looking to sign a contract worth $20 million per year this offseason. However, Spotrac's calculated market value projects Huff's next deal will be for four years and worth roughly $36.9M. Huff will probably receive a deal that falls in the middle of these two projections, which shouldn't scare off the Giants since they're entering the offseason with $19.5M in cap space. 

Defensive tackle Grover Stewart

While defensive tackle isn't as crucial a position to fill as New York's other positional needs, it could opt to sign a suitable replacement for Leonard Williams, who was traded to Seattle in October. Stewart offers minimal help as a pass-rusher (nine career sacks in seven seasons), but he's one of the most underrated run defenders in the NFL, which the Giants would greatly benefit from acquiring.

According to Pro Football Focus' player grading system, Stewart earned the fifth-best run-defense grade among defensive tackles in 2023 (77.3). Additionally, PFF projects Stewart to sign a three-year, $33M deal with $21M guaranteed this offseason. Considering that the Giants allowed the fourth-most rushing yards per game in 2023 (132.4), Stewart may prove to be a better investment for the team than most other defensive line options. 

Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair

In light of the hiring of Shane Bowen to replace Don "Wink" Martindale as New York's defensive coordinator, it would make sense to target players familiar with the team's new scheme. Al-Shaair only worked with Bowen this past season, but the 26-year-old broke out while playing under his guidance and could be another budget-friendly option for the Giants. 

After playing behind San Francisco 49ers star linebackers Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw over his first four seasons, Al-Shaair inked a one-year prove-it deal with Tennessee last offseason. The signing worked out for both sides, as Al-Shaair took advantage of his opportunity in a full-time role. In addition to racking up 163 combined tackles, which ranked fifth in the NFL, Al-Shaair collected nine tackles for loss, six QB hits and two sacks. 

Although LB Micah McFadden made strides in his second professional season, bringing in Al-Shaair to be a starter and pairing him with Bobby Okereke would give the Giants a more formidable linebacking duo.