EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Giants opened the 2015 season in Dallas with a defensive line consisting of an aging Cullen Jenkins, Markus Kuhn, Johnathan Hankins and Robert Ayers. Oh, how the mighty had fallen.
What was once the foundation of Super Bowl-winning teams was hardly an imposing unit. Dallas compiled well over 400 total yards that day, easily driving down the field for the game-winning score in the final minutes. Quarterback Tony Romo had so much time he needed a cot in the pocket. The Giants' defense finished 32nd in the league that year. That's dead last.
Two years later, the Giants will head back to AT&T Stadium for their season opener with a defensive line that is infinitely better. It has once again become the strength of a playoff-caliber team, further bolstered by this year's draft.
The Giants invested a lot of money and resources into making the line an asset instead of a liability. They signed defensive end Olivier Vernon ($52.5 million guaranteed) and defensive tackle Damon Harrison ($24 million guaranteed) last offseason. They re-signed defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul ($40 million guaranteed) this offseason.
As if that wasn’t enough, the Giants added second- and fifth-round picks to the mix over the weekend. Alabama defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson was the 87th overall selection, and Youngstown State defensive end Avery Moss was the 167th pick.
There also are a pair of recent third-rounders (Jay Bromley and Owa Odighizuwa) in reserve.
The Giants are banking on this group being the focal point of a defense that could be among the league’s best. They allowed the second-fewest points in 2016, in part because teams couldn’t run against a front that had Hankins and Harrison in the middle. They had two 300-plus-pound immovable forces.
“I like third-and-long,” coach Ben McAdoo said recently. “That’s a good place to start, with your defensive tackles.”
When the Giants lost Hankins to the Indianapolis Colts in free agency, they knew they didn’t want to stray from the formula that made them so dominant last season. Finding another run-stuffing tackle in either free agency or the draft was a priority.
Tomlinson (6-foot-3, 310 pounds) made perfect sense.
“Dalvin is strong,” vice president of player evaluation Marc Ross said. “He is country strong, he has jolt, he has walk-back power, he is stout at the point of attack, he has sneaky athleticism and every down he plays hard. Every down.”
The Giants were looking for a player who could complement the other high-profile names on the defensive line. They wanted someone who could provide what they called “hidden production.”
Hankins was that type of player. He was versatile and productive but he wasn’t splashy or needy, which made him an ideal contributor on one of the league’s best defensive lines.
Well, Tomlinson is the new Hankins.
“I think that is a big thing that the coaches were looking for with whoever that fourth guy was in there, because we have three studs on the defensive line, I think,” Ross said. “So the next guy, he can kind of come in there and learn from those guys and play his role. There are not a lot of big expectations, and just go play.”
Tomlinson has a strong chance to start as a rookie ahead of Bromley and Robert Thomas. He’s probably the best run defender of the bunch. The Giants also think Tomlinson can provide something on passing downs. If so, he may fully inherit Hankins' role.
“You have to stop the run up here. You have to rush the passer and you have to stop the run,” general manager Jerry Reese said. “I think he gives us a two-way guy.”
While Tomlinson will likely be thrust into a substantial role immediately, anything Moss provides his rookie season will be a bonus. Pierre-Paul and Vernon rarely come off the field. No defensive end duo played nearly as much last season before Pierre-Paul’s season was cut short by sports hernia and abdominal injuries.
Reese said he views Moss as “really a true defensive end” who is only "scratching the surface." He’ll join the defensive line mix, but his greatest chance of contributing immediately is on special teams and as an interior rusher on passing downs.
Regardless, he’s another option on what was already a good defensive line. What was likely already the strength of the team only became stronger in the draft.
The Giants continued to invest in their defensive line. And if all goes as planned, it could be among the primary reasons they’re making another long playoff run this season.
What a difference two years make.