The New York Giants have been lacking in the pass rush department since Jason Pierre-Paul was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2018. However, they have showed some signs of finally breaking out of their slump.
Leonard Williams has recorded 18.0 sacks over the past two seasons, while 2021 second-round pick Azeez Ojulari set the franchise rookie record for sacks (8.0) a year ago. Then, of course, there was the addition of Kayvon Thibodeaux in the 2022 NFL draft just last month.
Even with the departure of Lorenzo Carter, who came on strong to end last season, there seems to be some promise. And even some hidden gems.
Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton recently broke down the best-kept secrets on every NFL roster and when it came to the Giants, he tabbed a pass rusher. But it wasn’t Williams, Ojulari or Thibodeaux who drew the nod. Rather, it was Quincy Roche.
Clearly, the New York Giants hit on their 2021 second-round pick in Azeez Ojulari, who led the team in sacks (eight) and pressures (27) last year. But we shouldn’t overlook Quincy Roche, whom the team claimed off waivers before the start of the previous season.
Outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter missed three games between Weeks 8 and 11, and Roche took advantage of an expanded workload on the edge. The latter started in the absence of the former and logged 13 tackles, two for loss, three quarterback hits and a sack in that short stretch.
Despite Carter’s return, Roche still occasionally made impact plays at or behind the line of scrimmage and finished the campaign with 38 tackles, five for loss, 2.5 sacks and seven pressures while on the field for 42 percent of the defensive snaps.
Carter signed with the Atlanta Falcons, but the Giants selected Kayvon Thibodeaux with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 draft. Roche won’t see a significant increase in his snap count behind Ojulari and the rookie, though he can add another layer to Big Blue’s pass rush in a rotational role.
Roche, who was a sixth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021, did flash at times with the Giants. There were several instances where it appears they had found a needle in the haystack, but Roche was limited based on the rotation.
Although his role isn’t likely to increase in 2022, Roche does present a quality rotational option with some upside.
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