It is clear from the way new Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale put together his units with the Ravens that he requires a large body in the middle of his three-man defensive line to serve primarily as a run-stuffer. The Giants added a big body on Saturday in the fifth round of the NFL Draft, taking D.J. Davidson from Arizona State with pick No. 147.
The 6-foot-3, 327-pound Davidson started three years in Tempe and is a two-gap defender who will do his best work against the run and will not offer much as a pass rusher. He had 57 tackles, including 6 1/2 tackles for loss, in 2021.
The Giants signed one of Martindale’s former players in Baltimore, Justin Ellis, as a defensive tackle. The 334-pound Ellis, an eight-year veteran, is expected to start.
Austin Johnson, the starter in the middle for all 17 games last season, was not re-signed in free agency and was picked up by the Chargers. Depending on what Martindale wants to do up front, there is a chance Dexter Lawrence could move inside from defensive end on the three-man line to play nose tackle. The Giants have picked up Lawrence’s fifth-year option for 2023.