The Giants’ protection wants accountability and perspective.
Former Large Jihad Ward, who performed 67% of the Tennessee Titans’ defensive snaps underneath coordinator Dennard Wilson this season, stated that’s precisely what New York is getting in John Harbaugh’s new defensive coordinator.
Ward known as Wilson, 43, a “great coach” and stated gamers like taking part in for Wilson as a result of they know their success is what motivates him.
“He just wants you to ball!” Ward stated.
The Giants‘ storied custom and 4 Tremendous Bowls have been constructed on hardnosed protection, physicality, toughness and relentless play.
Ward arrived with coordinator Wink Martindale in 2022 and helped instill a lunch pail high quality into the entrance of an aggressive Giants protection, which galvanized the workforce to its lone postseason berth since 2016 and its solely playoff win since 2011.
And now Ward stated the Giants are getting a “great coach” who “knows ball” in Wilson.
That is an thrilling overview from Ward as a result of he doesn’t play video games or converse in cliches or faux to love coaches he doesn’t. If one thing is on Ward’s thoughts, he’ll say it.
The Giants already tried to rent Wilson as soon as in 2024 after Martindale resigned, however Wilson noticed that the shelf lifetime of Brian Daboll regime may very well be short-lived and needed the chance to rent his personal employees moderately than inheriting another person’s.
He has had a formidable run just lately.
He coached Jonathan Gannon’s Philadelphia defensive backs when the Eagles went to the Tremendous Bowl in 2022. He coached Harbaugh’s and Mike MacDonald’s Baltimore defensive backs when the Ravens went to the AFC Championship in 2023.
He instantly had the 2024 Titans protection, in his first season as defensive coordinator, ranked second within the NFL in yards allowed (311.2) to solely the Tremendous Bowl champion Eagles.
He counts longtime NFL defensive coordinator Gregg Williams as a serious affect and coaches his defensive backs — and his protection — to play an in-your-face fashion of ball.
“From day one, it’s ‘We press everything,’ period,” Wilson stated in a single interview because the Titans’ coordinator. “I want them to be in front of receivers and challenge receivers. In this game, if you give free access, it’s easy for quarterbacks to complete balls.”
That doesn’t assure a ton of man-to-man protection.
The Titans performed 74.8% zone protection in 2024 and 78.2% zone in 2025, more and more larger than the league common of 72.2% zone protection throughout these two seasons, per NFL NextGen Stats.
Wilson additionally doesn’t blitz always.
The Titans blitzed 24.9% of the time in 2024 and 23.8% of the time in 2025, each decrease than the 28.4% league common.
Nonetheless, Ward stated Wilson is “creative” schematically. He blitzes when crucial. And what Giants followers ought to love to listen to is that the perspective Wilson encourages ought to present up in New York’s run protection.
Former Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen’s protection allowed 4.6 yards per carry in 2024, tied for twenty third within the NFL, after which slid to useless final, thirty second within the NFL, at 5.3 yards per carry allowed this season.
Wilson’s Titans allowed 4.5 yards per carry, tied for 18th, in 2024. Then they improved to 4.3 yards per carry allowed this season, tied for fifteenth within the NFL.
So whereas it’s clearly wise for Harbaugh to rent a coach who has labored for him earlier than, that’s not what makes Wilson rent.
It’s the calls for he makes on his gamers. It’s the truth that hardworking, no-nonsense gamers like Ward — the form of participant who made the Giants seem like a useful workforce in 2022 — are the kind of individuals and gamers Wilson seems for to steer his protection.
It’s the truth that Ward is aware of what it means to be a Large. And the Giants have misplaced that. And it appears like Wilson has the proper of perspective to carry that again.
