The branches of John Harbaugh’s coaching tree show that Dennard Wilson worked under Mike Macdonald, who worked under Wink Martindale.
But is it too much wishful dot-connecting for Giants fans to ask for a return to a familiar defensive scheme now that Wilson is their new coordinator?
Apparently not.
“For those who have been watching and know ball,” edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux told season ticket holders Monday during a Giants Town Hall, “this is similar to the defense we ran when Wink was here.”
The fans interrupted Thibodeaux to clap at the mention of Martindale, who resigned after the 2023 season as his feud with then-head coach Brian Daboll escalated.
The Giants and the Harbaugh-Macdonald-Wilson-led Ravens led the NFL with 31 takeaways apiece in 2023.
Thibodeaux egged the cheers on with good reason: He remembers his game-changing sacks as a 2022 rookie as well as his breakout 10.5-sack 2023 season under Martindale.
“Don’t be slighting that 10.5. It’s hard to get double-digit [sacks] in the league,” Thibodeaux said. “For me, it’s just been elevation, growth, getting with guys … who have been in the league longer. I’ve been soaking up a lot of game, and I’ve been grinding. The sky is the limit.”
The Giants resisted trade interest and held on to Thibodeaux in the final year of his contract. Thibodeaux isn’t holding out from voluntary workouts despite seeking an extension, and Harbaugh counts him, Brian Burns and Abdul Carter as “three starting outside linebackers.”
The Giants held their first OTA practice Tuesday. Burns, who is coming off a career-best 16.5-sack season under departed coordinator Shane Bowen, took the field with an early impression of Wilson from their first conversation before any practices.
“He takes a lot of the gray area out of things,” Burns told The Post. “He makes things very simple, and very black and white so there is no confusion. I think that’s going to allow us to play as fast as we possibly can.
“With that said, he doesn’t tolerate any B.S. I like that type of approach. He let it be known, ‘I’m not your f—king friend. I’m here to do a job. After you’re done playing, we can be friends. I’m here to push as much as I can to make you the best player you can be.’ That’s the type of respect I would love to have with my DC.”
Thibodeaux isn’t the only one who could be rejuvenated by Wilson’s scheme resembling Martindale’s.
Cornerback Deonte Banks, a former first-round pick, had his best year as a rookie starter in 2023 but now is fighting to make the 53-man roster behind Paulson Adebo, Greg Newsome II and Colton Hood.
“I think the corners are underrated,” Harbaugh said. “I’ve got a feeling these corners are going to play really well this year.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
