With four days left until the New York Giants report to training camp, our position-by-position roster breakdown takes a look at a complicated defensive line rotation.
Projected starters: DE Robert Ayers, DT Johnathan Hankins, DT Cullen Jenkins, DE George Selvie
Likely to make roster: DE Damontre Moore, DE Owamagbe Odighizuwa, DT Kenrick Ellis, DT Jay Bromley, DE Kerry Wynn, DT Markus Kuhn
Injured, no one has a clue when he might be back: DE Jason Pierre-Paul
On the bubble: Jordan Stanton, Brad Harrah, Dominique Hamilton, Carlif Taylor
The BIG question: The Giants still don't know anything about the health status of Pierre-Paul or his prognosis for returning to practice, because their medical staff hasn't been able to see him since he lost his right index finger in a July 4 fireworks accident. Pierre-Paul has kept in contact with defensive line coach Robert Nunn, as he has all offseason even before the accident, but he hasn't let the team examine or even talk to him in any official capacity. Until they see him, they can't make plans for his rehab and a timetable for his return. Which means they have to treat him as an injured player who's out indefinitely and plan around his absence.
Does Spags have enough, then?: New coordinator Steve Spagnuolo likes to rotate defensive linemen, and specifically pass-rushers. So everyone has a situational role. Selvie is the guy they like at left defensive end to play the run on the way to the quarterback. Ayers and Moore are all-out pass-rushers, and Ayers doesn't mind moving inside to tackle when they want to put three or four pass-rushers on the field. The staff likes what Wynn showed late last year and knows they can move him inside, too. And Odighizuwa could contribute early as a rookie. The questions are whether that rotation is deep enough and whether there's a potential impact quarterback-sacker in the bunch. Moore could be it, but he hasn't shown consistent reliability to this point in his career and he had health issues in the spring.
The mix on the inside: Hankins had a good year rushing the passer in 2014, which surprised the Giants and has coaches thinking of ways to maximize that going forward. So while Jenkins is listed here as the starter next to him, you may see someone like Ellis in there on first and second down if Ellis learns the defense quickly. He's more of a run-stuffing nose tackle who could occupy blockers and help Hankins get loose in the backfield. Kuhn could fill that role if Ellis doesn't. Bromley profiles as a player more similar to Jenkins. So there's some situational rotating to do on the inside as well.
More ends?: My projection has them keeping five defensive ends and five defensive tackles. But I wonder whether, with Pierre-Paul in question, Spagnuolo will want more ends in the rotation, and Stanton might be able to beat out someone like Kuhn. It helps, though, that Jenkins can play DE as well as DT. The Giants used him a lot at end in the spring with Pierre-Paul at home and Moore, Ayers and Odighizuwa hurt.