Ryan Kerrigan named a ‘best fit’ for Giants
The New York Giants have made a splash at a number of positions since the onset of free agency, but they remain in search of a top-end edge rusher to add to Patrick Graham’s defense.
Ifeadi Odenigbo and Ryan Anderson have been added to the fold, but neither have a history of dominating along the edge. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Chargers have signed outside linebacker Kyler Fackrell, who did well at the position for New York in 2020.
With little remaining on the free agent market, it means the Giants will either have to address this issue in the 2021 NFL draft or take a flier on an aging veteran free agent. Or both.
Sheil Kapadia of The Athletic believes it should be the former, naming Ryan Kerrigan a “best fit” for the Giants.
With Leonard Williams, Kenny Golladay and Adoree’ Jackson, the Giants have made a number of big splashes in free agency. But they could still use help on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Kerrigan will be 33 at the start of next season, and he saw his playing time drop to just 38 percent of the snaps with Washington last year. But he still has 11 sacks over the past two seasons. If nothing else, Kerrigan could give the Giants a situational edge rusher while they look to see if they can find a longer-term solution in the draft.
Kerrigan, who met with the Cincinnati Bengals earlier this week, was a first-round selection of the Washington Football Team in the 2011 NFL draft and has spent his entire 10-year career in D.C.
In 156 games (141 starts), Kerrigan has recorded 454 tackles (119 for a loss), 26 forced fumbles, 25 passes defensed, three interceptions, 147 QB hits and 95.5 sacks. On four separate occasions, Kerrigan has registered 11.0 or more sacks in a single season (most recently in 2018) and has been named to the Pro Bowl four times.
In 2020, Kerrigan earned a Pro Football Focus grade of 59.8 (69.9 pass rush), which was a career low. He has seen his grade drop in each of the past four seasons, falling from a career-high grade of 84.1 in 2017.
If the price is right and the Giants believe he fits their defense, Kerrigan is certainly an intriguing option.
