Rookie defensive tackle turning heads at camp
EAST RUTHERFORD » When the Giants selected Dalvin Tomlinson with their second-round draft choice this spring, the team’s brass raved about the Alabama product’s jolt at the line of scrimmage and his stoutness at the point of the attack.
Johnathan Hankins had moved on to the Colts in free agency, and the Giants prioritized a fresh playmaker for one of the league’s stingiest defensive fronts.
One week into padded practices at training camp, the returns have been promising. Head coach Ben McAdoo said Tomlinson “flashed a few times” Tuesday at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center, and Tomlinson has impressed his opposition as well.
“He’s strong, very strong,” center Weston Richburg said of the 6-foot-3, 310-pounder. “I think that’s a given with guys coming out of Alabama. I think he’ll be good inside for us, and be disruptive because he’s a smart guy, he’s pretty sharp. So I’m excited to see him and how he plays.”
During a team period Tuesday, Tomlinson snuffed out an I-formation running play when he shed a block by right guard John Jerry and pounced all over Paul Perkins for a loss.
Tomlinson, who has been repping with the first and second units, is a candidate to start at 3-technique defensive tackle next to All-Pro nose tackle Damon Harrison. His primary competition include third-year tackles Jay Bromley and Robert Thomas, who combined for 340 snaps last season as rotational backups, per Pro Football Focus.
“I feel like I can grab that spot because it’s one of those spots you have to be physical in there every single play, and I’m that type of player to go in there and be physical,” Tomlinson said earlier in camp. “Defensive tackle, you make a lot of plays, but also you’ve got to open up plays for other people. So you have to go in there and be aggressive and physical every single play.”
Tomlinson played four years at Alabama under Nick Saban after redshirting in 2012. He says he has stayed lean and maintained his thick, strong lower body since the draft, which makes him a tough defender to displace.
“Coach Saban at ‘Bama ran a big program — a big college program and it’s probably one of the closest things to an NFL team,” Tomlinson said. “But the NFL is a whole different league up here, and it’s more mental than anything.”
That includes fine-tuning his technique and versatility in different gap schemes. McAdoo said Tomlinson’s “transition rush” work is manifesting on the field, referring to his pass-rushing ability when teams go play-action on first and second down.
Hankins’ production dipped last season when Harrison’s arrival shifted him from his more natural nose tackle spot to 3-technique. Tomlinson thinks he can fill that role and complement defensive ends Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon.
“Throughout the year they’re going to have a lot of people trying to block them, and they’re going to have more of an offensive emphasis built towards them,” Tomlinson said. “It’s going to have to open up the defensive tackles to work and become more pass effective throughout the game.