Kevin Jairaj- USA TODAY Sports
The New York Giants helped Jason Pierre-Paul in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft when they selected Damontre Moore of Texas A&M.
Moore, a player who was regarded as a first-round talent but plummeted due to issues regarding his work ethic, should be able to assist Pierre-Paul in absorbing some of the pass protection.
Pierre-Paul, with only 6.5 sacks in 2012, found little assistance from Justin Tuck or Osi Umenyiora — both of whom were seldom factors last season. But if Moore produces the way that head coach Tom Coughlin envisions, then the Giants’ pass rush could return to its previous ferocity.
The most admirable aspect of the Giants’ selection of Moore was that they picked him based off of game tape, not combine performance. Moore’s documented failure at the NFL Combine caused many teams to stay away from him: his 4.95 40-yard dash was below average for an athletic pass rusher.
However, his 12.5 sacks during his final collegiate season was clearly too much for the Giants to ignore. With Tuck and Pierre-Paul in the locker room, Moore can stay focused in order to translate his stellar game-tape onto an NFL field.
Moore is a boom-or-bust pick. If he succeeds, then the Giants’ defense will be reminiscent of the 2007 Super Bowl Champions — a defense with Michael Strahan and two peaking players in Tuck and Umenyiora.
If Moore fails, though, then the Giants’ new marquee pass rusher, Pierre-Paul, will suffer as well. The latterly mentioned is a freakish athlete, but there is only so much one can do when taking the brunt of the pass protection.
Jeff Nelson is a New York Giants writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JNelson53_12, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
