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New York Giants 2024 Training Camp Preview: DL Jordon Riley

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5 months ago

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New York Giants 2024 Training Camp Preview: DL Jordon Riley

The New York Giants defensive line is heading into a year with some questions surrounding its depth. The interior is headlined by All-Pro Dexter Lawrence II, who’s been a dominant force over the last two seasons. The problem has been the players around Lawrence. The Giants need reliable bodies to take the pressure off of their star lineman.

This is where Jordon Riley could come in. The 2023 seventh-round pick dealt with injuries early in his rookie season but gained momentum to finish the year strong. Riley had a good spring, rotating in with the first-team defensive line. With a strong summer, can he become more than just a backup lineman?

Height: 6-5
Weight: 315 lbs.
EXP: 2
School: Oregon
How acquired: D7-23

Riley ended his first season with eight tackles and one tackle for a loss in 136 defensive snaps, most of those coming in the season’s final six games. Riley mainly fought for playing time with DJ Davidson.

He really held up against the constant double-teaming inside, staying on his feet and taking up lots of space. Riley even showed some ability to shed blocks and make tackles, though he needs to find the ball better and quicker to develop.

His pass rush was anemic, however, as he wasn’t even capable of an occasional bull rush. He’s still a work in progress, but a very intriguing one at that. 

Riley’s cap hit for 2024 is $935,798, with a base salary of $915,000 and a $20,758 bonus. If he were released, the Giants would save $873,484 and just $62,274 in dead money. Riley will be on the roster unless something goes very wrong, as there’s no real benefit to cutting him.

Riley will be in a major training camp battle this summer. Lawrence, Nuñez-Roches and Phillips will likely be the first three interior linemen to receive snaps. Who will be first in line to relieve one of them? 

The problem for the last few seasons has been the dropoff in play once Lawrence or another veteran comes off of the field for a few snaps. This is why the depth battle is crucial this season, which Riley will be a part of.

His main two competitors will be Ryder Anderson and DJ Davidson. Anderson didn’t play in 2023, but did have a few flash plays as a rookie in 2022, totaling two sacks, two tackles for a loss and eight tackles. Davidson’s rookie season was cut short due to an ACL tear, but managed to come back and play in 15 games last year.

He had 13 tackles, two tackles for loss, and half a sack in 245 defensive snaps. When Riley came back from injuries last season, Davidson’s snap counts began to decline near the end of the year, an indicator that could be important heading into training camp.

If Riley wants to be the first reserve this season, he’ll need to put together a strong summer. He had a solid showing during the preseason last year, which is something he’ll have to do once again to show the coaching staff what he’s capable of. 

Defensive line coach Andre Patterson has spoken highly of Riley, so it should be interesting to see how much improvement he’s made since year one.

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