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New York Giants 2024 Training Camp Preview: ILB Carter Coughlin

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6 months ago

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New York Giants 2024 Training Camp Preview: ILB Carter Coughlin

Some players, once they enter the NFL, are destined to make their living on special teams.

New York Giants inside linebacker Carter Coughlin is one such player. One of three seventh-round draft picks by the Giants in 2020, the Giants tried Coughlin first at inside linebacker as a rookie before experimenting a little bit with him as an outside linebacker, a position he had played in college for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, where he recorded 144 pressures and 27 sacks.

But Coughlin (no relationship to head coach Tom Coughlin) sadly never carved out a niche on defense as either a run stuffer, a pass rusher, or a coverage guy.

By his second season, he was mostly assigned to special teams before an ankle injury suffered in late October during a practice that would ultimately end his season by early November.  

The following year, the coaches pretty much gave up on Coughlin for the defense, but he would go on to find a home on special teams. Over the last two seasons, Coughlin has finished as the Giants team leader in special teams tackles, notching eight in 2022 and nine last year for an impressive total of 17 tackles over two seasons.

Initially, it looked like Coughlin wouldn’t be re-signed this year given the change in special teams coordinators–Thomas McGaughey was fired and replaced by Michae Ghorbrial. But the Giants had a change of heart and Coughlin is back to presumably defend his spot as a core special teams player.

Height: 6-3
Weight: 240 lbs.
Exp: 4 years
School: Minnesota
How acquired: D7-20

Coughlin appeared in all 17 games last season, primarily deployed for special teams. He led the team with nine special teams tackles and appeared in 397 snaps (87 percent). 

Due to the crowded inside linebacker room that included Bobby Okereke, Micah McFadden, and Isaiah Simmons, there was really no way for Coughlin to get any looks on the defensive side of the ball. 

He did receive two defensive snaps in garbage time, but his role as a special teams player is what buttered his bread, and to his credit, he embraced it.

Coughlin signed a one-year, $1.3 million deal that included $367,000 guaranteed, qualifying him for a Veteran Salary Benefit. His cap hit is set at $1.2 million, with a dead cap of just $367,500 if he were released. 

Coughlin’s role is expected to be the same as it was in 2022 and 2023: special teams. But his path to a roster spot won’t be easy. 

The Giants signed linebacker Matthew Adams, who is also a primary special teams player and a pretty good one at that. 

Adams has spent time with the Colts, Bears and most recently the Browns, working his way into a core special teamer in each of his destinations. Unlike Coughlin, Adams provides more value as a depth piece on defense. He’s started 13 games as opposed to Coughlin’s two starts. 

The Giants also drafted Darius Muasau in the sixth round, who can become a solid backup linebacker. Muasau will likely see a lot of special teams snaps early on before he sees the field on defense, which could lead to Coughlin’s special teams role possibly being diminished. 

There’s also Darrian Beavers, a 2022 seventh-round pick who impressed in his first training camp but tore his ACL. Beavers has also relocated to special teams, where he’ll fight for a roster spot by proving his value there.

The chance of Coughlin making the Giants roster is relatively high, considering he’s an established veteran with this coaching staff over the last two seasons who has been productive. 

The caveat is that coaching changes. Whereas Coughlin was a McGaugghey favorite, will he resonate like that with Ghobrial? Anything is possible, but if Coughlin produces as he has the last two seasons, he should prevail.

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