Jason Pierre-Paul

Pierre-Paul was lined up for a pivotal role as an outside linebacker in new defensive coordinator Todd Bowles' 3-4 scheme, but his outlook drastically changed in the early morning hours of May 2 on a South Florida highway. JPP was involved in a car accident initially described as minor that ultimately resulted in the veteran pass rusher suffering a fractured vertebra. Surgery would cost Pierre-Paul the 2019 season, so the 30-year-old has opted to hold off for the time being in the hopes of being able to suit up at some point during the campaign. To what extent he'd be able to contribute will naturally remain a mystery for the foreseeable future, but what appears certain is that Pierre-Paul won't come close to the 58 tackles and 12.5 sacks he logged across 16 games during his first season with the Buccaneers in 2018.

Pierre-Paul is no longer a Giant, but he should remain a standout IDP option on the defensive line all the same. That he played 1,011 snaps last year erases any concern about his recovery from his 2015 hand injury, and that he reached 68 tackles and 8.5 sacks – his highest totals since 2014 – shows he's ready to play a three-down role for the DE-needy Buccaneers. Pierre-Paul should see favorable blocking alignments in whatever games the feared tackle Gerald McCoy is active, and at 29 years old there's no reason to project physical decline at the moment.

It's been one of the more heartening anecdotes in recent NFL memory to see Pierre-Paul reestablish himself as a feared defender despite the ghastly fireworks accident that damaged his right hand two years ago. He was one of the league's most effective linemen last year, totaling 53 tackles and seven sacks on 792 snaps before a sports hernia ended his season after 12 games. His health should be double checked closer to the season, though, as his initial training camp availability is uncertain after undergoing further core surgery in April.

It's hard to know how effective Pierre-Paul can be with what's left of his mangled right hand — he played well in spurts after returning last year, but that was with a massive cast on, something he won't need after a couple offseason surgeries. There's still upside here, especially opposite star pass rusher Olivier Vernon, who should occupy opposing blockers.

Consistency has been Pierre-Paul's biggest problem the last four years as he had two excellent IDP seasons and two busts. His down years in 2012 and 2013 were related to a back injury, however, and Pierre-Paul's upside is elite when he's in top form. A hand injury that he sustained in July 4 fireworks accident, however, clouds Pierre-Paul's status to start the coming season. He's coming off a 2014 campaign in which he finished with 77 tackles and 12.5 sacks — four more sacks than the previous two years combined. It wasn't quite as good as 2011 when he totaled 86 tackles and 16.5 sacks, but at the time at least, it answered questions about his durability and made him the best D-Line IDP next to J.J Watt. The defensive end is now a bit of a wild card, given that his summer mishap cost him his right index finger, an issue he'll have to adjust to once he's fully recovered from his injuries.

There is no greater enigma among IDPs than Pierre-Paul, and it's probably not close. It appeared in 2011 as if he would establish himself as one of the league's best players at any position. Some observers may have even had the Hall of Fame in mind after the 22 year old Pierre-Paul had 86 tackles and 16.5 sacks during the 2011 season. In the two seasons since then, Pierre-Paul has been one of the league's biggest disappointments. He has just 93 tackles and 8.5 sacks in 27 games, including just 27 tackles and two sacks last year. There are a couple reasons to expect a bounce back in 2014, however. The first is that he's in a contract year, and if motivation was a problem the last two years, the prospect of a big pay day should get his attention. Second, injuries may have had a lot to do with JPP's struggles the last two years. An offseason back surgery may have hurt his effectiveness last year, and he played through a back issue for part of 2012. He's supposed to have a clean bill of health now, and he has no excuse for another failed season.

Pierre-Paul was a colossal disappointment in 2012 after his remarkable 2011 set the expectations sky high, but it would be wise to expect a bounce-back season in 2013 for two reasons: (1) Pierre-Paul played through a back issue all December, which could partially explain why he didn't have a sack in that month; and (2) With Osi Umenyiora gone in free agency, Pierre-Paul should see his snap count approach 950 after playing 879 last year. Even if Pierre-Paul doesn't repeat the 16.5 sacks he had in 2011, he's always an excellent source of tackles for a defensive lineman. Pierre-Paul, however, underwent surgery in June to address the lingering back problem (a herniated disk), and his Week 1 status is uncertain.

The Giants insist that Pierre-Paul still has a lot of room to grow as a player. Given how freakishly dominant he was in 2011, that’s setting the bar high, to say the least. Pierre-Paul could probably regress slightly and still be the best defensive lineman IDP. In fact, he is arguably the top IDP at any position after finishing his sophomore season with an unreal total of 86 tackles (65 solo), including 16.5 sacks and one safety, as well as seven passes defended and two forced fumbles. There might be some concern Pierre-Paul’s numbers drop as a result of offensive lines devoting more blocking resources toward him, but it’s difficult to see how that would be likely. Osi Umenyiora didn’t play the first three weeks, and Justin Tuck missed one of those games while playing injured in the other two with a neck injury. Pierre-Paul would have, therefore, been the top concern of offensive coordinators in those three weeks. Despite that, Pierre-Paul produced 17 tackles (13 solo), 4.5 sacks, two passes defended and one forced fumble over that span. It doesn’t look like he can be stopped.

Last year's explosive first-round draft pick, Pierre-Paul will be in the defensive line rotation and could see extra action if Osi Umenyiora signs elsewhere.

Rookie pass-rusher is raw, but has a ton of ability and upside. Will be worked into the team's deep defensive line rotation slowly unless he blows the coaches away.