Johnathan Hankins, defensive tackle, New York Giants
Hankins, a former second-round pick from Ohio State, has been a stud for the Giants in his three seasons as a full-time starter. During that span, the 24-year-old defensive tackle has record 10 sacks, three forced fumbles and 124 tackles. These aren’t tremendous numbers, but they don’t tell the entire story.
An anchor for the Giants during these three years, Hankins has been equally good getting to the quarterback and stuffing the run. He’s also as versatile as it gets. Here, you can see the youngster rushing from the end position.
Johnathan Hankins beat LG Stefen Wisniewski so badly he thought it was a screen. It was not. pic.twitter.com/YqDroD1uMv
— Mike Renner (@mikerenner_) November 8, 2016
He also finished the 2015 campaign as the NFL’s third-best run-stuffing defensive tackle, according to Pro Football Focus. That’s a whole lot of ability and untapped potential from a guy that’s already playing like a Pro Bowl caliber performer. It’s in this that we’re looking for San Francisco to make another splash along the defensive line.
Having already added Earl Mitchell to the mix, the 49ers have made it known they’re looking to upgrade the interior of their defensive line. That makes sense considering this team ranked dead last against the run last season. Adding Hankins to go with Mitchell inside would be absolutely huge here. Enter into the equation defensive ends Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner, and that makes for one of the most-talented defensive lines in the NFL.
Prediction: San Francisco 49ers