Giants Already Have a 328-Pound Answer at Defensive Tackle

The New York Giants did not acquire a defensive tackle at the NFL trade deadline, so they will have to make do with what they have.

The good news is that DJ Reader has been one of the best interior defenders in football this season, and Darius Alexander showed some very positive signs last Sunday.

But the Giants may have a very surprising answer for their lack of depth in the trenches: Bobby Jamison-Travis.

New York selected Jamison-Travis in the sixth round of the NFL Draft back in April, which prompted many "who?" remarks from Giants fans.

Jamison-Travis was certainly not a household name heading into the draft, and I don't think anyone really had him on their radar.

Well, other than Big Blue, of course.

The Auburn product was known for his run-stuffing ability and was actually one of the better run-stopping defensive tackles in college football last season, so he seemed to be right up New York's alley.

Unfortunately, Jamison-Travis fell behind on the depth chart in training camp, and there was even some speculation that the rookie could be on the chopping block.

Ultimately, the 25-year-old made the 53-man roster, but he was inactive the first five games of the campaign.

Then, with the Giants in desperate need of more help against the run, they installed Jamison-Travis into the lineup in Week 6. Over the last two games in particular, something has flipped ... and Jamison-Travis has a lot to do with it.

The 6-foot-3, 328-pound behemoth has played in 39.3 percent and 30 percent of New York's defensive snaps the last two contests, and he has also been on the field in nearly 70 percent of snaps against run plays.

He has logged eight tackles through three appearances, with six of those tackles coming over the past two games. What's more, Jamison-Travis literally throwing people out of the way to make plays, as seen here.

The Giants allowed just 84 rushing yards versus the Houston Texans in Week 7. Then, after the bye, they surrendered 80 rushing yards against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Remember: this is the same defense that was getting gashed by the run all year long beforehand. What's changed?

Well, the insertion of Jamison-Travis has certainly been a major factor, and you can bet Harbaugh and Co. weighed that before splurging on a defensive tackle at the deadline.

It's obviously still very early, but it's hard not to like what we've seen from Jamison-Travis thus far. Perhaps he is the answer the Giants needed on the interior.