New York Giants

Devon Kennard named Pro Football Focus' 'secret superstar'

Published Jun. 22, 2015 11:29 a.m. ET

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The offseason buzz continues to build for second year New York Giants linebacker Devon Kennard. Earlier this offseason, teammate Jon Beason admitted that Kennard had a chance to emerge as the best player on the defense. More recently, game charting and analytic website Pro Football Focus has named Kennard the Giants' 'secret superstar'.

PFF's Kevin Connaghan broke down Kennard's unique pass rushing ability in his piece:

"Kennard led the way statistically at outside linebacker for the Giants." Connaghan wrote. "He registered five sacks, and eight total pressures for a 19.1 Pass Rushing Productivity score. His 8.9 Run Stop Percentage topped the unit, as did his 0.65 Yards per Cover Snap, though that may be misleading as he was only targeted nine times. His 23 total stops to one missed tackle (when he fell victim to a DeMarco Murray stiff arm) gave him a 38.0 Combined Tackling Efficiency, which not only topped the team, but ranked third in league among 4-3 OLBs."

Kennard has a chance to emerge as a key cog in defensive coordinator Steve Spagunolo's unit. Spagnuolo prides his defense on aggression and he often uses his linebackers to attack the line of scrimmage. The new scheme is a perfect match for what Kennard does best on the football field.

(h/t Pro Football Focus)

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