Joe Judge has landed the first member of his coaching staff in East Rutherford.
The New York Giants are hiring Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Patrick Graham in the same capacity, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported, per a source.
Graham spent the 2019 season on Brian Flores' staff in Miami, joining after one campaign as the Green Bay Packers linebackers coach. Graham was a defensive line coach with the Giants in 2016 and 2017.
Judge, hired as the Giants coach this week, has history with Graham. Both were on Bill Belichick's staff from 2012 to 2015: Graham coaching defensive linemen and linebackers, Judge coaching special teams.
Flores, who was on the same staff with Judge and Graham, is expected to promote defensive pass game coordinator Josh Boyer to Dolphins DC in light of Graham's exit. Boyer was -- go figure -- also on Belichick's staff from 2006 through 2018.
In his one season with Miami, Graham oversaw one of the league's worst and short-staffed defenses. The Dolphins allowed a league-high 30.9 points per game, 397.8 yards per game (30th) and 6.0 yards per play (30th). According to Football Outsiders' Defensive DVOA, Miami had the sixth-worst defense and fourth-worst pass defense since 1985. And yet, Miami won three of its final five games, including a road win in Flores' and Graham's old stomping grounds, New England.
Judge mused in his press conference about the value of finding what players can do instead of what they can't and not overlooking any player based on any preconceived notion. Graham's experience with the Dolphins' hodgepodge defense in 2019 is a great example of a coach getting the most out of his players -- exactly what Judge is looking for in New York.
