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When defensive coordinator James Bettcher was asked about the Giants passing on edge rushers with all three of their first round picks this year, he noted that free agent acquisition Markus Golden had 12.5 sacks during the 2016 season.

Golden hasn’t been able to build on that season. He didn’t have a sack in four games before tearing his ACL in 2017 and had 2.5 sacks in a rotational role in 11 games upon getting cleared to return to action last year, so it’s hardly a sure thing that he’ll give the team what they’re looking for in the pass rush department.

Confidence isn’t a problem for Golden, however. He said he’s ready to go “hunting” in 2019 because he feels “like myself again.”

“Hey, I would retire if I didn’t feel like that,” Golden said, via the New York Daily News. “As hard as I work every day, to make sure I can put myself in that position. So of course you want to feel like that. I know I can help the team.”

In addition to hoping Golden bounces back, the Giants are also banking on bigger things from Lorenzo Carter in his second season. If those bets pay off, the team’s defense should be much improved over last season. Anything else will lead to another long year for the Giants.