The New York Giants have signed defensive tackle Kenrick Ellis on a one-year contract.

Ellis is a 6-foot-4, 346-pound mountain who played his first four NFL seasons for the Jets. He is 27 years old, and with the Giants he could get the chance to be a starter for the first time in his NFL career. A rotational player in the Jets' 3-4 front, Ellis could fit as a first-down and second-down run-stuffer on the interior of the Giants' four-man defensive line.

Ellis has an interesting background, and not all of it is good. He dropped to the third round of the 2011 draft because of issues he had in college, including failed drug tests that got him kicked off the South Carolina team and a felony assault charge incurred while at Hampton. He has not had any off-field issues since entering the league, though he did serve 45 days in jail (23 in 2012 and 22 in 2013) as a result of the assault incident in college.

The Giants have been looking for a big run-stopper to add to their defensive line mix and pair on the interior with Johnathan Hankins. They were among the teams to express early interest in free-agent defensive tackle Dan Williams, who ended up signing with the Raiders. Ellis could be a buy-low on a former top prospect who struggled for playing time behind the stars on the Jets' defensive line.