New York Giants defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson is set to begin his first season with the coaching staff this weekend against the Minnesota Vikings. Wilson has received major praise from fans and analysts across the NFL this offseason and is expected to make an immediate impact in New York. The former Titans coordinator was widely regarded as one of the lone bright spots from Tennessee’s 3-14 season in 2025, and he now finds himself with a mix of young and veteran talent on the Giants’ defense entering 2026. Giants safety Jason Pinnock recently shared his thoughts on playing under Wilson this season, noting that the unit will look very similar to Wink Martindale’s style of coaching from 2022 and 2023. “I was in a pretty heavy room depth-wise last year in San Fran,” Pinnock told reporters on Wednesday. “This is just full of a lot of starters. It’s going to be tough. However, the cards are dealt; may the best man win type of thing. You got so many packages you can play with; I played in this defense before. It’s like Wink, ‘22, ‘23. So I’m very familiar with it, kind of the same cause. It’s going to be fun.” Pinnock recorded 41 total tackles and one tackle for loss across 17 appearances with the 49ers last year. The veteran spent three seasons with the Giants before signing with San Francisco in free agency last offseason and now finds himself back in New York after a brief stint on the West Coast. Both Wilson and Martindale are widely regarded as excellent defensive coordinators throughout the NFL. Wilson is in prime position to shine with the Giants this year given the talent at his disposal, and the defensive unit as a whole appears to be on the same page following Pinnock’s comments.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants' Jason Pinnock: Dennard Wilson's scheme similar to Wink Martindale's