32 Teams in 32 Days: Expectations Are High in New York After Giant Paydays
Welcome to 32 teams in 32 days. To get us through the offseason, we’ll be taking a closer look at every team in the league, in order of projected 2023 win totals. Up next: the Giants.
The Giants had a successful first season with Brian Daboll, who quickly turned them into a playoff team en route to winning Coach of the Year.
But the Giants will no longer catch teams by surprise after winning 10 games last season, including a wild-card victory vs. the Vikings.
Despite making roster upgrades and paying their top players, the Giants will have a tough time returning to the postseason considering they reside in a competitive NFC East with the Eagles, Cowboys and Commanders.
The Giants will face the Lions, Panthers and Jets in preseason before going through the ringer that is their 2023 schedule.
Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com/USA TODAY Network (left); Eric Hartline/USA TODAY Sports (center);Michael Karas/NorthJersey.com/USA TODAY Network (right)
The Giants will likely need newcomers Deonte Banks (the team’s first-round rookie cornerback) and Bobby Okereke (a standout linebacker who signed during free agency) to quickly find their footing in New York and help the defense become one of the best units in 2023.
The Giants have plenty of playmakers on their roster, but the season will once again fall on the shoulders of quarterback Daniel Jones, who was paid like a top-10 quarterback in the NFL.
Biggest gamble this offseason: Paying Jones $40 million per year
After a slow first three seasons, Jones made drastic strides in 2022 under the guidance of Daboll, which earned the quarterback a four-year, $160 million contract extension this offseason. This led many to wonder why the Giants made the investment after one good year; New York prioritized the skill positions this offseason in the hopes that it will lead to even more improvements from Jones, who had a subpar supporting cast (outside of running back Saquon Barkley) in 2022. New York traded for tight end Darren Waller, drafted wide receiver Jalin Hyatt and signed wide receiver Parris Campbell. Suddenly, Jones has a strong crew of pass catchers with wideouts Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, Wan’Dale Robinson and Isaiah Hodgins also on the roster. It’s time for Jones, the ’19 No. 6 pick, to play like a top-10 quarterback after receiving a new deal and additional weapons this offseason.
Toughest stretch of the season: Weeks 3 to 8
The Giants have a brutal schedule overall, with Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr calling it borderline criminal. And most might agree with that assessment because of the brutal six-game stretch the Giants were handed, with four games on the road against the 49ers, Seahawks, Dolphins and Bills, and two at home vs. the Commanders and Jets. The Giants made many roster upgrades in the offseason, but it might not matter, given they could easily go 1–5 during that grueling stretch to derail their season. New York also starts the season against the Cowboys and faces the Eagles twice in the final three games. To steal a line from Orr, what on Earth did the Giants do to deserve this?
Breakout player to watch: Edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux
Thibodeaux was the No. 5 pick in the 2022 draft.
Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports
Thibodeaux struggled to finish plays at times during his rookie season, but he consistently won his matchups and often found himself in the backfield. With 40 pressures and 13 quarterback hits as a rookie, Thibodeaux could develop into a sack artist in his second season after recording only four sacks in 2022. Also, Thibodeaux’s 10.3% pressure rate was more than fellow first-round rookies Aidan Hutchinson (9.9%) and Travon Walker (9.2%).
Position of strength: Interior defensive line
Dexter Lawrence received a hefty pay raise after a dominant 2022 season, which included Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro selections. Lawrence signed a four-year, $90 million contract extension, making him the fourth-highest-paid interior defensive lineman in the league, according to Over the Cap. Lawrence went from being a run-stopping specialist to a versatile playmaker last year, with a career-high 7.5 sacks. Leonard Williams, who can also play on the edge, cashed in two years ago with a three-year, $63 million contract and remains a productive playmaker in the middle of New York’s defensive line. The Giants also added A’Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nunez-Roches this offseason.
Position of weakness: Interior offensive line
Instead of being specific, the offensive line could have been listed here, but that would be unfair to left tackle Andrew Thomas, who continues to get better after establishing himself as one of the best at his position last season. At right tackle, Evan Neal (the No. 7 pick in ’22) had a rocky rookie season, but so did Thomas in ’20—perhaps Neal can improve in Year 2. But the Giants have real concerns on the interior, with the guard spots possibly up for grabs in training camp, and with a rookie center in John Michael Schmitz, a ’23 second-round pick.
X-factor: TE Darren Waller
Waller was traded for a third-round pick.
Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com/USA TODAY Network
No one will say Jones is missing a legitimate No. 1 wideout if Waller regains his top form from his dominant days in 2019 and ’20. (He averaged 98.5 receptions and 1,170 receiving yards during that time.) When healthy, Waller is a matchup nightmare and is just as dangerous in the passing game as Travis Kelce, George Kittle and Mark Andrews. But if Waller continues to deal with injuries, Jones will need one of his many wideouts to step up and deliver Pro Bowl–type seasons.
Sleeper fantasy pick: WR Isaiah Hodgins
Hodgins became the top option in the Giants’ pass attack in the second half of last season, and he made the most of his chances. In his final five games, he scored 14-plus points four times, including one game with almost 23 points. The Giants don’t have an alpha wideout, so Hodgins is worth a look.—Michael Fabiano, SI Fantasy
Best bet: Take the over on Daniel Jones’s rushing prop of 575.5 yards
The Giants are best when Jones is able to use his mobility. Jones logged 708 ground yards last year on the way to a winning record for New York. Why fix what isn’t broken?—Jennifer Piacenti, SI Betting
Final record: 8–9, third in NFC East
