Do New York Giants Have a Solid Team Core?

There are five positions where a football team needs to be strong. We look at those positions and assess the New York Giants' strength in each.

Author:
Brandon Olsen
Publish date:
Jul 21, 2022 8:00 AM EDT

In this story:

New York Giants

When building a successful football team, the consensus is that a roster must be strong at five key positions: quarterback, wide receiver, offensive tackle, pass-rusher, and cornerback.

The value of these positions depends on every team and its scheme, but when it comes down to it, the modern-day NFL is built around being able to throw the ball, protect your quarterback, and stop the other team from throwing the ball.

Looking at the current New York Giants roster, there was a clear approach to addressing these positions. But how strong are the Giants at these spots? Let's find out.

Quarterback

The most important position on the list--quarterback--is the most important position in football. It's also the position where the Giants might be least comfortable with on the entire roster.

Daniel Jones has shown promise as a young starting quarterback that he could thrive if he has the right tools around him. However, there are some major issues for Jones as he’s struggled to piece things together and prove he could be a true franchise quarterback.

Before the 2022 season, the Giants decided they wouldn’t exercise Jones’ fifth-year option, making 2022 the last year on Jones’ rookie contract.

Luckily for both sides, the Giants' new head coach Brian Daboll has experience developing a young quarterback and maximizing his strengths with play-calling. Jones, who threw 24.7 percent of his passes over the middle of the field between 0-9 yards downfield, will benefit from operating in Daboll’s offense, which targeted that same area 21.3 percent of the time in 2021.

At least on paper, the offensive line is the best one Jones has played behind in his NFL career so far. With one of the easiest schedules in the NFL this year, a much improved offensive line, and a dynamic receiving corps, the excuses are gone for Jones to prove he can be a franchise quarterback.

If Jones is no longer a Giant following the 2022 season, the Giants need to find their answer in the draft. The 2023 offseason will be rough for free-agent quarterbacks, but if the Giants decide to target a quarterback in the draft, 2023 looks as good a year as any to do so.

Wide Receiver

When looking at the Giants' wide receiver room, there’s versatility throughout, and most players can create big plays out of thin air. With Kenny Golladay as the top receiver on the roster, the Giants have a receiver that could line up against any defender and win a 50-50 jump ball.

The 2021 season was a down year for Golladay, but he was also horribly misused as a route runner. Golladay was targeted 20+ yards downfield just 18.7 percent of the time in 2021, compared to 31.9 percent in 2019, when he had a career year.

The longest-tenured Giants player in that receiver room is Sterling Shepard, who has struggled with staying on the field but has always been productive when he’s on the field.

The 2022 season will likely look different for Shepard as he will likely play as more of an inside-out receiver than Giants fans are used to seeing. The upcoming year will also be the last season on Sherpard’s amended contract, which could mean the end of his time as a Giant.

For 2023 and beyond, the Giants believe they have their answer on the roster right now with not just Golladay but also their first-round pick from 2021 in Kadarius Toney and 2022 second-round pick Wan’Dale Robinson out of Kentucky. Toney and Robinson are some of the most dynamic playmakers in the NFL. Still, perhaps the most interesting part will be seeing how Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka utilize both in this offense consistently.

Offensive Tackle

In 2020, when the Giants used the fourth overall pick to draft Andrew Thomas out of Georgia, it was met with much disdain from fans who wanted either Tristan Wirfs, Jedrick Wills, or Mekhi Becton.

Fast-forward two NFL seasons and Thomas is not just one of the best young tackles in the NFL, he’s one of the best tackles, period. In 2021, Thomas broke out as a premier offensive tackle, improving his pressures allowed from a putrid 57 in 2020 to 18 in 2021 en route to becoming one of the most reliable edge protectors in the NFL.

Looking at 2023 and beyond, the Giants are poised to have an elite offensive tackle duo in Thomas and 2022 first-round pick Evan Neal on the right side. The 2022 season will be a better gauge for the future of this Giants offensive line, but if things go according to plan, the Giants have added their tackles of the future.

Pass Rusher

Perhaps the place that the Giants feel most secure on this roster is in their pass rush. Most fans and analysts tend to focus on generating pressure along the edges, but the 2021 Giants found success not only on the edge but also along the interior.

The Giants have retained their top three pass-rushers from 2021: Leonard Williams, Dexter Lawrence, and Azeez Ojulari. Of those three, Ojulari was the only player who saw most of his snaps on the edge. The Giants pass-rushing trio combined for 132 pressures in 2021 and will likely improve upon that in 2022 in defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s scheme.

In the 2022 NFL Draft, the Giants added Kayvon Thibodeaux with the fifth overall pick. Thibodeaux should add to that trio in his projected role opposite Ojulari. Hopes are high for Thibodeaux, who has been a top NFL prospect since he arrived on campus in Eugene, Oregon, to eventually become an elite NFL pass-rusher.

Thibodeaux may not become the player he could be right away, but for 2023 and beyond, the Giants will still have Williams, Lawrence, and Ojulari on the roster. Long-term, the talent is on the roster--the more important part will be about retaining that talent.

Cornerback

In 2021, the Giants had James Bradberry, an elite defensive back, on the roster. In a passing league, the value of the cornerback has never been more important. With Bradberry now gone from the Giants to the rival Philadelphia Eagles, the focus of the Giants shifts to Adoree’ Jackson.

Jackson quietly had one of the best seasons of his career in coverage in 2021 and is looking to build upon that in 2022. In the new Giants defense, man coverage will be a much more prominent part of the scheme, which is convenient for Jackson, who didn’t allow any touchdowns in man coverage on 22 targets.

Jackson has always been a high-potential cornerback since coming out of USC but is seemingly beginning to hit his stride and fit in this new defense.

The future is murky at corner for the Giants with Jackson as the only proven cornerback on the roster. The youth behind him is exciting, with Darnay Holmes and Aaron Robinson having some experience and plenty of promise, along with other young players like rookie Cor’Dale Flott and 2021 draft pick Rodarius Williams. But they will all need to prove themselves capable of holding their own, especially with some elite receivers dotting the NFC East landscape this year.