Five Key Giants Unrestricted Free-Agents-to-Be With Much to Prove in 2021

These five Giants players who project to have sizeable roles on the team are all at the end of their respective deals and are facing a big season ahead. Who has the best chance of returning and who doesn't? Let's take a very early look.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Aug 11, 2021 10:16 AM EDT

The New York Giants were particularly generous this off-season in handing out one-year "prove-it deals" to several veteran players, the intent being to gauge whether these guys are potential long-term fits.

But there is a "hidden" group of veteran players who, as they enter the final year of their respective deals, are also on a quest to prove that they belong for the long-term as well.

Offensive lineman Will Hernandez, safety Jabrill Peppers, outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter, tight end Evan Engram, and defensive lineman B.J. Hill are the five players entering the final year of their respective rookie contracts with an eye on a nice payday after the season.

But with the Giants likely to be strapped for cash after going on a massive free-for-all spending in free agency this year that projects to suffocate their cap space next year, these five players are in no way locks to be back.

Hernandez is an interesting case. After an impressive rookie campaign, he’s struggled to take that next step as the team’s starting left guard. With Shane Lemieux supplanted Hernandez at left guard, Hernandez will try his hand at right guard this season.

But while both Hernandez and the coaches are optimistic about the transition, who’s to say that after this season, if Hernandez has a decent showing, another team with an opening at left guard, Hernandez’s natural position, won’t come along with an offer he won't be able to refuse?

Peppers? Quite honestly, if you’re looking for a head-scratcher regarding a move the Giants didn’t make in the off-season (besides the whole offensive line scenario), Extending Peppers would be it.

But is it possible the Giants envision Aaron Robinson, Xavier McKinney, and Julian Love all contributing to the multiple roles Peppers currently holds? It could very well be, especially if Peppers manages to top last season in which he recorded career-best numbers in total tackles (91), sacks (2.5), and tackles for loss (8), leading to a market value that falls outside of the Giants’ comfort range next year.

Carter? He’s coming off a torn Achilles and has been slowed down this summer by a calf. While he’s shown flashes of pass-rushing potential, could the Giants move on from him after this year and use those two first-round picks they have in the 2022 draft on a stud pass rusher? Hey, if Daniel Jones pans out as expected, that’s certainly a possibility.

Engram? Right now, he’s having the best training camp of his career, probably because he was able to spend the entire off-season training instead of devoting part of his time to rehabbing. But Engram also looked good last year in camp only to stumble through a “Pro Bowl season” in which he tied with George Kittle of the 49ers for the most drops by a tight end.

Tight end is an essential role in his Giants offense, and even though they added Kyle Rudolph this off-season, that was only on a two-year deal. If Engram can’t stabilize the position once and for all, the Giants are going to have themselves a big problem next off-season.

Hill? His potential future beyond this year is probably the cloudiest of the group since he's not a projected starter. One of the team's two third-round picks in 2018 (Carter being the other), Hill, out of North Carolina State, showed some promise and potential in his rookie season with 5.5 sacks and a career-high 48 tackles.

However, he could not sustain that momentum in his second season, his workload taking a hit when the Giants acquired Leonard Williams via trade.

Hill, who last year saw a career-low 35% defensive snaps, isn't a bad player, and to be fair, his role in the defense did change a bit to where he saw more snaps outside rather than inside where he was able to produce such strong numbers as a rookie.

With Hill having settled into more of a rotational type of role on the defensive line--a role that should be easily replaceable in the draft next year--it's hard to imagine him getting a second contract from the Giants.