Giants Have Worst Supporting Cast Rating Since 2020

Data compiled before the start of the 2025 free-agency period highlighted just how bad the Giants' rosters have been over the last five years.

New York Giants co-owner John Mara (left) and New York Giants General Manager Joe Schoen speak with New York Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll | Kevin R. Wexler / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The New York Giants have made a handful of roster upgrades, but one that is still not completed is securing the services of a veteran franchise quarterback.

Interestingly enough, before the start of free agency, the Giants, according to data assembled by fantasy football writer and podcast host Ian Hartitz using Pro Football Focus' rush, receiving, pass blocking, and run blocking grades, did a study to rank all 32 NFL teams' supporting casts across the last five seasons.

To no one's surprise, the Giants didn't rank very well.

From 2020 on, the Giants rank 31st, 30th, 21st, 32nd, and 28th, giving them an average placement of 28.4—dead last in the league.

Those who have patiently suffered through bad Giants football for much of the last decade-plus know the team has been lacking far more than good quarterback play. Fixing the offensive line has taken longer than completing the Manhattan Project.

The list of difference-making wide receivers is frustratingly short. The secondary has been unreliable for large stretches of time, and the pass-rushing attack has been inconsistent.

Throw in questionable decision-making from the front office and five different head coaches since 2016, and one can see why New York's supporting cast sits at the bottom. The team desperately needs balance and stability; otherwise, the cycle will keep repeating itself.

A New York Giants fan wears a bag over his head during a game between New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Giants must learn from their mistakes

Quarterback Daniel Jones, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, was not the answer. An adequate 2022 season, which was highlighted by a surprising NFC Wild Card showing against the Minnesota Vikings, does not excuse the other five years' worth of struggles.

That being said, there was only so much he could do with the talent deficiency surrounding him.

Constant injury problems only made matters worse. Giants general manager Joe Schoen took over the front office almost three years after Jones was drafted, but he shares culpability for not putting him in the best position to succeed.

Schoen cannot repeat those mistakes with the next starting quarterback, whether a veteran or a draft pick.

It is imperative that the organization address its other issues, and while it's off to a good start so far after one week of free agency, there is still much more work to be done, which the Giants hope to accomplish in the draft.  

Failure to collectively renovate this roster could doom the next starting quarterback and ensure the franchise remains firmly outside the playoff picture.

While a rookie like Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders can potentially transform the team, New York must protect them by assembling a competent supporting cast.

Joe Schoen has an extremely busy couple of months ahead of him, but if he does his job well, the rewards could be plentiful.

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