New York Giants' Top Offseason Priorities

Giants GM Joe Schoen was given a mulligan. And now he has to get it right to stay in his job.

Jan 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen before game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The New York Giants need to upgrade an underperforming roster that finished with a franchise-worst 3-14 record and has seemingly not progressed since 2022 when the Giants surprised the NFL with a postseason run.

General manager Joe Schoen, given a reprieve on his job, has a lot of work to do, starting with an honest and thorough evaluation of the roster he and head coach Brian Daboll helped assemble. 

This includes being willing to admit to mistakes made since 2022 that they have stubbornly denied, such as offensive lineman Evan Neal’s best position.

They also need to come up with answers to the following glaring problem areas.

Dec 28, 2024; San Antonio, TX, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) runs with the ball as Brigham Young Cougars cornerback Evan Johnson (21) attempts to make a tackle during the third quarter at Alamodome. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Quarterback

It is no secret the first position that must be addressed is the quarterback position. They must have a contingency plan if they cannot draft Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, both of whom they’ve been linked to.

By picking third, there is no guarantee either will be around when the Giants are on the clock, and there are no other quarterbacks worthy of being selected as high. There is also no guarantee that the Giants have either quarterback ranked that high.  

The Giants must plan to get a veteran bridge quarterback in free agency, such as Minnesota’s Sam Darnold, Pittsburgh’s Justin Fields, Los Angeles Rams' Jimmy Garoppolo, or maybe even Carson Wentz, to be that plug-and-play guy who can carry the team through until they find their next Eli Manning.  

New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II (97) lines up on defense during a game between the New York Giants and the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. / Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Defense

Co-owner John Mara expressed dissatisfaction with the defense's performance in 2024 shortly after the team announced that Schoen and Daboll would return to their respective roles. 

The Giants are solid up front with Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence, and Kayvon Thibodeaux's pass rush. Still, they desperately need help with depth, stopping the run, and improving the defensive secondary.

The Giants only had 15 takeaways, and only four teams did worse in that area. Schoen must be able to secure personnel to prevent teams from driving the length of the field and scoring at will.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell brings up local music artist Eminem and some Detroit Lions players on the main theater stage on Thursday, April 25, 2024 for the first day of the NFL Draft in Detroit. Mandatory Credit: Mandi Wright-Imagn Images / Detroit Free Press-Imagn Images

The Future

Schoen is coming off his best draft class to date, but unfortunately, he can’t rest on his laurels on that one class. The Giants pick third this year and have three picks in the top 100. 

They need to ensure that all three of those first picks are Day 1 starters, and if they can get the kind of production they did from their 2024 class, even better.  

If Ward or Sanders are not available at three, which they might not be with the Tennessee Titans rumored to be all-in on Ward and the Cleveland Browns linked to Sanders, Cleveland is in play because Deshawn Watson will more than likely miss the 2025 season due to an existing injury that was reaggravated.

Travis Hunter is an attractive candidate for the third pick and fits all the boxes. He is big and fast and won the Heisman Trophy, awarded to the best player in college football. 

He is also a two-way player who can play wide receiver and cornerback. He is also a capable return specialist, which the Giants could use. The Giants need all three positions.

However, Schoen must determine where Hunter projects in the NFL because it’s highly unlikely any team will have Hunter playing both cornerback and receiver full-time at the NFL level. 

Hunter is a serviceable wide receiver and a better-than-average corner, but that was at the college level. Again, he will not be able to play roughly 125 plays a game in the NFL.  

If Schoen likes Hunter and determines he wants him to play cornerback, he should go after the best cornerback in the draft and not take Hunter just because of his name recognition.

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