Questions Giants Must Answer for Successful 2023

Coming off of a successful 2022 season, what more needs to be done in order for the Giants to continue their winning ways in 2023?

Author:
Andrew Parsaud
Publish date:
Jun 4, 2023 8:00 AM EDT

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New York Giants

The Giants shocked the NFL world last season, winning nine regular games and their first playoff game since the 2011 season. Many believed the Giants wouldn’t have sniffed the playoffs in 2022, but they came out to a hot start, winning six of their first eight games, and finished strong to end the season by clinching a postseason spot.

This year, the Giants enter 2023 with expectations. They signed Daniel Jones, Dexter Lawrence, and Darius Slayton, all members of the 2019 draft class, to deals that will keep them in blue for the foreseeable future. They added Bobby Okereke to be their top linebacker and A’Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nunez-Roches to bolster the interior of the defensive line.

In the draft, they selected Deonte Banks, John Michael Schmitz, and Jalin Hyatt with their first three picks, all expected to become big contributors during their rookie seasons. Of course, can’t forget about the trade for star tight end Darren Waller, who will likely become Jones’ top target.

The Giants are better equipped than they were at the start of last year. However, there are still some big questions the Giants need to answer if their 2023 season will be a success.

Can they finally defeat the Eagles and Cowboys?

Divisional games haven’t been kind to the Giants for a long time. Year after year, they’re continually beaten by the same two teams: the Eagles and Cowboys, who have alternated for the most part as the division winner each year.

The Giants went 1-4-1 in the division last year, their lone win against the Commanders in Week 15. They were swept by Dallas and Philadelphia and were demolished by the Eagles in the Divisional round of the playoffs. The year before, they went 1-5, swept by Washington and Dallas and splitting with the Eagles. In 2020 they had a 4-2 divisional record, sweeping Washington and splitting with the Eagles and Cowboys.

The list goes on, but the Giants haven’t been able to get over the hump consistently when it comes to playing against Dallas and Philadelphia. They haven’t beaten a Dak Prescott-led Cowboys team since 2016. They were at least able to notch a win against Jalen Hurts in 2021, but the Eagles aren’t going anywhere anytime soon as last year showed; they’ll have to be able to beat an entirely new Philadelphia squad.

If the Giants want to show that they’re legit and last year wasn’t a rarity, it starts with beating the two best teams in their division.

Will the offense create more explosive plays?

The Giants offense wasn’t exactly exciting last season. They had the fewest 20+ yard passing plays in league with just 28, as they didn’t have the firepower to create those types of explosive plays.

Heading into training camp, the Giants have added what seems to be enough talent to start taking more shots downfield, as well as players being able to create more yards after the catch. The acquisition of Waller is expected to result in more big pass plays. Waller has 53 career catches of 20+ yards, with nine of those catches in the same amount of games last season. In the previous three seasons? 13 in 2021, 16 in 2020, and 14 in 2019.

Darius Slayton has proven to be a big-play threat every so often, as has Isaiah Hodgins and Parris Campbell, the latter of whom had seven catches of 20+ yards last season. Rookie Jalin Hyatt’s speed allows him to stretch the field and allow Daniel Jones to take those chances.

The Giants are locked and loaded on offense to take the next step in opening up the passing game.

Can they squash the injury bug?

A major issue that arose all of last season: injuries. Injuries happen all across the league; it’s part of the game. However, the Giants always seem to get the worst news out of any team.

Most every player from the Giants’ 2022 draft class dealt with some type of injury, except for one: linebacker Micah McFadden. Edge Kayvon Thibodeaux missed the first two games of the season and offensive tackle Evan Neal missed four during the middle of the year, both due to sprained MCLs.

Receiver Wan’Dale Robinson seemed to be getting into a groove before tearing his ACL in Week 11. Cornerback Cor’Dale Flott missed some time with a calf injury and guard Josh Ezeudu suffered a neck injury in Week 10 that ultimately ended his rookie year.

Linebacker Darrian Beavers and offensive lineman Marcus McKethan suffered season-ending injuries before the regular season began. Defensive lineman D.J. Davidson tore his ACL in Week 5. Tight end Daniel Bellinger had a scary eye injury in Week 7 that caused him to miss time, and safety Dane Belton had a lingering clavicle issue near the end of the year.

And that’s just the rookie class. The injury bug plagued everywhere, especially the secondary. Adoree’ Jackson and Xavier McKinney, staples of the Giants' defense, missed seven and eight games, respectively, and Leonard Williams and Azeez Ojulari dealt with lingering issues throughout the year.

The reality is that every player ends up dealing with something throughout the season. But the Giants constantly search for answers to soft tissue injuries and other avoidable issues that have put them in the top 10 of the most injured teams in the league over the last several years.

Can they finally stop the run?

The Giants run defense last year was abysmal, and that’s putting things nicely. The team simply had no answer for opposing teams running the ball. The lack of a true inside linebacker capable of filling gaps hindered the defense. Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams could only do so much up front, especially Lawrence, who was always on the field.

The Giant's linebacking core last year was a ragtag group of players that gave a good effort but couldn't keep up. Jaylon Smith and Tae Crowder took turns being the top linebackers on the team, which isn’t ideal. Micah McFadden didn’t have a spectacular rookie season, but he certainly had flashes of what he could become. The Giants even brought Landon Collins and Jarrad Davis to try and fix their problems with little success.

One of Joe Schoen's first moves this offseason was addressing the linebacker position. He signed Bobby Okereke to a four-year deal, making him the man in the middle of the Giants' defense. Okereke is a tackling machine, totaling 130+ tackles in the last two seasons, and can cover pass catchers.

Schoen added defensive linemen A’Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nunez-Roches to play behind Lawrence and Williams. Robinson and Nunez-Roches allow the Giants’ top two interior defensive linemen to rest without worrying about the middle of the line falling apart.

Will the pass rush break out?

The Giants had 41 sacks last season, which was good for the 13th most in the league. Sacks aren’t everything when rushing the passer but getting home on those plays is certainly rewarding.

Going back to the injury issue, players like Ojulari and Williams missing time contributed to the Giants' lack of sacks. Ojulari had 5.5 sacks in just seven games last season. He was well on his way to a potential double-digit sack season. Unfortunately, injuries hindered that from happening, but if Ojulari can stay healthy, the Giants' pass rush will be hard to defend.

Kayvon Thibodeaux, the fifth-overall pick in last year’s draft, notched four sacks, 13 quarterback hits, and 18 pressures in 14 regular season games. Not bad for his rookie year, but Thibodeaux now has the potential to seriously become a breakout candidate for the Giants this season.

He started coming along near the season's end, totaling three sacks in his final five games. Thibodeaux also put on a show in the Giants’ Sunday night win against the Commanders in Week 15 with a strip sack touchdown.

The pass-rush duo of Ojulari and Thibodeaux could be lethal if everything goes right. Dexter Lawrence, who had a career-high 7.5 sacks last year, dominating in the middle will make it even more difficult for opposing offensive lines. The Giants haven’t had a double-digit sack player since Leonard Williams had 11.5 in 2020; it’s time they end the streak.

Can Evan Neal prove to be a capable starter?

One of the biggest X-factors on the team this year is right tackle Evan Neal. Neal struggled mightily in his rookie season, committing seven penalties and allowing seven sacks in just over 700 offensive snaps.

He was tested a lot in his first year, facing tough edge rushers such as Haason Reddick and Demarcus Lawrence, which is a tough ask for a first-year player. Neal showed flashes of what he could be, but something needs to change if the Giants' offense wants to improve.

Will CB Deonte Banks step up to the challenge as a rookie?

One of the Giants’ biggest problems last season was finding a consistent starter opposite Adoree Jackson. Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale had no choice but to have a rotation of different players trying to fill the void at the second cornerback spot after projected starter Aaron Robinson was lost for the season early.

The Giants, looking toward the future, selected Deonte Banks in the draft's first round. Banks is a quick, physical corner with good size and excels in press coverage; he’ll fit perfectly into Martindale’s defense style.

Banks will be tested immediately, even as the second cornerback opposite of Jackson. The Giants face a gauntlet of very good receivers this season that can create problems in a heartbeat for any defense, such as A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith from the Eagles, CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks from the Cowboys, and Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson from the Commanders.

Other duos they play include DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett/Jaxon Smith Njigba (Seahawks), Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk (49ers), and Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle (Dolphins).

Banks will be traveling with some of the game’s top receivers in his rookie season. Will he be able to handle the pressure? The Giants sure hope so.