Twenty Questions About the New York Giants

There's a lot of optimism surrounding the 2023 Giants, and with good reason. There are also a lot of questions, some of which we try to answer below.

The New York Giants are less than a month away from opening training camp, which promises to be loaded with lots of competition and excitement for what's to come.

The excitement, in particular, has captured the imaginations of Giants Nation because of the team's surprising 9-7-1 playoff record last year, combined with its first postseason berth since 2016.

What does 2023 hold in store for Big Blue? We'll have to wait to find out, but in the meantime, I tried to answer 20 questions about the team, questions that were partly inspired by The Athletic's Jon Machota 's Dallas Cowboys fan survey but which have also been adapted to fit the Giants' current state.

Top Questions About the New York Giants 2023 Season

Some early thoughts to the pressing questions facing the New York Giants in Year 2 of head coach Brian Daboll''s tenure.

1. What grade would you give the Giants for their offseason?

General manager Joe Schoen heavily emphasized fixing the most glaring holes on the roster, namely the run defense and a lack of speed on both sides of the ball. He also added depth at several positions, including receiver, tight end, and the defensive secondary. He also managed to hang on to most of his key free agents, the lone exception being safety Julian Love.

The Giants' roster, on paper, is better but not yet quite loaded, as questions remain regarding the rest of the inside linebacker spot, how the cornerbacks will play out, and the offensive line depth.

And how important was it for the Giants to keep coordinators Mike Kafka on offense and Wink Martindale on defense, despite both men having drawn interest for head coaching opportunities?

The answer is huge. And the Giants' offseason grade is an A-, pending how the training camp battles play out.

2. How far will the Giants go this season?

As far as Daniel Jones and the offense will take them. Last year, Jones did well with what the Giants asked from him- with an average group of receivers and an inconsistent offensive line.

This year, with this being his second season in this offense and with improved skill position, "Danny Dollars" is expected to take a big step forward. The offense is expected to be opened up to include more deep downfield passing that will hopefully lead to a boost in the GIants' 21.5 points per game scored last year.

3. Who wins the NFC East?

The Giants are trying to close the talent gap between themselves, the Eagles, and the Cowboys. They've made progress with the roster, and they have the best stability as far as the coaching situation goes, but the Eagles--yes, despite the fact they have two new coordinators--remain the team to beat in the NFC East until proven otherwise.

4. How do you feel about the current state of the franchise?

Really good. I've been around long enough to remember years when the coaching staff and front office weren't necessarily on the same page, which led to disastrous seasons.

But not this regime of general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll. The two men, who worked together in Buffalo, seem to have legitimate respect and appreciation for each other. They also share the same vision. And Schoen's personnel department cooperates with the coaching staff to get them what they want to make the team good rather than telling the coaches what they can and can't have.

The talent might not yet be on par with the Eagles or 49ers, but it's crystal clear that this Giants franchise is on the path to brighter days.

5. Will the Giants reach the Super Bowl in the next five years?

They have as good a chance as anyone. But here's the thing. Joe Schoen needs to keep the core of this team intact as best as possible. The good news is he's shown a willingness to do so. And he needs to keep finding pieces for the coaching staff to prepare when core players become old or decline in their production.

Remember, the Giants got a late start on building a competitive roster following all their years of missteps with management. They now have stability in the coaching and front office. They just need to continue shaping the roster into one that can win the division, which is the first step toward being considered a serious Super Bowl contender.

6. What grade do you give Brian Daboll ahead of his second season as Giants head coach?

Daboll gets a solid A from me. Pretty amazing, considering he had no prior head coaching experience, but he did a lot of things right in his first year, starting with diversifying his staff so that you don't have the same voices from the same coaching trees chipping in your ear.

Daboll also set parameters within the locker room that the players have followed. He's allowed everyone, from the players to the support staff, to take ownership of the program and product we see on the field, and he seems to understand how to leverage relationship building into getting the most out of his players.

The one decision Daboll made that keeps him from an A+ grade was putting Adoree' Jackson back at punt returner last year. I wouldn't have had a problem with it had the Giants been a little deeper at cornerback, but I firmly believe that was a mistake. If Daboll could get a mulligan on that decision, I'm sure he'd do things differently.

7. Who is the Giants' most overrated player?

I'm not so sure the Giants have an overrated player. Some will look at Daniel Jones's contract and say he's overrated, but he proved last year that the team can win with him. Some might point to Saquon Barkley as a possibility, but Barkley is so much more than just a running back, and he's very much a key cog in the wheel.

Bottom line. While posting a winning record, this team needed every last contributor it could get. If you had asked me this last year, I would have said Kenny Golladay, but this year? I don't think the Giants have an overrated player.

8. Who is their most underrated player?

Backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor. Think about it. What do the Giants do if Daniel Jones goes down with an injury? Right, they turn to one of the better backups in the NFL in Taylor, who has starting experience and has shown he can win games.

9. Who is their most valuable player?

Left tackle Andrew Thomas, and I don't even think it's close, to be honest. If Thomas goes down for any amount of time, who on the current roster is stepping in for him and coming anywhere close to playing at the level Thomas has in the last two years? Right now, we don't even know who the team's swing tackle will be, so if you consider that with the unknown depth, it's clear that Thomas is their most valuable player.

10. Which player should the Giants re-sign first (after Saquon Barkley, of course)?

I think left tackle Andrew Thomas will be priority No. 1 for the team next off-season. Yes, his option year was picked up, but Joe Schoen has shown he's not afraid to sign ascending players early, as he did with Dexter Lawrence this year despite Lawrence being under contract.

11. Which rookie makes the biggest impact this season?

I will go with center John Michael Schmitz. Not only will he make the line calls, but the Giants need him to help seal up the leaks that often sprung up the gut last year. And if Schmitz turns into the player everyone thinks he can become, who knows? Maybe that helps the two guards next to him play even better. Oh and wouldn't it be nice if Daniel Jones doesn't have to run for his life and can actually have the time to drop back on a five- or seven-step drop?

12. Which veteran newcomer will make the biggest impact this season?

Tight end Darren Waller. If he's healthy, Waller becomes the de facto No. 1 receiver and a guy who potentially creates headaches for opposing defensive coordinators. And if Waller plays like he's capable of doing, that should open up a lot of stuff for the Giants' "no-name" receivers, particularly in the deep passing game.

13. Which position concerns you most?

Outside linebacker. I'm not as concerned about the production as I am about the depth. If one or both of Azeez Ojulari and KAyvon Thibodeaux have to miss time, who's the No. 3 guy? So they even have one?

The Giants have the same cast of characters as last year, including Oshane Ximines, whose play fell off as the season wore on, Elerson Smith, who can't seem to stay on the field, and Tomon Fox, who has been drip-fed snaps and has shown flashes of potential.

But if Ojulari and Thibodeaux aren't in there? Wink Martindale might be creative, but pulling a rabbit from the hat is hard when you haven't hit the pet store to buy the bunny.

14. Which player’s departure will be the toughest to replace?

Julian Love. Love did it all for the Giants defense and did it well enough to where it will now be interesting to see if Nick McCloud can step in without a drop-off. With Love, he had four years to train for his do-all role, which eventually became a starting job. McCloud is still learning the finer points of playing safety. But the good news is e's a smart guy whom the coaches like.

15. Which receiver will have the best season?

I'm going to go with Isaiah Hodgins. Zero drops last year and a team-leading 82.1 percent reception rate to go along with a team-leading five touchdown catches. But the stat that stood out to me is his success rate on contested catches (63.6 percent), the tenth-best mark among receivers targeted at least 50 times in the passing game.

16. Where would you rank Daniel Jones among NFL quarterbacks?

I'm not ready to say Jones is a top-10 quarterback yet, but I think it's fair to say he falls somewhere between 11-15, with his actual placement being between 11 and 12. 

17. Will Daniel Jones still be the Giants’ starting quarterback three years from now?

I think so. He has a four-year contract, but we all know that the fourth year is one he'll probably never see. The Giants could also get out of the deal after two seasons if they want, but they only do that if Jones badly regresses.

18. Who gets the start at left guard?

The Giants are thought to want Joshua Ezeudu to play the position, but I don't see Ben Bredeson giving up that job without a fight. Who knows, though? If Ezeudu plays well enough, the Giants might trade Bredeson, who is in the last year of his contract, for some future draft assets.

19. How many sacks will Azeez Ojulari and Kayvon Thibodeaux have this season?

If the two can get eight each, I'd be happy. Edge rushers on a Wink Martindale defense rarely notch double-digit sack seasons anyway. Besides, it's not so much about the sack totals as it is about successfully moving the quarterback off his mark. 

20. Who will lead the team in interceptions?

Tough one, as none of the Giants' defensive backs are really "ball hawks" in terms of interceptions. But since I have to pick one, I will go with safety Dane Belton. Belton was the closest player the Giants had who consistently got into a good position to pick off a pass or, at the very least, get a hand on the ball. If he's healthy, he will play a large role in this defense and have plenty of opportunities to lead the team in picks.

 

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