New Analysis Paints Interesting State of Giants Prior to Draft

Many New York Giants fans believe the team has pressing needs they must address in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Most on the outside looking in would agree, but not everybody feels that way.

For example, Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus, in his piece on the state of the franchise for all 32 teams, does not believe that the Giants have any real remaining starter needs thanks to their aggressiveness in free agency, which he attributed to the possibility of this being general manager Joe Schoen’s final season in New York.

While at first blush, his assertion might sound preposterous, considering this is a team picking third in the draft, but as we look at the roster, he may actually have a point.

Locker discussed Schoen and how he maneuvered through free agency this offseason to upgrade some of the Giants’ most significant needs, such as the quarterback (Russell Wilson) and the defensive backfield (Jevon Holland and Paulson Adebo).

The truth is that Schoen did more than that. He added three defensive linemen (Jeremiah Ledbetter, Roy Robertson-Harris, and Chauncey Golston) with starting experience and position flexibility.

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen was aggressive in free agency this year, setting up the Giants to take the best in the draft. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

All of them are stout against the run, where the defense struggled last season. These additions will also allow defensive coordinator Shane Bowen to provide more looks to the offense and create more personnel groupings that can cause matchup issues for offenses.

With those additions and the additions Locker mentioned in the secondary, even if the Giants were to draft an edge, interior defensive lineman, or a defensive back, there is no guarantee that they will beat out the veteran guys in front of them.

The signing of Wilson and former first-round pick Jameis Winston gave Locker reason to believe that starting quarterback was not an immediate need.

“The team might not select a quarterback in the first round after inking Wilson and Jameis Winston, “ Locker stated, “both of whom posted 69.9-plus PFF passing grades last year.”

Both quarterbacks seem to possess qualities that Brian Daboll wants in his quarterbacks, with the skill sets to run his offense the way he envisions.

Their presence also means they do not have to try and move up to secure a quarterback since all three teams with the top picks need a quarterback.

Locker believes their presence signals that they will not look for a quarterback in the first round but do not have a plan for the position.

The offensive line is another point of contention for Giants fans, as most still believe that the team needs to upgrade the guard position. Locker believes that guard is a position to target because Greg Van Roten and Evan Neal are only under contract through the 2025 season.

But that is also why a starter is not pressing at the position. The presence of Stone Forsythe and James Hudson III, two free agency acquisitions for the Giants, gives the Giants depth behind both tackles and opens the door for Evan Neal to transition to guard.

He could be the current and future upgrade at the position based on his physical dominance as a run blocker.

There is a better-than-likely chance that the Giants' starting Week 1 players are already on the team before we even get to the draft. That should alleviate the need to take a player for need unless the team believes that a rookie can come in and upgrade the position immediately.

This also shows how finite the lines are between winning seasons and a season that places you in the top three in the draft.

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