6 Still Young Giants Who Need to Have Big Seasons in 2020

The Giants will be counting on the development of their young core players this season, and that development could ultimately dictate the success of the team.

General manager Dave Gettleman has brought youth to the Giants' roster. Whether that youth translates to success in 2020 will depend on the development of several key players, that the new coaching staff will need to jump forward as key leaders for the Giants this season.

QB Daniel Jones

The most obvious step forward the Giants will be looking for in 2020 is from their young quarterback.

Jones flashed accuracy and athleticism as a rookie. Still, under new offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, improvements to his decision making and ball security will be the biggest areas of improvement needed in year two.

Jones had a pair of signature games for the Giants in 2019, leading game-winning drives on the road against Tampa Bay and Washington, but his other ten starts saw 12 interceptions and eight fumbles lost combined.

These errors might have passed for expected rookie mistakes, but they still cost the Giants a handful of close games.

Jones will have some new help on the offensive line in 2020, help that should buy him some extra time, and reduce the number of hits that could jar the ball loose.

If Jones can match the added help he's getting upfront with improvements to his fundamentals, then his year-two jump has the potential to equal the jump he made from his senior year at Duke to his rookie season in the NFL.

ILB Ryan Connelly

The return of a healthy Connelly could give the Giants defense a promising young starter to pair with Blake Martinez.

In three starts as a rookie, Connelly's ball skills and clutch tackling helped the Giants to their two early-season wins, but a torn ACL ended his rookie season and deprived the team of a promising young linebacker.

Connelly's rehab and ability to stay healthy will be major factors in whether he makes that step forward in his second season, especially considering his greatest strength as a linebacker is his stout downhill tackling ability.

But Connelly's other greatest strength is his football IQ, a more certain category in which he can make a second-year jump.

As long as Connelly is taking the time to learn new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham's new defense during the quarantine, then he will bring valuable knowledge and understanding of the new schemes to the defense come training camp, as well as potential long-term leadership.

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WR Darius Slayton

The Giants did not address the wide receiver position in the draft, and with a receiving core highlighted by aging veterans Golden Tate and Sterling Shepherd, the pressure of the number-one receiver role could fall on Slayton as soon as 2020.

Slayton's breakout rookie season is evidence of a promising option on the perimeter of the Giants offense. Still, it could also make him the focal point of opposing defenses this year.

As arguably the most dangerous receiver on the Giants roster already, Slayton could see far more double teams than he did in 2019.

Whether Slayton can adjust to that added coverage in his second year will play a big part in whether he can remain Jones' favorite target.

EDGE Oshane Ximines & Lorenzo Carter

While there is still a possibility that Markus Golden returns, the pressure of improving a pass rush unit that ranked 28th in the NFL in sacks last year will fall on Ximines and Carter in 2020.

Ximines and Carter are both ahead of their prime and trending upward as players. As the only two legitimate young edge-rushing options on the roster, their responsibilities will likely see a drastic increase from a snap-count perspective and subsequent production.

Carter and Ximines combined for just nine sacks in 2019, but neither was a full-time starter. Ximines only started two games and still tallied 4.5 sacks as a rookie.

With the roster in its current state, Ximines and Carter are likely to take over as the full-time starters on the edge in Patrick Graham's defense and will see a heavy workload in terms of snap count.

A revamped secondary should alleviate some of the pressure on the two young linebackers and even grant some extra time to get to the quarterback. Still, Carter and Ximines will be counted on to return the favor and generate significantly more pressure than they did in 2019 if the defense hopes to improve.

WR Corey Coleman

Coleman is not just playing with the Giants' passing game at stake in 2020, but the future of his playing career could depend on whether he can make a jump forward and re-establish himself as a legitimate NFL wide receiver.

Once a first-round draft pick, Coleman will be playing on a one-year contract after a torn ACL in last year's training camp, and it could be the last contract he ever signs if he doesn't prove to be a solid contributor this season.

After an impressive rookie season was cut short to injury in 2016, Coleman's credentials as an NFL player have decreased each year he's been in the league. 

Now Gettleman has given him one more opportunity with the Giants, likely based on that rookie season, and the potential Coleman showed.

Coleman will have to rehab from a devastating injury amid a pandemic, earn a roster spot, stay healthy and get open to catch passes in volume in 2020 to make a significant jump and preserve his NFL future. It will be one of the most intriguing storylines to watch this training camp.

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