New York Giants 2020 Accolades Predictions

Who will step up for the Giants this year?

If the team is to finally reverse its losing ways, the answer is that everyone will step up.

But in the interest of picking out those players who we at Giants Country think will challenge for off-season accolades (which given the makeup of this team is probably the last thing they're worried about but which is always fun to forecast) we've put together our Giants preseason accolades list covering the following categories: Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Special Teams Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year, Most Improved Player and Comeback Player of the Year.

Disclaimer: Rankings are based on the assumption that all selected players selected will stay healthy. Also, no player was eligible to be nominated to win more than one category.

Agree? Disagree? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below.

Most Valuable Player: RB Saquon Barkley

Running back Saquon Barkley gives the Giants the best chance to overachieve in 2020.

Barkley has been the offensive engine on a sluggish Giants offense for the last two years, so imagine what he could do on an improving one. To put it plainly, the Giants are good when Barkley is good.

Since drafting Barkley second overall in 2018, the Giants have only won nine games. However, in seven of those nine wins, those being the wins Barkley was able to play from start to finish, he was the clear-cut outlier for the team's offensive success.

Barkley averaged 162 all-purpose yards and 1.2 touchdowns per game in the seven games the Giants have won with Barkley on the field for all four quarters.

Meanwhile, in games where Barkley puts up less than 100 all-purpose yards, the Giants are 2-10.

Barkley has established himself as a generational talent in the NFL, evident by the historic start to his career. He led the NFL in yards from scrimmage as a rookie with 2,028, accompanied by 15 touchdowns.

Despite missing three games with an ankle injury in 2019, Barkley still put together a 1,441-yard season with eight-touchdowns. From a production standpoint, he has been the Giants' most important contributor in the run game, and arguably in the passing game as well, evident by his 1,159 receiving yards.

An argument could be made for quarterback Daniel Jones to be the team's MVP if the offense is any good. However, Barkley's versatility pushes his candidacy over the edge. His presence on the field creates a different dynamic for the offense to work with that will elevate Jones as a passer.

Offensive Player of the Year: TE Evan Engram

Yes, Jones gets snubbed again. He hasn't been mistreated this since draft night.

This isn't to say that tight end Evan Engram will be a more critical presence than Jones on the Giants' offense--that argument only works in the MVP conversation.

What makes Engram the prediction for our OPOY is the potential statistical production that he is capable of in Garrett's offense, combined with his versatility as a blocker in the run game.

Engram has unique receiving and run-after-catch ability for a tight end and could become a favorite target for Jones. Last year, with Jones as his passer, Engram averaged 50.5 receiving yards per game on 7.6 pass targets per game.

Those targets included Jones' first career touchdown pass in Week 3 against Tampa Bay on a 75-yard catch and run. It was the longest receiving play by a tight end in Giants' franchise history and evidence of his unique explosiveness as a tight end.

Engram has averaged 51.9 receiving yards per game, but that number jumps to 88.8 yards when he is the recipient of at least seven receptions in a game.

Garrett's offense could prove to give Engram the volume catches he needs to become one of the most productive tight ends in the NFL.

When Garrett took over as Cowboys offensive coordinator in 2007, Witten had his first 1,000-yard season. Witten went on to rack up three more 1,000-yard along with Pro-Bowl nods under Garrett's guidance as an offensive coordinator and head coach.

Defensive Player of the Year: DB Jabrill Peppers

Who knows how many positions defensive back Jabrill Peppers will have to play for the Giants this year?

Peppers has been preparing all offseason to do it all in the Giants' secondary, and his role could be critical to the team's run and pass defense.

Head coach Joe Judge and defensive backs Jerome Henderson have already said that they plan on putting Peppers' versatility to use in 2020, as he has become the team's latest answer to a lacking cornerback group.

According to Pro Football Focus’ snap breakdowns, Peppers played 92 snaps in the slot and 16 snaps at wide corner last year. Those numbers are expected to increase under new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham in a system that will emphasize versatility among its defensive backs.

Peppers is as versatile as they come, a trait that should mesh well with his top-end athleticism in a defense that will need him to take on a critical and diverse role.

Special Teams Player of the Year: P Riley Dixon

Punter Riley Dixon goes into the season as one of the team's few Pro-Bowl candidates and has already carved his name in the franchises record books twice.

Dixon broke a Giants punting yard net average record for the second year in a row thanks to his 42.3 average in 2019, which broke the previous record of 41.8 set in his first season with the Giants in 2018.

To understand the impact Dixon can make on a game, look no further than last year's Week 14 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football.

Dixon delivered a season-high nine punts in Philadelphia on Monday Night Football, for 43.6 net average yards with two downed inside the 20-yard line.

Two of his punts, one downed at the Eagles' three-yard line and a timely 53-yarder from the Giants' six-yard line, were critical in the Giants' early defensive effort that netted a 17-3 lead.

With the game tied at 17 inside of two minutes, Dixon executed a successful 44-yarder from the Giants own 32-yard line to push the Eagles out of field-goal range.

While the Giants ultimately lost the game in overtime, Dixon's poise and consistency helped the special teams unit make a noticeable impact and put the Giants in position to win.

Rookie of the Year: OT Andrew Thomas

It's hard to make a case for any other Giants rookie taking on a more significant role than offensive tackle Andrew Thomas.

After veteran left tackle Nate Solder announced his decision to opt-out of the 2020 season, Thomas now projects as the team's starting left tackle.

The good news for the Giants is that they are believed to have gotten the most pro-ready offensive tackle in this year's draft. Pro Football Focus ranked Thomas as the NFL's No. 22 offensive tackle going into 2020 despite him having never taken an NFL snap.

If Thomas is named the starting left tackle, he'll be facing some steep competition this year.

The Giants' first four games are projected to pit Thomas against T.J. Watt of the Steelers, Khalil Mack of the Bears, Nick Bosa of the 49ers, and Aaron Donald of the Rams.

The good news is that Thomas proved he could hold his own against some of the fiercest pass rushers in the SEC. That history of competitive energy should give the Giants hope that Thomas won't back down from a challenge.

Most Improved Player: OG Will Hernandez

Offensive guard Will Hernandez was supposed to take a big leap forward last year, but that didn't happen for various reasons.

Hernandez ranked 74th in offense, 33rd in pass blocking, and 117th as a run blocker in 2019, after finishing 26th in offense, 38th in pass blocking, and 42nd in run blocking as a rookie the year prior among all guards according to Pro Football Focus.

Hernandez is simply a better player than his 2019 performance indicates, and a different offensive scheme could be the key to him unlocking his potential.

Giants Country's Nick Falato noted that the Giants might be looking to run more gap/power and DUO, along with wide zone, outside zone, and some inside zone.

The gap/power and DUO, according to Falato, should fit Hernandez’s skillset a bit better due to his ability to move in space, location, and finishing power to kick-out.

Hernandez has the talent, disposition, and work ethic to eventually become a Pro Bowl guard. The change in coaching philosophies should be a tremendous boost in helping him move more toward that goal.

Comeback Player of the Year: ILB Ryan Connelly

Ryan Connelly's rookie year in 2019 seemed to end just as it began.

After racking up 18 tackles and two interceptions in his first three starts, a season-ending ACL tear in Week 4 against Washington ended Connelly's promising campaign and forced him to undergo offseason surgery.

But now the stage is set for Connelly to pull off a comeback in 2020, and his history proves that injury isn't enough to slow him down. As a former walk-on at Wisconsin, Connelly played through a painful core injury throughout his senior season.

Connelly could be the perfect fit to start alongside veteran Blake Martinez at inside linebacker.

Connelly's awareness and mental processing ability to diagnose a play pre-snap is one of his greatest strengths as a linebacker and could make him a central cerebral figure in Patrick Graham's defense.

The linebacker's combination of size, length, and short-area burst made for contributions to the run defense last year, making Connelly more of a two-down linebacker. He and Martinez can combine to be one of the NFC East's best run-stopping inside linebacker tandem.