Where Giants Brian Daboll Ranks Among NFL Head Coaches

As the New York Giants have discovered several times since 2016, the coaching staff is just as important, if not more so, when it comes to team success (or lack thereof).

So the Giants, who are currently on their fourth head coach since two-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Tom Coughlin left the team after the 2015 season, will be looking to shape a rebuilt roster under the direction of head coach Brian Daboll, the former Bills offensive coordinator who worked wonders in Buffalo.

In CBS Sports' ranking of all 32 NFL head coaches, Daboll, who along with Kevin O'Connell (Vikings), Nathaniel Hackett (Broncos), and Mike McDaniel (Dolphins), is categorized into the "New Guys" category (Matt Eberflus of the Bears is also new, but he's in the Stuck in the Mud category), has the second-highest rating from that cluster, falling just behind McDaniel.

Notes author Cody Benjamin of his ranking:

Until settling in as QB Josh Allen's top tutor in Buffalo, Daboll never lasted more than two seasons as an offensive coordinator anywhere. But you can't overlook the way he helped tailor the Bills' attack to Allen's dual-threat strengths, and his history with Alabama and the Patriots at least hints at head-coaching-level resolve. Now, how quickly can he find or groom star power at QB in New York, where the lineup is closer to rebuilding than contending?

The challenge with this ranking exercise is, as Benjamin points out that each new head coach offers promise. But that doesn't mean anything until they get thrown into the deep end of the pool and have to lead their respective teams through the weekly grind of the NFL season.

Still, there is a lot to like about Daboll starting with the diverse staff he put together, which includes both people he's worked with before and some new faces. His goal was to put together the brightest minds in the business and give them a piece of the program's ownership in hopes that the collaborative effort might lead to better results.

But then again, that was the hope for the last three coaching staffs the Giants put together, only to have those expectations not be fulfilled. But we digress.

The Giants offense, which has gone stale over the last couple of years, appears to be headed for a modernized refresh under Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. Among the plans for the offense include more pre-snap motion, quicker passes, and more creative looks not previously seen in recent years from the Giants.

If Daboll can get the offense to resemble a poor man's Bills offense--no easy task given the questions that still exist across the board at quarterback, offensive line, and regarding the health of the skill position players--he will have been worth the investment made by the Giants, who are desperate to stabilize their head coaching situation.

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