After a dismal 2023 which brought the Giants plenty of injuries, disappointments, and ugly losses, it’s easy to forget that it was just a season ago that this team not only finished with a winning record; but they made the playoffs and even won a road playoff game. So although they’ll be fighting from near the bottom of the hierarchy next season, I think there should be some optimism that New York can rebound and get back into contention in what is the definitively weaker of the two conferences in the NFL.
It’ll be a long offseason of waiting on injuries to heal and negotiating with Saquon Barkley – who I think will and should return – but the Giants are in position to be at least a competitive team week to week next season.
Coaching: Hire a DC with a more common scheme.
I do believe the Joe Schoen/Brian Daboll collective showed more than enough in year one to warrant an extended leash here, and as such, I’m not too concerned about the future with them. Daboll is a top offensive mind in the league, and those are always a premium asset to hang on to. He’s worked his magic for years, working under legendary names like Bill Belichick and Nick Saban before overseeing the development of Josh Allen into a superstar, and, most recently, coaching the Daniel Jones-led Giants – whom everyone had tabbed for a basement finish and premium draft position – to a playoff berth.
His Offensive Coordinator Mike Kafka is a favorite scapegoat of Giants fans, who would love nothing more than to see him gone. I am of the opinion that the OC doesn’t matter all that much here, as Brian Daboll will have his hands all over this offense regardless. Kafka seems well-liked by the players and could stay on that basis alone. If they were to fire him – which they haven’t to this point – I don’t think there is much impact to be felt from anyone who could be in the OC role.
As for the defensive side of the ball, there are going to be some large changes. Wink Martindale and his notoriously blitz heavy system are gone, meaning the Giants will be – in all likelihood – rolling out a brand new, more standard defensive playbook. It will be interesting to see who they land on, but it was clear that the blitz scheme had brought the defense as high as it could in New York, and they’ll need more innovation and high ceiling play calls going forward. As of right now, Daboll seems to be going back to his old friends in Buffalo and interviewing defensive assistants from there, which would be perfectly fine hires. Most recently, they spoke with Bills LB Coach Bobby Babich.
NFL Draft: Draft LSU’s Malik Nabers.
New York is in a spot where Daniel Jones’ contract is virtually uncuttable for one more year, so he will almost certainly be their starter next season. Daboll and Schoen have expressed interest in investing in the QB position this offseason, but landing at pick number 6 seems to have landed them just outside of the Caleb Williams/Drake Maye sweepstakes. Based on my evaluations to this point, the most likely pick would be an offensive playmaker – namely a WR such as Malik Nabers out of LSU. Nabers would immediately bring legitimacy and depth to this WR room, similar to how CB Deonte Banks did to the secondary last draft. He’s explosive, fast, and can be the future number one weapon that this team has been sorely lacking since Odell Beckham left.
Later in the draft, my focus would be on the trenches. Take some shots at offensive linemen: aside from LT Andrew Thomas, this OL continues to struggle. On the flip side, Azeez Ojulari can’t stay healthy, Kayvon Thibodeaux was inconsistent after a few strong games, and you traded Leonard Williams. Find some depth on the defensive line.
Free Agency/Trades: Round out the Skill Positions
As far as trades go, I don’t see much on that front. The Daniel Jones contract doesn’t align with a potential Justin Fields trade timeline, and there aren’t too many other names to watch out for. Could this be a development spot for Trey Lance? I doubt it.
In free agency, I still think New York will need to add to the receiver room. You’ve got a lot of guys to do a lot of things in Wan’Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton, (if he resigns,) and the newly drafted Malik Nabers, but I think this room would need another reliable player. I could see this being a decent Kendrick Bourne or Cedrick Wilson landing spot, for example. An OBJ reunion would be super fun, but probably a long shot to happen.
I do ultimately think Saquon Barkley will be back in blue next season, but if he isn’t, you’ll obviously need to replace him with somebody. Gus Edwards, Ezekiel Elliott, and Zack Moss are stable RBs who had resurgent seasons this year, and could add capable rushing ability to their room.
Fantasy Implications
Daniel Jones 📈
Saquon Barkley ↔️ (if he stays)
Malik Nabers 📈
Darren Waller 📉
Summary
Bring in a traditional DC
Re-sign Saquon Barkley
Draft WR Malik Nabers
Focus on Signing + Drafting Depth at WR, OL, DL