With the Summer coming to an end, I often get upset at the thought of having to go back to school and losing the freedom and joy that Summer brings me. I’m always able to cheer myself up from this when I remember the fact that although the Summer may be ending, this means the dawn of a new football season is around the corner. There’s almost nothing better than waking up on a Sunday morning with a full slate of games ahead of you, especially when your favorite team is a contender. The New York Giants have certainly acted like contenders this offseason, but are they really?
The big headline of the offseason for the Giants has been their offense. Specifically, the acquisitions of free agent Kenny Golladay and first-round draft pick Kadarius Toney. The imaginations of Giants fans have been running wild with the thought of their young quarterback throwing to guys who can really impact the dynamic of an offense, which Golladay and Toney could do. Of course, Kadarius Toney has yet to play a snap in the NFL (outside of preseason), so who really knows what he can do for the Giants. Either way, his video game-like abilities that he showed at Florida will make any pessimistic fan excited to see what he can do at the professional level.
NFL fans have been seeing prowess of Kenny Golladay for some time with his years in Detroit. Golladay is a big guy who can jump and take the ball away from any defender at will but has been often stuck on mediocre teams and has had injury concerns throughout his career. If Kenny Golladay can stay relatively healthy and not miss significant time, pairing him with Toney’s speed can result in an offense that could really turn a secondary’s gameplan on its head. Even if Golladay and Toney are covered, that leaves potential looks open for Darius Slayton, Sterling Shepard, and Evan Engram.
The potential impact of the Giants wide receiver core is even more intoxicating when you remember that Saquon Barkley will be returning to the backfield this year. Barkley has just been medically cleared to play and is on the roster for week 1’s game against Denver at home. Having Barkley return to the offense can go a long way for Daniel Jones and the Giants this year, considering the moderate success the team had last year without him.
Even though Saquon has been cleared to play week 1, I think it’s worth looking into the depth the Giants backfield has. Devontae Booker almost definitely doesn’t figure into the long-term plans for this team, but he brings some experience to the table. Which could greatly help 6th round draft pick (191 overall) Gary Brightwell out of Arizona. Brightwell had the chance to really impress some people with his potential playing time from Barkley’s injury. Now that we know Saquon has been cleared, it looks as though Brightwell won’t get much playing time. But he has shown that he can be a viable backup for Devontae Booker if Saquon was going to miss time. Brightwell had only 10 rushing yards on 4 attempts but had 20 receiving yards on 3 receptions in Week 3 of the preseason against New England.
While I really like the names that the Giants have on the offensive side of the ball, I wish I could say the same about the offensive line. Prior to Sunday’s game against the Bronco’s, the Giants O-line reads as such: LT: Andrew Thomas, LG: Shane Lemieux, C: Nick Gates, RG: Will Hernandez and RT: Nate Solder. This Giants offensive line is suspicious enough as it is, but with Solder in the mix it makes me so much more worried. Maybe Solder will surprise us all and live up to the expectations he made playing in New England, but the reality is that probably will not happen. When you look at this offensive line it is obvious that Gettleman didn’t do enough to protect his franchise quarterback. It’s not the worst in the league, but it’s just bad enough that it could break the Giants season this year. The one credit I will give to Gettleman is his acquisitions of C Billy Price and G Ben Bredeson. Price and Bredeson may provide absolutely zero impact on the Giants this year, but they provide much needed depth for an offensive line who is average at best.
There is lots to look forward to on the offensive side of the ball, but I would be remiss not to mention the talent and work done on the defensive side of the ball as well. The biggest story defensively was the Leonard Williams contract extension, which totaled $63 million over the next 3 years. Williams is coming off a great season where he recorded 11.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss. Pairing Williams and Dexter Lawrence on the edges of the defensive line for the long-term gives you a formidable defensive front that offenses will have to strategize around.
This year I’ve also been excited to see what 2nd round draft pick (50th overall) Azeez Ojulari can do for the linebacking core as well. The Giants haven’t had a solid linebacker out of their drafts in what feels like forever. So many have come and gone over the years only to fizzle out of the NFL. Hopefully the Giants and Dave Gettleman can buck that trend with a defensive stud out of an SEC school in Azeez Ojulari. With Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence coming off the edge, Ojulari could have the opportunity to make some big time plays and turn this Giants pass-rush from good to elite.
After the excitement of signing Kenny Golladay, the Giants went even further with the signing of cornerback Adoree Jackson. Jackson adds much needed quality depth to the secondary for the Giants. James Bradberry had an outstanding season last year, but the secondary fell apart in the one game that he missed. Isaac Yiadom and Darnay Holmes have talent for sure, but not enough (at least right now) to be guys you want near the top of your depth chart. If Bradberry were to miss more time, Adoree Jackson may give the cornerbacks the strength they need to keep them in games.
The Giants also went with cornerback Aaron Robinson out of UCF with their 3rd round (71st overall) pick in this year's past draft. Aaron Robinson has shown promise during his college career, getting significant playing time his freshman year at Alabama. He’s proven during his time at UCF that he can get to the ball carrier, racking up 54 tackles, but he leaves something to be desired in the coverage department. Hopefully the Giants coaching and veteran leadership in the secondary can develop Robinson and blossom him into a reliable corner in the league.
If you’re a Giants fan, there is lots to be excited about in the upcoming season. Their offensive line leaves me worried, but part of me also thinks they can surprise us and not be horrible. Maybe I’m just hopelessly optimistic, but weirder things have happened. Dave Gettleman could’ve done better in some areas, but he has made a valiant effort to improve the quality of life around his franchise quarterback. The Giants have shown that they expect to win now, and in Daniel Jones’ third year under center, the room for error is small. For Daniel Jones, and for General Manager Dave Gettleman.
