Tag: new york giants

Did New York Giants misstep by passing on QBs in NFL draft?

This week on the Giants Wire Podcast, we recap the 2024 NFL draft and discuss the six selections made by New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen.

The Giants reportedly attempted to trade up for a quarterback but fell short. Did Schoen make enough of an effort? Was Malik Nabers over J.J. McCarthy the right pick at No. 6 overall?

How will the rest of the team’s draft class impact the 2024 regular season?

Additionally, former Giants general manager Dave Gettleman emerged from his hiding spot to throw some shade. What do we make of his “clown” comments? Did he have a point?

And then there’s Saquon Barkley… Upset that Giants fans boo the Philadelphia Eagles? It’s a strange issue to have.

Those topics (and more) are discussed in the latest episode of the Giants Wire Podcast, which is hosted by Ryan O’Leary (@RyanO_Leary on X) and joined by site editor Dan Benton (@TheGiantsWire).

The Giants Wire Podcast will air every week during the regular season and occasionally throughout the offseason. You can listen below

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Giants’ Malik Nabers projected to finish rookie year with 1,032 yards

When was the last time the New York Giants had an impact rookie on their roster? 2018 with Saquon Barkley? 2014 with Odell Beckham Jr.?

This year, with Malik Nabers — the LSU star receiver the Giants selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft — they could finally have another one.

Mike Clay of ESPN is predicting a productive season from the fleet rookie this fall.

Clay is projecting that Nabers and Marvin Harrison, Jr (taken fourth overall by Arizona) will both follow the path of several other wideouts taken in the top 10 and put up big numbers as rookies.

Clay predicts Harrison will post 1,116 receiving yards and Nabers will be right on his tail with 1,032 yards.

I’m placing these two together because the evidence for why these prop lines are too low is roughly the same for both players. Take a look at the production of wide receivers who, like Harrison and Nabers, were selected with a top-six draft pick over the past decade: Amari Cooper (1,070 yards, 16 games), Sammy Watkins (982, 16), Ja’Marr Chase (1,455, 17), Corey Davis (375, 11), Jaylen Waddle (1,015, 16).

It’s a small sample, but four of the five wideouts produced at least 982 yards, with Davis (who missed five games) the only one to fall short. If we include all rookie WRs during the 10-year span, 16 reached 851 yards, and nine of them cleared 1,000. And several of those performances came prior to the league expanding to a 17-game regular season.

The eight rookie WRs picked in the top 10 who appeared in 12-plus games over the past decade averaged a 24% target share (seven of eight in the 22-25 percent range), which suggests both Harrison and Nabers — who have minimal target competition — will be heavily utilized right out of the gate.

Other analysts and experts are waffling on Nabers’ rookie production citing the Giants’ uncertainty at quarterback. Daniel Jones has not passed for more than 3,205 yards in a season and backup Drew Lock has not passed for over 3,000 yards in any of his four seasons in the NFL.

But Nabers could benefit from being the Giants’ top outside and deep threat as well as an increased number of targets with Saquon Barkley gone and tight end Darren Waller’s possible retirement.

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Giants’ Ronnie Barnes preaches resiliency in commencement speech

Ronnie Barnes, the New York Giants’ long-time senior vice president of medical services and head athletic trainer, recently delivered the keynote address at the spring commencement ceremony at his alma mater, East Carolina University, in Greenville, North Carolina.

Barnes, who has worked for the Giants for nearly 15 years in various capacities, imparted some of the wisdom he gathered from his years with Big Blue.

“One lesson I’ve learned throughout my own journey is this: Resilience is not merely the ability to endure hardships, but it’s the power to transform those hardships into opportunities for growth,” Barnes told ECU’s graduating class of 2024 of approximately 3,800 students. “I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the most resilient individuals in professional sports. From players overcoming career-threatening injuries to coaches strategizing in the face of adversity, I’ve witnessed first-hand the transformative power of resilience.

“But resilience is not reserved solely for the gridiron or the playing field, as you well know. It’s a quality that transcends boundaries and empowers us to confront the challenges of everyday life with courage and determination. It’s what enables us to pick ourselves up when we stumble, to push through the pain when it seems insurmountable, and to emerge stronger and more resilient on the other side. As you embark on this next chapter of your lives, I urge you to embrace the challenges that lie ahead with the same resilience and the same determination that has brought you to this very moment.”

Barnes graduated from ECU in 1975 and began working for the Giants shortly after. He has been around for all four of the franchise’s Super Bowl triumphs, including Super Bowl XLII when “resiliency” was their mantra.

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Township of Cedar Grove awards Giants’ Tommy DeVito keys to the city

In a special ceremony held on Monday night in the Township of Cedar Grove, New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito was honored with the keys to the city.

“I’ll continue to be the ambassador and everything (I) need to be for this town,” DeVito said. “Anything you guys will ever need, let me know and I’ll be here for you.”

Born in Livingston, New Jersey, DeVito grew up in Cedar Grove and attended Don Bosco Preparatory High School before heading off to Syracuse for college. He transferred to Illinois in 2022 and signed with the Giants after going undrafted in 2023.

With both Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor injured last season, DeVito unexpectedly stepped in and a legend was born.

Tommy Cutlets, as he came to be known, appeared in eight games with six starts, compiling a 3-3 record while completing 64 percent of his passes for 1,101 yards, eight touchdowns, and three interceptions. He added an additional 195 yards and one touchdown on the ground.

DeVito led the Giants to three consecutive wins against the Washington Commanders, New England Patriots, and Green Bay Packers from Week 11 through Week 14, keeping their slim playoff hopes alive at the time.

During that streak, DeVito’s Italian-themed celebration became a hit across the country and he grew in fame, even being talked about on various late-night shows.

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Is New York Giants’ receiving corps among the league’s most improved?

The 2024 NFL draft saw several teams upgrade their receiver rooms. Are the New York Giants among the teams that improved the most?

Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus believes so:

Darius Slayton’s ongoing contract discussions combined with the Giants having the worst receiving grade in the league last year left the team in need of some juice at wideout. The team got exactly that in LSU’s Malik Nabers, who led the FBS in receiving grade in 2023 (minimum 15 targets). A staple of Nabers’ game is slipperiness after the catch, as reflected by his 30 missed tackles forced last year.

If Slayton does remain in blue and red, he’ll form a potent one-two punch with the 20-year-old Nabers. Regardless, Nabers provides real insurance, given the inconsistent production of Wan’Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt, who each tallied less than 530 yards in 2023.

Beyond Nabers, general manager Joe Schoen was proactive in finding a new tight end. Veteran Darren Waller continues to seriously mull retirement, so the Giants snatched Penn State’s Theo Johnson at 107th overall. Not only did Johnson test incredibly well — with a 9.93 Relative Athletic Score — but he was also a red-zone weapon for the Nittany Lions. His seven touchdowns in 2023 tied for a team high.

Daniel Bellinger projects as TE1 for New York, but Johnson should feature in 12 personnel, which offensive coordinator Mike Kafka ran on 23% of plays in 2023 — the 12th-highest rate in the NFL.

Assuming quarterback Daniel Jones remains under center, both the explosive Nabers and Johnson should augment a poor group from the year before. Both could go a long way in returning the Giants’ offense to its efficient 2022 form.

New York went into the 2023 season with one of the worst receiving corps in the NFL. It was highlighted by Darren Waller, Darius Slayton, Parris Campbell and Wan’Dale Robinson.

Waller was in the back end of his career and not very productive, and it was clear that Slayton, Campbell and Robinson should not be top receiving options on the team. This resulted in the Giants passing for only 3,351 yards and 15 touchdowns.

The deficiency was clear, and the front office decided to address it with a premium draft pick by selecting wide receiver Malik Nabers sixth overall.

In his collegiate career, Nabers totaled 189 receptions for 3,003 yards and 21 touchdowns (14 in his final season). Nabers should be an instant winner on the outside as he is an elite space creator and is electric with the ball in his hands.

The Giants also drafted tight end Theo Johnson, who racked up 77 receptions for 938 yards and 12 touchdowns (seven in his final season) in his collegiate career.

The two rookies totaled more touchdowns last season than the Giants’ entire receiving corps. Only time will tell if the team has really turned the receiving corps around but as of now, it looks good.

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Darius Slayton named an offseason loser for New York Giants

The 2024 NFL draft has concluded, free agency is in a lull and the New York Giants are essentially done making significant moves.

There may be a few stragglers yet, but the end-of-season roster reconstruction is largely complete, leading The Athletic’s Dan Duggan to determine the Giants’ offseason winners and losers.

Among the team’s losers was wide receiver Darius Slayton, which may surprise some as he was somewhat of a bright spot on a lackluster offense in 2023.

Slayton hasn’t attended the voluntary offseason program because he’s unhappy with his contract. The Nabers selection is a major blow to Slayton’s leverage, although he said at the Gridiron Gala that he’s confident the sides will come to a resolution soon. Even if Slayton can squeeze a raise out of the Giants, he’s still looking at a potentially reduced role, with the team clearly viewing its draft picks over the past three years — Nabers, Jalin Hyatt and Wan’Dale Robinson — as the future at receiver.

Most of that is true, but Hyatt and Robinson are still developing and Malik Nabers is a rookie. In 2023, Slayton had his best season to date, so it stands to reason he wants more money. On top of that, most wide receivers peak around their mid-to-late-20s, right where Slayton is now.

Slayton might have a reduced role if he doesn’t return to the team soon, but there’s no reason to assume that will be the case off the bat. He’s their most reliable resource for Jones until someone else proves that to be different. Maybe Nabers does that, but maybe he doesn’t. We won’t really know until the team hits the field together later this summer.

Other losers mentioned are Evan Neal, Josh Ezedu, Azeez Ojulari, Cor’Dale Flott, and Dane Belton.

Winners were Daniel Jones, Eric Gray, Daniel Bellinger, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Nick McCloud.

In 2023, Slayton caught 50 of 79 passes (over 63%) for 770 yards and four touchdowns.

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PFN names this position New York Giants’ biggest remaining weakness

The New York Giants head into the 2024 season with fewer holes than they had in 2023. They fortified both fronts and added some much-needed depth and firepower to their roster.

One thing they failed to do, however, was bring in a possible replacement for embattled quarterback Daniel Jones. The folks at Pro Football Network have identified that as the Giants’ biggest need after the draft and free agency.

New York Giants

Quarterback

Daniel Jones is coming off a torn ACL, and Drew Lock is Drew Lock.

New York Giants fans can only hope that Jones will recapture his 2022 form, but that probably is wishful thinking as Jones has looked average at best for much of his career.

New York opted against taking a QB in the draft and instead used the No. 6 pick on receiver Malik Nabers.

The truth is, the Giants had just one quarterback in mind at the top of the draft — UNC’s Drake Maye, who was snatched up by the New England Patriots with the third overall pick.

It turns out the Pats had no intention of dealing the pick, and the conversations the Giants had with Washington, who held the second pick, were almost a non-starter.

They passed on Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy with the sixth pick (in favor of Nabers) and all of the other possibles were gone by the time they were on the clock again in Round 2.

So, they will proceed with Jones, who they are still very much under contract with, and back him up with Lock, who could end up being a free agent find.

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The hype train continues for New York Giants rookie RB Tyrone Tracy

The New York Giants made six selections in the 2024 NFL draft. Some of the choices were obvious and filled immediate needs and others were based on value and guilty pleasures.

One pick — fifth-rounder Tyrone Tracy Jr., a wide receiver turned running back from Purdue by way of Iowa — is being called a sleeper pick by some experts.

Marcus Mosher of The 33rd Team has also identified Tracy as a rookie who can make an instant impact.

Tracy started his career with the Iowa Hawkeyes, appearing in 38 games as a wide receiver. But after modest production, he transferred to Purdue and started five games at receiver (2022). Ahead of the 2023 season, Tracy transitioned to running back, which likely saved his career. In his first year playing the position, Tracy led the Big Ten in yards per carry (6.3) and scored eight rushing touchdowns.

While Tracy isn’t ready to be a full-time running back (146 career carries in college), he is an incredible athlete who is a threat to score on any play. He posted a 9.78 RAS score, which ranks 42nd all-time (out of 1,903 running backs) after posting a 40-inch vertical jump at 209 pounds.

Tracy will be in a mix with veteran Devin Singletary and second-year back Eric Gray in a committee that will try to help Giant fans move on from Saquon Barkley.

“Now, he’s not going to fill Saquon’s shoes for that offense, but Tracy is an ultra-smooth runner with good vision,” writes Frank Cooney of NFL Draft Scout. “He’s going to surprise and impress the more touches he gets and can be a nice piece for this offense.”

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Daniel Jones has had NFL’s second-worst supporting cast since 2019

NFL quarterbacks can do a lot on the football field, but no man is an island. They need to have a functioning team around them if they are to ultimately succeed.

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has been lambasted by fans and detractors since the day he was selected sixth overall by Big Blue back in 2019.

Jones has had his issues, sure. He is often hurt and has a propensity for turning the football over at the most inopportune times. He also hasn’t been able to beat the Giants’ most hated rivals, the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles.

As a result, the Giants have had exactly one winning season in Jones’ five years with the club, leading critics to lay the team’s entire failure on his shoulders.

The truth is, Jones was charged to succeed with a surrounding cast of subpar players and coaches. A recent study shows the Giants have had the second-worst supporting cast over the past five seasons — and were just a fraction away from being the worst.

Management has acknowledged that they haven’t done enough to support Jones.

“We’ve done everything possible to screw this kid up since he’s been here,” Giants co-owner John Mara said back in 2022.

The Giants did ink Jones to a $160 million extension after that statement only to have him get hurt once again in 2023. This spring, they tried desperately to trade up in the NFL draft to select Jones’ replacement, but to no avail.

Instead, they were left to address their many other roster needs, which is what they should have been doing all along.

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Why the New York Giants need Ben Bredeson to play well in Tampa Bay

The New York Giants could, potentially, receive a fourth-round compensatory pick in the 2025 NFL draft, according to Nick Korte of Over The Cap.

However, in Korte’s projection, he specifically notes that the fourth-round pick is entirely contingent on offensive lineman Ben Bredeson earning the starting job in Tampa Bay and playing enough snaps to qualify.

If Bredeson fails to play enough snaps, Korte projects the Giants would receive a seventh-round compensatory pick at the bottom of the draft.

The Giants have a 4th rounder on the board for Xavier McKinney leaving for Green Bay, but that is contingent on Ben Bredeson qualifying as a CFA. This could be complicated by the Bucs also drafting Graham Barton in the 1st round, should Barton displace Bredeson as a possible starter at guard, instead of Robert Hainsey at center. The Giants and their fans should be rooting for Bredeson to win a starting job. If Bredeson’s contract does not qualify, the 4th rounder gets demoted to a net value 7th rounder placed at the very bottom of the list.

It’s also important to remember that Over The Cap is just one projection method for compensatory picks and may not match the NFL’s highly secret formula.

Based on the knowledge at hand, Korte has the loss of Saquon Barkley being canceled out by the signing of offensive lineman Jon Runyan Jr.

It’s another reason the Giants should have traded Barkley at last season’s deadline.

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