The 2023 NFL season is almost over. The new league year begins in about six weeks and teams will be paring down their rosters in anticipation of free agency and the 2024 NFL draft.
The New York Giants front office, led by general manager Joe Schoen, has their hands full this winter after a disappointing 6-11 campaign and fissures in the coaching ranks.
The Giants’ needs are aplenty this offseason and one has to wonder which positions Schoen will prioritize first.
Here is a list of the Giants’ top-6 needs heading into 2024 from the least important to the most.
6
Tight end
Darren Waller was supposed to come in last year and team with Daniel Bellinger to form a top-of-the-league duo.
At times they did, but Waller was either out or played hurt most of the season and the experiment was basically a failure.
With Waller showing his penchant for being unavailable while garnering a high salary, the Giants will be on the lookout for tight end options.
5
Cornerback
The Giants seem to have a long-term starter in Deonte Banks, assuming he stays on his current development curve, and we could see Tre Hawkins rebound in 2024.
However, that’s about it for the room.
Veteran Adoree’ Jackson is an impending free agent and unlikely to be re-signed, while the Aaron Robinson experiment seems to be headed toward an end.
Inside, the Giants also have Darnay Holmes and Cor’Dale Flott, but only one of them is likely to be back next season.
4
Edge rusher
Kayvon Thibodeaux came into his own in 2023, racking up 11.5 sacks and playing in all 17 games. The Giants are hopeful that is just a glimpse of what Thibodeaux can bring to the table.
They could use a steady presence across from Thibodeaux, something they thought they had in Azeez Ojulari. That plan went kaput last year as Ojulari was hurt most of the season, starting just seven games.
While edge rusher seems low on this list, remember that it’s a top-5 concern. And it may turn out to be more of a pressing issue in the Giants’ mind than many realize. They had 34 sacks last year, 28th in the league.
3
Wide receiver
Draftniks are mocking wide receivers to the Giants this offseason and they are correct in doing so. Darius Slayton had a solid season and Wan’Dale Robinson displayed his playmaking prowess enough to give the team some hope.
They are banking heavily that Jalin Hyatt can take the next step and that Bryce Ford-Wheaton and Isaiah Hodgins can give them some outside presence.
In 2024, though, that’s not enough. They are likely to select a wide receiver — or two — in this draft and will keep tweaking the room with useful free agents.
2
Quarterback
Daniel Jones is rehabbing from a torn ACL and is on track to return this summer. He is still very much under contract and the Giants can’t do much with his contract until after this season, so he’ll be back.
Tyrod Taylor will be 35 and Tommy DeVito — as nice a story as he’s been — showed that he’s at least backup material going forward.
Very few who follow and write about the league believe that the Giants are really content with their quarterback situation.
The Giants hold the sixth overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft. USC’s Caleb Williams and Drake Maye of North Carolina will be gone by the time the Giants select but LSU’s Jayden Daniels, the Heisman Trophy winner, may not.
That should give Schoen some pause and change the direction of the franchise.
1
Offensive line
The Giants are still bad up front regardless of their efforts the past several years.
They still have just two building blocks they can rely on — left tackle Andrew Thomas and center John Michael Schmitz. They both missed time in 2023, which compounded issues even further.
Schoen has to be rethinking right tackle, where Evan Neal has struggled to gain any traction. He also hasn’t nailed the guard positions down, so few would be surprised if he drafts over those positions.
