The start of the 2023 NFL season is upon us, and football fans are salivating at the prospect of a new season. Touchdown Wire compiled lists of the best players at each position, and last week they released their top 101 NFL players heading into the 2023 season.
The New York Giants managed to land four players in the top 101, but you might be surprised at which players and where they landed.
Buy Giants TicketsAndrew Thomas was the lowest-ranked Giants player at No. 64.
Under the thermonuclear improvement presented by new head coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka in 2022, Thomas continued the good work — he gave up four sacks, three quarterback hits, and 16 quarterback hurries. Only two of those sacks, along with three hits and 10 hurries, came in True Pass Sets.
Saquon Barkley made the list, which isn’t surprising, but he was listed at No. 54.
Barkley isn’t your typical sustaining, tackle-breaking back — he averaged 2.75 yards per carry after contact last season, and his 41 missed tackles forced ranked 17th in the NFL. But if you want explosive plays in the run game — well, he’s got those. Barkley had 21 carries of 15 or more yards last season; only Nick Chubb (23) had more of those.
Next comes Darren Waller, who ranks No. 50 on the list.
Generally speaking, Waller is a Big Problem to deal with in any contested-catch situation because he can bend his 6-foot-6, 255-pound frame however he needs to in order to make the defender (or defenders) look silly.
Last, but very certainly not least, is the man himself, Dexter Lawrence. A defensive leader both in stats and on the field, Sexy Dexy checked in at No. 10 overall.
Lawrence was as good as any interior defensive lineman in the league last season. He totaled nine sacks, 26 quarterback hits, 35 quarterback hurries, and 42 stops during a breakout season in which his tape overwhelmed his metrics.
One thing we know for sure — nobody was more destructive to opposing quarterbacks last season as a nose tackle. From the 0-tech and 1-tech alignments (head over the center and to the center’s shoulders), Lawrence racked up 47 total pressures. Vita Vea of the Buccaneers ranked second… with 18.
These four players each have a major impact on the Giants’ ability to be successful this season. Thomas’ ability to protect Daniel Jones directly impacts Barkley’s and Waller’s ability to make plays. Lawrence disrupts every opposing offense he faces.
If these guys can stay at the top of their game this season, the Giants are bound to be successful.
