The New York Giants will host the Carolina Panthers in Week 2 of the 2023 NFL preseason on Friday night at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Starters are expected to see some time, although it’s unclear just how much. Each player will likely be on an individualized snap count.
Here are seven players to watch in this game, provided they play.
QB Daniel Jones
Should Daniel Jones play, fans will see a bigger, more muscular, and mature (not to mention, wealthier) Jones under center. He is entirely in control of the Giants’ offense as he enters his second season under head coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka’s system and tutelage.
Jones will likely play a series or two if he plays at all and it will be interesting to see the types of routes he’ll given to work with. Will they turn him loose with some long passes?
LB Kayvon Thibodeaux
Kayvon Thibodeaux is expected to take that big leap forward in his second season. He appears to be prepared to do that. So why did defensive coordinator Wink Martindale intimate this week that Thibodeaux needed a push this summer? We might find out Friday night if Kayvon comes out firing on all pins.
Kayvon Thibodeaux was asked how much he wants to be a better player than he was as a rookie:
"This league, if you're not growing then you're losing. If I don't become a better player, I'm going to be out in 3 years. That's the truth to the NFL" pic.twitter.com/MiOoVvh9bF
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) August 16, 2023
WR Jalin Hyatt
This year’s third-round pick out of Tennessee has already become a folk legend with his record-setting speed. This week he gets to do three things: play his first game at MetLife Stadium, hook up with Daniel Jones in full uniform, and lastly, play in front of the Giant fanbase.
Can Jalin Hyatt have a ‘Victor Cruz’ moment this week and further his legend? Stay tuned.
LB Micah McFadden
This week, we found out that Micah McFadden was in the lead to earn the starting inside linebacker role next to Bobby Okereke.
Much of that could have something to do with his major competitor for the job, Darrian Beavers, still working his way back from a season lost to a torn ACL.
But it also could be that McFadden has significantly improved over his uneven rookie campaign. We’ll see if that’s true on Friday night.
TE Darren Waller
Pundits whined and lamented that the Giants had no weapons in the passing game this offseason. Then, general manager Joe Schoen stole former Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller from the Las Vegas Raiders in a trade.
The ‘experts’ pooh-poohed the move. Waller can’t stay healthy, they claim.
But Waller is healthy now and he and Jones have developed a little pitch-catch routine that Philadelphia and Dallas beat writers don’t want to admit will be a huge problem for their teams.
We could get a nice preview of that routine on Friday night.
LB Azeez Ojulari
Azeez Ojulari is a very dangerous player. That is when he’s on the field.
Unfortunately, Ojulari hasn’t spent much time on the field much recently. He appears to be healthy now after battling a calf injury all of last season.
While most of the world will be watching the likes of Thibodeaux, Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams, we’ll be watching Ojulari, a solid pass rusher who could be in for big season in 2023.
OL John Michael Schmitz
John Michael Schmitz had a decent pro debut last week in Detroit. He was surrounded by a rotating army of guards and tackles that never took hold.
Schmitz, however, managed to hold his own. This week, he will be back for more and have a bit of experience under his belt this time. He looks to be a player who learns quickly and gets better with each experience.
The Giants are hoping that this is true.
