Bleacher Report predicts that the New York Giants’ playoff drought extends to six years as they miss the playoffs again this upcoming season.
The Giants have been the worst team in football over the past half-decade as they have failed to notch even one winning season. And while they have done a lot to try to right the ship this offseason (hiring Joe Schoen as general manager, bringing on first-time head coach Brian Daboll, and drafting Kayvon Thibodeaux and Evan Neal in the first round), it simply may not be enough to get this team into the playoffs.
The Giants’ young collection of talent is encouraging for their rebuild. However, it won’t be enough to earn a playoff spot in 2022. This team still lacks offensive line depth and experience at key spots, and the defense doesn’t have proven playmaking in the back seven.
Expecting first-round edge-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux to immediately change the way the unit operates isn’t realistic despite his immense talent. The secondary has zero depth, and the starters besides Xavier McKinney and Adoree’ Jackson are shaky. This is a promising but lacking defense.
The NFC East will be brutal this year. Dallas took a small step backward but is still a contender for the Super Bowl. The Philadelphia Eagles made major upgrades on both sides of the ball this offseason, and Washington will be improved after upgrading at quarterback.
The Giants aren’t there yet, but they are in line to improve considerably if Jones can grow into a reliable passer.
The Giants still have a lot of glaring holes with Daniel Jones yet to breakout, an under-performing receiving core that recorded the lowest number of receiving touchdowns, and serious performance questions regarding the interior offensive line. And that is just on the offensive side of the ball.
In terms of defense, the Giants have zero experienced depth behind Xavier McKinney, Julian Love, and Adoree’ Jackson in the secondary. The linebacker core is filled with late-round draft picks and Blake Martinez who is coming off an ACL tear. The defensive line and edge rushers are likely the best part of this defense but that is not saying much as even this group has not performed up to par.
For Big Blue to prove Bleacher Report and many doubters wrong they will need some significant scheme help from the coaching staff and to be one of the healthier teams in football.
