The New York Giants made some wholesale changes this offseason in an effort to reverse a near decade-long stretch of losing.
Have those changes changed the narrative about them across the NFL? Not really. Most experts want to see proof of life before putting anything chips down on the Giants.
The folks at ESPN are still ranking the Giants last in the NFC East heading into the 2022 season behind the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders.
“Let’s start by putting the Giants last. They have the worst roster of the bunch. The Commanders are the wild card. They are better than most want to believe, especially if Wentz can be steady. The Eagles crushed the draft and traded for receiver A.J. Brown, and the Cowboys’ offensive line is on the decline. So it’s Philadelphia, Washington, Dallas and the Giants.”
ESPN’s NFL Nation identified the Giants’ secondary, which lost three veteran starters (cornerback James Bradberry and safeties Logan Ryan and Jabrill Peppers) from last year, as their biggest need this summer:
“The Giants could use veterans at safety and cornerback. Right now they have Xavier McKinney at one safety spot and Adoree’ Jackson as their No. 1 cornerback. Everything else is up for grabs, from their No. 2 cornerback to their strong safety to their slot corner.”
ESPN also sees the Giants’ two first round picks – edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeuax and offensive tackle Evan Neal – making an immediate impact in Week 1.
As for the most intriguing unit, they chose the wide receivers, a group that has a lot to prove this year after falling flat in 2021:
“The Giants have invested a ton at the position in recent years. Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, Sterling Shepard and Wan’Dale Robinson either signed lucrative deals or were drafted in the first two rounds. Throw in Darius Slayton, and there is serious competition for playing time, although Golladay and Toney are the clear front-runners to play on the outside. Who stays healthy could determine who plays the biggest roles.”
As we have been reporting, the Giants are a ‘wait and see’ proposition right now. No one knows what to expect with new fron office and coaching staff and loads of new faces on the roster.
