The 2023 season was a major downer for the New York Giants. There were a few surprises and glimmers of hope on the defensive side of the ball, but it wasn’t enough to extend the season.
The front office issues plagued the team and resulted in more upheaval with the “parting of ways” with Wink Martindale.
In the wake of the blinders being ripped off around the whole Wink/Brian Daboll fiasco, let’s take a look at nine players (in no particular order) who disappointed the most in 2023.
Andrew Thomas
Ask him and he’ll tell you, Andrew Thomas had a down year. He injured his hamstring during the Week 1 debacle against the Dallas Cowboys and never returned to his consistently dominant form. He still played well considering his injury, but 2023 was his lowest-graded season since his rookie year. Thomas is an elite offensive lineman, but his play this year was disappointing even though it was not entirely his fault.
John Michael Schmitz
John Michael Schmitz struggled all season and was the lowest-graded center in the league. He had an odd snap problem that resulted in Justin Pugh repeatedly tipping the snap count. Let’s factor in that he’s a rookie who had to work with three different quarterbacks because of injuries, and he had his own injuries to deal with, but he still did not perform as expected. Maybe it wasn’t his fault, maybe it was, but he has to improve if he wants to remain a starter.
Evan Neal
Evan Neal was the lowest-graded Giant this season and ranked 83 out of 84 qualifying offensive tackles. It’s hard to know where to start with Neal — he was the embodiment of a sophomore slump. Nothing he did worked and he ended the season on IR. He struggled as a rookie and then somehow regressed further in 2023.
Daniel Jones
Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll rewarded Daniel Jones’ 2022 breakout with a massive four-year, $160 million contract. The Giants expected top-tier play from him and didn’t get it. Even before his injury, Jones was regressing. He allowed the constant pressure he was under to change his style of play and seemed scared to push the ball down the field. His field-vision regressed and he struggled to process pre-snap reads. He looked nothing like he had in previous seasons, even when those seasons were bad. Playing behind the worst offensive line in the league did him no favors and eventually ended his season, which may have been a blessing in the long run.
Darren Waller
Acquired in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders, Darren Waller put up solid numbers this season. He was the second-leading receiver for the Giants (behind Darius Slayton) and recorded 52 receptions for 552 yards and a touchdown. But he dealt with injuries and never established himself as the game-changing presence the Giants hoped for when they traded for him.
Parris Campbell
Parris Campbell joined the Giants last offseason as a free agent signing. He signed a one-year contract to suit up in blue this season, but he never quite fit the offense. He had drop issues early in the season and the fifth-year receiver out of Ohio State was then a healthy scratch for most of the games down the stretch.
Tre Hawkins
A rookie out of Old Dominion, Tre Hawkins surprised many during training camp. He played well and seemed to be on his way to a solid season until that first fateful game against the Cowboys. Hawkins fell off track almost immediately during the regular season, eventually losing his role and seeing his snaps become severely limited. While he has a solid run defense, he was awful in coverage and needs to work hard this offseason.
Azeez Ojulari
Azeez Ojulari only appeared in 11 games this season due to injuries and he lacked production as an edge rusher. We saw a few flashes here and there, but his 16 tackles (nine solo), 2.5 sacks, and one fumble recovery were largely unremarkable. Last year he played in just seven games, but he managed to record 14 tackles (nine solo), 5.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and a pass defensed. Just finishing his third season, Ojulari hasn’t reached his ceiling yet. And if he can’t get through a full season without injury, he may never reach his full potential.
Graham Gano
Graham Gano has been in the NFL for 14 years and is known as one of the top kickers. He had a few uncharacteristic misses early in the season before getting injured. He attempted to play through his injury but couldn’t, missing a game-winning field goal and landing himself on IR. Normally a consistent kicker, Gano had his worst season to date, making just 64.7% of his attempts.
