A year ago, the New York Giants were listed at No. 28 in CBS Sports’ team triplets rankings. But after a solid finish in 2022 and a strong offseason, they’ve seen their stock rise.
CBS Sports now has the Giants ranked at No. 18 overall, a modest 10-spot improvement.
QB: Daniel Jones RB: Saquon Barkley TE: Darren Waller
Jones may have been the most improved player in the NFL last season, but most of that improvement was about limiting the downside of his play and not discovering the upside. New York took more off his plate and basically asked him to be a runner and short-passer and that was about it. What will things look like if and when the Giants ask him to do more? We’re going to find out over these next few years, and at least the team went out and got him a higher-quality pass-catcher in Waller to aid that development.
This ranking feels low for a group that has players that are considered top five in their respective positions in Barkley and Waller. Not to mention, Jones made massive strides in 2022 as he posted career-highs in passing yards (3,205), completion percentage (67.2), QBR (60.8), rushing yards (708), and rushing touchdowns (7).
Jones also got rid of the turnover bug, leading the league with the lowest interception percentage (1.1) while having career lows in fumbles (6) and interceptions (5).
The emergence of Jones is definitely a factor that boosted this core up 10 spots in the ranking but the addition of Waller feels underappreciated in this placement. The tight end has recorded 3,394 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns over the past four seasons, which is much more than any Jones receiving option has done during that span.
Not to mention, Waller fits perfectly for the intermediate run-pass option that the Giants run with Jones and Barkley, making this a tough cover for defenses.
Do not be surprised if this core is regarded as a top-10 triplet next offseason.
