Quarterback

In 2022, the Giants made a surprise playoff appearance. They had won a total of just 22 games in the previous five seasons, with a maximum of six wins in a season, and they seemed likely to have a similar season in 2022, but they vastly exceeded expectations with a 9-7-1 record. However, there was reason to believe that wouldn’t continue, as they won 8 of their 9 games by 8 points or fewer, went just 2-6 against playoff qualifiers in the regular season, and finished just 23rd in DVOA. They did win a playoff game, but that came against a Minnesota team that was also not as good as their record in the regular season and in the next round the Giants were blown out by the Eagles.

Despite that, the Giants doubled down on their 2022 success, changing little about their roster and re-signing quarterback Daniel Jones to a 4-year, 160 million dollar deal ahead of free agency,. The decision to double down on 2022 proved to be a mistake, as the Giants fell back to earth in a big way in 2023. They finished just 6-11 and were even worse than that suggests, ranking 30th in DVOA, while finishing with a -6.89% first down rate differential and a -1.14 yards per play differential. Much of the roster disappointed, including Daniel Jones, who completed 67.5% of his passes for an average of 5.68 YPA, 2 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions, while also being limited to 326 snaps in six games by injuries, including a season ending torn ACL.

Jones showed potential in 2022, completing 67.2% of his passes for an average of 6.79 YPA, 15 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions, while rushing for 708 yards and 7 touchdowns on 120 carries (5.90 YPC), which is why the Giants re-signed him long-term at a big number, but that’s his only season out of five that he played at that level. In 59 career starts since being selected 6th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Jones has completed 64.3% of his passes for an average of 6.59 YPA, 62 touchdowns, and 40 interceptions, while rushing for 1,914 yards and 13 touchdowns on 332 carries (5.77 YPC). He’s also missed time with injury in four of five seasons in the league, which isn’t a surprise, as his playing style exposes him to more hits than an average quarterback.

Jones’ contract put the Giants in a tough position this off-season. He’s owed 36 million fully guaranteed this season, making him basically impossible for the Giants to get rid of this off-season, but they can get out of the remaining two years and 78 million next off-season and they could have used the 6th overall pick in this year’s draft on either Michael Penix or JJ McCarthy to potentially give them a cheaper, long-term upgrade. 

Instead, the Giants used the 6th overall pick to build around Jones. The Giants needed help all over their roster, but the decision to pass on a quarterback in the draft could prove to be a mistake. Next year’s draft class isn’t nearly as deep at the quarterback position, so the Giants could find themselves in a position next off-season where they want to move on from Jones and his contract, but don’t have a good alternative and have to continue paying Jones at a high level. 

Jones is still only going into his age 27 season and could bounce back, but he’s coming off of a significant leg injury, which hurts his chances, and, at even at his best, he’s not the type of quarterback who can elevate a team by himself. The track record of non-elite quarterbacks being paid at the highest level is not good, as the only quarterbacks who have accounted for more than 11% of their team’s cap and still won the Super Bowl are Hall of Famers or future Hall of Famers, as it’s very tough to surround a non-elite quarterback with the talent he needs to be successful. Jones is set to be above that 11% mark in each of the next three seasons and he is far from the level he needs to be in order to justify that.

Jones will either be backed up by Drew Lock or Tommy DeVito, with Lock being the favorite for the job, after being signed to a 1-year, 5 million dollar deal this off-season. Lock was a second round pick in 2020, but has never developed into a starting caliber player, completing 59.7% of his passes for an average of 6.72 YPA, 28 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions in 23 career starts and he’s not a young prospect anymore, now going into his age 28 season. Lock is likely to be a downgrade from Tyrod Taylor, their primary backup last season, who completed 64.4% of his passes for an average of 7.45 YPA, 5 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions in 5 starts, before signing with the Jets this off-season.

However, even with Lock being a backup caliber quarterback, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him make starts at some point this season if Jones gets hurt or continues disappointing. DeVito, meanwhile, is likely to be the third string and is not guaranteed a roster spot. He showed some flashes in 6 starts last season, but the 2023 undrafted free agent finished the season with 64.0% completion, 6.19 YPA, 8 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions and doesn’t have a high upside. Overall, this is likely to be one of the worst quarterback rooms in the league.

Grade: C+

Receiving Corps

The player the Giants drafted instead of taking a quarterback at 6 is wide receiver Malik Nabers, who fills a big need for a Giants team that might not have even had a #2 caliber receiver last season, let alone a #1 receiver. Nabers might not be a #1 caliber receiver right away, but he has the upside to be a legitimate #1 receiver long-term and, given the Giants’ lack of other options, he could easily be the Giants de facto #1 receiver right away in 2024.

The Giants top receiver a year ago was veteran Darius Slayton, who had just a 50/770/4 slash line and a 1.38 yards per route run average. That’s in line with how the 2019 5th round pick has played throughout his career, with a 49/744/4 slash line per 17 games and a 1.42 yards per route run average in five seasons in his career. Still only in his age 27 season, he should continue playing at a similar level in 2024. He’s not a bad receiver, but even as a #2 receiver, he’s pretty underwhelming. 

The #3 receiver job will likely go to either 2022 2nd round pick Wan’Dale Robinson or 2023 3rd round pick Jalin Hyatt. Robinson was the de facto #2 receiver last season, but finished with just a 60/525/1 slash line and a 1.31 yards per route run average. Robinson did flash potential with a 1.76 yards per route run average as a rookie, but he only played 229 snaps and couldn’t translate that to a bigger role in his second season in the league. He still has the upside to take a step forward in his third season in the league, so he’s not a bad #3 receiver, but he would need to take a big step forward to be more than that. 

Hyatt, meanwhile, struggled with a 23/373/0 slash line and a 0.96 yards per route run average as a rookie and, while he has the upside to take a step forward in year two, he would need to take a big step forward to even be a caliber #3 receiver. The Giants also took a flyer on veteran Allen Robinson this off-season on a 1-year, 1.41 million dollar deal, but he only got 25k guaranteed and, even in a weak receiving corps, isn’t locked into a role, or even a roster spot. In his prime, Robinson was an impressive receiver, surpassing 1000 yards in a season three times, including a 102/1250/6 slash line as recently as 2020, but he has averaged just 0.91 yards per route run with 1,029 receiving yards in 39 games since then and now he heads into his age 31 season.

With the Giants’ wide receivers being underwhelming as a group last season, this team was actually lead in yards per route run by tight end Darren Waller, who averaged 1.55 and had a 52/552/1 slash line in just 12 games, but he retired this off-season, ahead of what would have been his age 32 season, and he leaves behind pretty big shoes to fill. To replace him, the Giants will likely give more playing time to 2022 4th round pick Daniel Bellinger, who has averaged just 0.93 yards per route run in two seasons in the league. He could still have untapped upside, but he will almost definitely be a huge downgrade from Waller.

The Giants also used a 4th round pick on Theo Jackson and signed veteran Jack Stoll, both of whom are likely to have roles this season, but Jackson is likely too raw to make a significant positive impact as a rookie, while Stoll is a mediocre blocking specialist who has caught just 20 passes in 50 career games, with an average of 0.43 yards per route run. The Giants have some promising young pass catchers, most notably Malik Nabers, but they will miss tight end Darren Waller and, as talented as Nabers is, the fact that the Giants are likely to be led in receiving by a rookie is a big concern for this offense.

Grade: C+

Running Backs

Feature back Saquon Barkley was also a big part of the Giants’ passing game last season, with a 41/280/4 slash line, and he left as a free agent this off-season, but he wasn’t that efficient, with 0.92 yards per route run and 4.67 yards per target. To replace him, the Giants signed Devin Singletary to a 3-year, 16.5 million dollar deal, much less than the 3-year, 37.75 million dollar deal Barkley signed in Philadelphia, and Singletary might not be much of a downgrade. 

Singletary is a slight downgrade in the passing game, with 0.71 yards per route run in five seasons in the league, but Barkley only averaged 3.89 YPC and had a 40.1% carry success rate on 247 carries as a runner last season, while Singletary averaged 4.16 YPC and had a 47.7% carry success rate on 216 carries last season and has averaged 4.56 YPC and a 48.8% carry success rate on 888 career carries. Singletary has played on much better offenses, last season in Houston and previously in Buffalo, while Barkley ran behind PFF’s 30th ranked offensive line in terms of run blocking last season on one of the worst offenses in the league, but they both have 2.99 yards per carry after contact averages in their careers, while Singletary has a 59.5 elusive rating in his career, to Barkley’s 48.4, meaning Singletary has been better at making defenders miss.

Overall, it seems unlikely that Singletary will be a big downgrade from Barkley, even though he came much cheaper than Barkley would have. That being said, one thing Singletary hasn’t done that Barkley has done is play in a feature back role, averaging 13.6 touches per game in his career, as opposed to 20.1 for Barkley, so the Giants will have to rely on their backups more than they would have last season when they had Barkley. Last season, veteran Matt Breida was second on the team in carries among running backs with 55 and he struggled mightily with a 2.75 YPC average. 

This season, Breida is no longer with the team, leaving 2023 5th round pick Eric Gray, who rushed for just 48 yards on 17 carries as the #3 running back last season, and 5th round rookie Tyrone Tracy as their top reserve options. Both seem like underwhelming options, but could theoretically have upside and at least one will have to play at least somewhat of a role behind Singletary. This is a pretty underwhelming backfield, led by Devin Singletary, who has never really carried the load, with inexperienced backups behind him, but the Giants won’t miss Saquon Barkley as much as some people expect and they made the right decision paying Singletary rather than him.

Grade: B-

Offensive Line

In addition to being one of the best run blocking offensive lines in the league, the Giants also ranked dead last in pass blocking grade on PFF in 2023, while allowing the second most sacks in NFL history at 85. In total, the Giants had 12 different offensive linemen start for them last season and only two of them finished above 60 on PFF, with nine of them finishing below 50. This offensive line should be better this season, but mostly by default.

At guard, six players saw starts last season and the only one who finished above 50 on PFF, Mark Glowinski (521 snaps) is no longer with the team, being released this off-season to save 5.7 million ahead of his age 32 season. To try to fix this situation, the Giants gave contracts worth 30 million over 3 years and 15 million over 2 years to Jon Runyan and Jermaine Eluemunor. Eluemunor was a good signing, but Runyan figures to be an overpay. 

Runyan has started 50 games over the past three seasons and is still in his prime in his age 27 season, but he has been middling at best in those three seasons, with PFF grades of 65.1, 62.6, and 54.7. He should be better than most of the Giants’ guards were a year ago, but mostly by default and it’s hard to justify giving him a contract that makes him the 17th highest paid guard in the league in terms of average annual value.

Eluemunor, on the other hand, has made 31 starts over the past two seasons and has been above average in both seasons, with PFF grades of 75.3 and 68.7. There are two concerns with him though. One is his age, as he’s heading into his age 30 season and will likely start to decline soon, perhaps as soon as this season. The other concern is he’s played right tackle over the past two seasons and, while he does have experience at guard earlier in his career, he wasn’t as good at guard as he’s been at right tackle over the past two seasons. 

Mostly a backup in his first five seasons in the league from 2017-2021 (14 starts) and a mediocre one at that (PFF grades below 60 in four of five seasons), Eluemunor proved to be a late bloomer in 2022 and 2023 and it’s possible that will continue despite a position switch, but the combination of his age and a position switch is at least somewhat of a concern for his chances of continuing to play at the level he’s played at over the past two seasons. He should still be a boost for this offensive line though, given what he is replacing.

It’s possible Eluemunor could end up back at right tackle, but in that case the Giants would have to start Aaron Stinnie, another off-season guard addition, or one of their two holdover guards from last season Joshua Ezeudu or Marcus McKethan, all three of whom would probably struggle. Stinnie started 11 games for the Buccaneers last season, but he struggled with a 56.6 PFF grade. He’s also a former undrafted free agent, he had previously only played 137 snaps in five seasons in the league, and now he’s heading into his age 30 season, so he’s a backup caliber player and probably not even a particularly good backup. 

Ezeudu and McKethan are younger and could at least have some upside, going in the third and fifth round respectively in 2022, but Ezeudu has PFF grades of 46.0 and 42.4 across seven starts, while McKethan had a 45.4 PFF grade last season in the first action of his career, so both have a long way to go to develop into even decent starters. If Eluemunor moves to right tackle, whoever takes his place at guard would almost definitely be a liability.

The Giants also want to give incumbent right tackle Evan Neal another chance. He’s been horrendous in two seasons in the league, with PFF grades of 44.1 and 39.8 across 20 total starts, but he was the 7th overall pick just two years ago in the 2022 NFL Draft and he’s only going into his age 24 season, so the Giants aren’t ready to give up on him. He could take a step forward in his third season in the league in 2024, but he has a long way to go to even be a decent starting right tackle. 

It’s possible the Giants give up on Neal at some point this season and move Eluemunor out to right tackle, but that would just open up a hole at guard. The other right tackles who started for the Giants last season all struggled and are no longer with the team, so their other right tackle options in 2024 are Matt Nelson, a 2019 undrafted free agent who has made 14 starts in five seasons in the league, while finishing below 60 on PFF in all five seasons, and Yodny Cajuste, a 2019 3rd round pick who has only played 278 snaps in five seasons in the league, none of which came last season. As of right now, their best option is to give Neal another chance, with the option to move Eluemunor to right tackle if needed, even if that would open a hole at guard.

The Giants are also giving incumbent center John Michael Schmitz another chance. He was a second round pick in 2023, but he was horrendous in 13 starts as a rookie, with a 41.4 PFF grade. He has the upside to be better in his second season in the league, perhaps significantly better, but he also has a long way to go to even be a decent starter and he could easily be at least below average again. He’s locked into the job though because the only competition the Giants added for him this off-season is Austin Schlottmann, a former undrafted free agent and career backup who has started 14 games in six seasons in the league, with just one season above 60 on PFF.

Perhaps the biggest reason why the Giants’ offensive line should at least be somewhat better in 2024 is that they should get a healthier season out of left tackle Andrew Thomas, who is by far their best offensive lineman. Thomas had a 76.1 PFF grade in 2023, but was limited to 576 snaps in 10 starts. Thomas has otherwise only missed five games in three seasons in the league, and he had PFF grades of 78.9 and 89.1 in 2021 and 2022 respectively, so he’s far from a one-year wonder. He’s also a former #4 overall pick and he’s still only going into his age 25 season, so it’s possible he still has untapped upside. It’s no surprise the Giants were better offensively last season when he was on the field and they should benefit from getting a healthier season from him in 2024. He significantly elevates an offensive line that is otherwise in pretty terrible shape.

Grade: C+

Edge Defenders

The Giants’ defense was their better unit by default in 2023, but they still ranked just 21st in DVOA. They did make a big addition on defense this off-season, trading for franchise tagged Brian Burns, but he didn’t come cheap, with the Giants sending Carolina a second round pick and then giving Burns a 5-year, 141 million dollar deal, making him the third highest paid edge defender in the league in terms of average annual value. 

Burns is only going into his age 26 season and has 38.5 sacks, 47 hits, and a 12.0% pressure rate in 64 games over the past four seasons, while exceeding 70 on PFF in pass rush grade in all four seasons, but he has mostly struggled against the run and, as a result, his overall PFF grade over those four seasons are 76.8, 60.8, 64.5, and 73.8. The former first round pick could still have further untapped potential, given his age, and he will definitely help the Giants’ defense, but it’s fair to question if he was worth what the Giants paid for him, given his struggles against the run.

Burns will start opposite Kayvon Thibodeaux, who led this team with an impressive 11.5 sacks last season, but he wasn’t nearly as good as that suggests, as he had just 5 hits and a 8.3% pressure rate and he struggled against the run, leading to an overall PFF grade of just 58.4 across 781 snaps. Thibodeaux was better overall as a rookie with a 71.9 PFF grade across 740 snaps and the former #5 overall pick has a massive upside and is only going into his age 24 season, so he could take a step forward in his third season in the league, possibly a big one that makes his third season in the league the best of his career so far, but he’s not starting from as high of a base point as his sack total in 2023 suggests.

Jihad Ward was second in this position group with 661 snaps played last season and is no longer with the team, but he had just a 42.4 PFF grade and a 6.1% pressure rate, so he won’t really be missed, especially with Brian Burns being added. Azeez Ojulari (424 snaps) and Boogie Basham (194 snaps) do return and will remain the Giants top reserves behind Burns and Thibodeaux. Ojulari has mostly been mediocre in three seasons in the league, with PFF grades of 58.3, 62.4, and 51.8 and 16 sacks, 17 hits, and a 10.2% pressure rate in 35 games, and he’s missed 16 games with injury across those three seasons, but the 2021 2nd round pick is still only going into his age 24 season and has the upside to make 2024 his best season yet, even if that’s not saying much. At the very least, he should be a capable #3 edge defender. 

Basham was also a second round pick in 2021, but he has played just 783 snaps in three seasons in the league, with just a 6.6% pressure rate, and he’s already going into his age 27 season. He’s also already on his second team, acquired last off-season from Buffalo for a swap of late round picks, after the Bills gave up on him just two seasons into his career. He’ll only be the #4 edge defender at best to start the season, but he would almost definitely struggle if forced into a bigger role by injuries ahead of him on the depth chart. With a top-3 of Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Azeez Ojulari, the Giants are in pretty good shape at this position, but Burns probably wasn’t quite worth what the Giants paid for him, Thibodeaux wasn’t nearly as good as his sack total last season suggests, Ojulari has a history of injuries, and their depth outside of the top-3 is very suspect.

Grade: B

Interior Defenders

The Giants’ best defensive player is interior defender Dexter Lawrence, who finished last season as PFF’s #1 ranked interior defender with a 92.9 PFF grade across 709 snaps. Equally dominant against the run as he is as a pass rusher, Lawrence finished the season with 4.5 sacks, 15 hits, and a 14.6% pressure rate, while frequently taking on multiple blockers and making life much easier for edge defenders like Kayvon Thibodeaux. Lawrence is no one-year wonder, either with a 92.0 PFF grade across 864 snaps in 2022, when he totalled 7.5 sacks, 23 hits, and a 12.3% pressure rate as a pass rusher. 

A first round pick in 2019, Lawrence also had impressive grades of 76.2, 79.7, and 68.6 in his first three seasons in the league, before breaking out as an elite player in his fourth season. Still very much in his prime in his age 27 season, I would expect more of the same from Lawrence in 2024 and beyond. The Giants were wise to give him a 4-year, 87.5 million dollar extension last off-season, one that already looks like a great value, with Lawrence only being the 9th highest paid interior defender in the league. That contract will only look better as other players sign for more money and Lawrence continues to be one of the best players in the league at his position.

The rest of this position group is a problem though. Leonard Williams was a solid starter next to Lawrence for about half of the 2023 season, with a 67.6 PFF grade across 360 snaps in 8 games, but he was traded to the Seahawks for a second round pick at the trade deadline. That extra second round pick enabled the Giants to trade for Burns and Williams was set to be a free agent anyway, but the Giants missed him after he was gone and didn’t really do anything to replace him this off-season. 

The Giants also lost A’Shawn Robinson this off-season and he was second in this position group with 515 snaps played. He only had a 58.6 PFF grade, but the Giants replaced him with Jordan Phillips on a 1-year, 1.79 million dollar deal and he figures to be even worse as the starter opposite Lawrence than Robinson was a year ago. Phillips is experienced, having played 3,674 snaps in nine seasons in the league (408 snaps per season), and he’s been a decent pass rusher in his career, with 24 sacks, 28 hits, and a 7.4% pressure rate in 120 games, but he’s consistently struggled against the run, leading to him finishing below 60 on PFF in all but one season in his career, including a 35.8 PFF grade on 391 snaps last season, and now he heads into his age 32 season, so his best days are almost definitely behind him.

Phillips almost definitely figures to struggle in a starting role, but the Giants don’t have much of a choice, with their alternatives being their top reserves from a year ago, Rakeem Nunez-Roches (461 snaps), DJ Davidson (244 snaps), and Jordon Riley (135 snaps), who all struggled to different degrees, with PFF grades of 46.3, 51.6, and 33.1 respectively. Nunez-Roches is going into his 9th season in the league, but he’s finished above 60 on PFF just three times, with a career best season-long grade of 64.1 in 2021, and he’s averaged just 327 snaps per season, with a career high of 548 snaps in a season in 2022. He’s also going into his age 31 season now, so his best days are almost definitely behind him. He’s nothing more than a rotational option and a mediocre one at that.

Davidson and Riley are at least young, going into their third and second season in the league respectively, and could take a step forward in 2024, but Davidson was only a 5th round pick and Riley was only a 7th round pick, so neither entered the league with much upside, and both have a long way to go to even be decent rotational players, let alone starting caliber. Even though they could have untapped upside, both could continue struggling in 2024. Dexter Lawrence elevates this position group significantly by himself, but their lack of capable players other than him is a big concern.

Grade: B

Linebackers

The Giants’ linebacking corps was a position of strength last season and should remain one this season, with all three of their top linebackers from a year ago set to return. Bobby Okereke led this group with a 78.9 PFF grade and 1,128 snaps played, not missing a single snap all season. The 2019 3rd round pick got off to an inconsistent start to his career, but he’s not a one-year wonder, with a 73.3 PFF grade across 970 snaps in 2022 and he’s still in his prime in his age 28 season, so he should remain an above average every down player in 2024.

Micah McFadden was the other starter opposite Okereke and he had a solid 65.6 PFF grade. The 2022 5th round pick struggled mightily with a 38.7 PFF grade across 435 snaps as a rookie, so he could regress in 2024, but he could have permanently turned a corner and will remain a solid starting linebacker, or even take another step forward in his third season in the league. It also helps that McFadden doesn’t have to play every down, seeing 736 total snaps, with 376 of them coming on run plays, because the Giants #3 linebacker Isaiah Simmons is a passing down specialist, with a 68.9 PFF grade on 378 snaps in 2023, 294 of which came on pass plays.

Simmons is actually a former 8th overall pick, back in 2020, but he mostly struggled in bigger roles in his first three seasons in the league in Arizona, with PFF grades of 59.9, 51.0, and 67.9 across snap counts of 376, 1,005, and 897. However, he’s always been much better on pass plays than on run plays, so his new role with the Giants makes more sense for him, and he’s still only in his age 26 season, so I wouldn’t rule out him developing into more than a passing down specialist. The Giants won’t need him for more than that though, barring injuries ahead of him on the depth chart. 

The Giants don’t have much depth outside of their top-3 linebackers, with the other linebackers on their roster being Carter Coughlin, a 2020 7th round pick who has struggled on 241 career snaps, Matthew Adams, a special teamer who has played 607 snaps on defense in six seasons in the league, Darius Mausau, a 6th round rookie, Dyontae Johnson, a 2023 undrafted free agent who didn’t play a snap as a rookie, and Darrian Beavers, a 2022 6th round pick who has never played a defensive snap. However, barring multiple injuries to their top-3 linebackers, this should remain at least a solid position group.

Grade: B+

Secondary

One player the Giants should have kept this off-season but didn’t is safety Xavier McKinney, who was PFF’s 4th ranked safety last season with a 87.5 PFF grade in 2023, while also playing all 1,128 snaps. Despite that, the Giants didn’t even bother franchise tagging McKinney, or even transition tagging him, which would have allowed them to match the 4-year, 67 million dollar deal he ultimately signed with the Packers, which only makes him the 4th highest paid safety in the league. 

McKinney had been inconsistent throughout his first three seasons in the league prior to 2023 and he also missed big chunks of two of those three seasons with injury, but the 2020 2nd round pick was only going into his age 25 season and could continue being one of the best safeties in the league for years to come. Instead, the Giants replaced him in the draft with second round pick Tyler Nubin, who, in addition to costing the Giants a significant draft asset, will almost definitely be a significant downgrade from McKinney in the short-term and is no guarantee to be as good as McKinney in the long-term. 

Nubin will start next to Jason Pinnock, a 2021 5th round pick who had a decent 67.7 PFF grade in the first full season of his career as a starter (16 starts, 1,011 snaps), after flashing potential with PFF grades of 70.4 and 61.3 across snap counts of 202 and 459 respectively in his first two seasons in the league. Pinnock might not have a high upside, but, still only in his age 25 season, he has a good chance to remain at least a solid starter in 2024, though obviously this Giants secondary would be a lot better if Pinnock was still playing next to McKinney, rather than the rookie Nubin.

For depth options behind Nubin and Pinnock, the Giants have Dane Belton, their third safety last season and a 2022 4th round pick who has struggled with PFF grades of 30.6 and 51.7 on snap counts of 390 and 295 in his first two seasons in the league, and they also have veteran free agent addition Jalen Mills. Belton could still have some untapped upside, but he would almost definitely be an underwhelming option if forced into a significant role by injuries or poor play ahead of him on the depth chart and Mills seems likely to win the #3 safety job. 

Mills would also probably be an underwhelming option if forced into a significant role though. He has plenty of experience, starting 83 of the 106 games he has played in eight seasons in the league, while having the versatility to play both safety and cornerback, but he’s finished below 60 on PFF in five of eight seasons in the league, including PFF grades of 44.6 and 59.1 on snap counts of 468 and 459 over the past two seasons respectively, and now he heads into his age 30 season, so he will likely continue struggling. Pinnock and Nubin are both inexperienced, particularly the latter who is a rookie, but the Giants will need both to stay healthy and at least be decent starters, given the options behind them on the depth chart.

Cornerback was a position of weakness last season, as they had five cornerbacks play at least 300 snaps and only one, Nick McCloud, finished above 60 on PFF and he did so on just 312 snaps. Without any major veteran additions this off-season, the Giants will continue struggling at cornerback unless some young players can take a step forward, but that is at least a possibility. Deonte Banks was a first round pick by the Giants in 2023 and, while he struggled with a 51.4 PFF grade on 844 snaps as a rookie, he has the talent to take a big step forward in his second season in the league.

Banks is probably the only Giants cornerback locked into a starting job, though even that is by virtue of his draft status and upside. Adoree Jackson was second among Giants cornerbacks behind Banks with 792 snaps played last season and he’s no longer on the team, but he struggled mightily with a 48.6 PFF grade and won’t be missed. Cordale Flott was third among Giants cornerbacks with 519 snaps played. He struggled with a 53.3 PFF grade, but he was a third round pick in 2022 and fared better in a smaller role as a rookie, with a 65.8 PFF grade across 335 snaps. Now going into his third season in the league and only his age 23 season, he has the talent to make this year his best year yet, though that’s not a guarantee. He’s probably not locked into a starting job, but he has a good chance to at least be one of the Giants’ top-3 cornerbacks and he’s probably the favorite to start opposite Banks.

Also in the mix for roles are third round rookie Dru Phillips, their lone veteran free agent addition Tre Herndon (1-year, 1.125 million), and Nick McCloud, who was by default their best cornerback a year ago, in a limited role. Herndon had a 70.8 PFF grade across 482 snaps last season, but the 2018 undrafted free agent had previously never had a season-long grade over 60 in his previous five seasons and he’s also only played 368 snaps total over the past three seasons combined, so he’s an underwhelming option for a significant role. 

McCloud has PFF grades of 67.0 and 74.8 over the past two seasons on 849 snaps combined, but the 2021 undrafted free agent is still very inexperienced and is a projection to a larger role. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the rookie Phillips had to play a significant role, even though he could  struggle in year one. Having lost safety Xavier McKinney, by far their best defensive back last season, the Giants’ secondary is now very underwhelming, even though they do have some young players with upside.

Grade: C+

Conclusion

The Giants were one of the worst teams in the league last season. They only won 6 games and were even worse than that suggests, ranking 30th in point differential, despite a +12 turnover margin, and ranking 30th in DVOA. This off-season, they haven’t done much to significantly improve. They have added some players like Brian Burns, Malik Nabers, and Devin Singletary, but they have also lost important players like Xavier McKinney, Darren Waller, and Saquon Barkley. Even in the weaker NFC, a lot of things would have to go right for this team to even compete for a playoff spot.

Prediction: 2-15, 4th in NFC East