NY Giants: These 5 position groups show team trending in right direction

With another season in the books, 2020 marked the fourth consecutive season New York failed to clinch a playoff berth, and the ninth straight season since they’ve won an NFC East division title.

Although GM Dave Gettleman managed to save his job with a stellar performance during last winter’s Free Agency window and a largely successful 2020 draft class, the front office still has a lot of holes to fill on this roster before next training camp opens up again.

While the offensive line saw flashes of brilliance, QB Daniel Jones regressed under center with his receivers also taking a step back in the passing game. To make matters worse, their Tight End unit did not perform even close to the most moderate predictions for their success in 2020; with Evan Engram bearing most of the blame.

Fortunately, the NY Giants’ defense excelled this season, finishing the year with a ranking in the top ten thanks to a combination of the players Gettleman acquired in the draft and free agency, and the success of their new Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham.

Frankly, the offense’s inability to score touchdowns didn’t make it much of a competition when comparing the two groups. In fact, for most fans, it was infuriating to watch just how little the offense was able to create leads for their defense to protect or capitalize on the defenses ability to keep them competitive late in games.

The Giants were in seven out of the 10 games they ultimately lost.

New York was in positions to beat the Pittsburg Steelers, Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth quarters of each of these games.

However, underneath the losses, there were clear bright spots on this roster that should offer management a blueprint for which positions exactly that need to be reinforced or completely rebuilt.

So, as the front office gears up for another offseason, here are the 5 positions that show Big Blue trending in the right direction for next season and beyond.

Linebacker

With the 2020 season in the team’s rearview, it seems easy enough for fans and management alike to rank the linebacker unit among their most pressing issues heading into the offseason.

Last offseason, NY Giants Legend Michael Strahan told it straight when pressed on the team’s defensive woes. “We need to find some dogs.” Well, following Dave Gettleman’s star free agent acquisition, Big Blue got their ‘dog’.

But apart from adding a true No.1 receiver to their receiving corps in this upcoming offseason, the Giants need to prioritize adding an EDGE rusher next to star (albeit lone) linebacker, Blake Martinez, in addition to supporting the foundation of players they drafted last April.

In the first year of his three-year deal, Martinez had an incredible debut in a new city despite being snubbed from a pro-bowl selection.

Playing his fourth consecutive season by making all 16 starts, he racked up 151 total tackles (3rd in the NFL), 3.0 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 1 interception, 5 passes defended, and 8 stuffs. But apart from him at middle-linebacker, the Giants depth at this position had been bereft of any playmakers.

However, while it’s a position that will need to be addressed in the 2021 draft with a specific emphasis on finding an EDGE rusher, the production from rookies: Cam Brown, Carter Coughlin, T.J. Brunson and “Mr. Irrelevant” Tae Crowder deserve credit for how they carried the load in 2020.

Taken out of Penn State, Brown played 92 defensive snaps this season throughout his 15 games. He had a forced fumble, 12 combined tackles, and 3 hits on the quarterback.

Minnesota’s Coughlin showcased his value after being taken late in the seventh round. The former Gopher started 2 of the 14 games he played in, and recorded 1.0 sack, 17 combined tackles and 2 hits on the quarterback.

South Carolina’s Brunson proved to be the most disappointing out of this group, as he played in only 5 games with 3 combined tackles to show for his forgettable rookie performance.

However, Crowder was anything but irrelevant this season. In fact, the 6-3, 235-pound linebacker made the biggest impact as he excelled in mid-field of the Giants defense; starting 6 games out of the 11 he played in while having one pass defended, 1.0 sack, 57 combined tackles, and 3 hits on the quarterback during his rookie campaign.

Meanwhile, more seasoned players such as Devonte Downs (who saw playing time in all 16 games) and David Mayo recorded a lackluster 62 total tackles between them.

And with Oshane Ximines’ rotator cuff injury landing him on the IR in Week 4, Giants fans were deprived of the chance to evaluate how the former 2019 third round pick would improve in his second year and be able to develop their pass rush.

However, UDFA Niko Lalos was an exciting player to watch develop this season in addition to veteran Kyler Fackrell who performed at a high level on his 1-year deal. Coming over to New York from Green Bay, he played in 12 games; recorded 4.0 sacks, 23 solo tackles and ran back an interception for a touchdown against the Giants first matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.

Overall, this position group stood out as one of the up-and-coming areas on their roster.

Their pass rush ranked 19th in the league, according to PFF, which is an improvement from the previous year’s 25th ranking. And with the system the current coaching staff has in place, there is no reason why that number can’t continue to improve with just a few key offseason acquisitions.

Wide receiver

To start, the offense regressed across the board: from quarterback to the running back committee to the entire receiving corps, and even the offensive line, which remained relatively stagnant and not reflective of the drastic moves made in last year’s draft.

Even so, the future of the Giants’ wide receiving corps with Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard remains an area of the team that should excite Giants fans, as it is only lacks a true No. 1 receiver to put the group over the top.

Fortunately, this year’s draft pool will once again feature a deep receiving class in addition to a free agency pool that will include names like WRs Chris Godwin, Allen Robinson, and Kenny Golladay – which should all be names of interest to Big Blue.

In his fifth season in blue, Shepard tied a career-high in catches with 66 receptions for 656 yards on 90 targets. However, due to Jones’ regression and the offensive line’s continued struggles, he averaged a career-low yards per reception in 9.9 yards while catching just 3 TDs.

Meanwhile, despite playing in all 16 games this season, Slayton caught just 50 passed on 96 targets for 751 yards with an average of 15.0 yards per reception fall short of last years totals. He averaged less yards and touchdown catches with an additional two games played this season.

Similarly, Golden Tate played his worst season as a Giant. However, due his PED suspension from the 2019 season (which caused him to miss the first four games in 2019) the front office has the option to void all his guarantees and cut him before next season.

Due to the money that would be owed to him (roughly $9 million) in addition to the roster spot he’s currently filling, the Giants would do well to replace him. He caught just 35 passes for 388 yards and 2 TDs in the 12 games he appeared.

By replacing a veteran like Tate with a younger, more dynamic player, the front office could revitalize the entire receiving corps, which is just one move that – combined with others – could jumpstart the whole position group.

If this past season proved anything, it was that the offense as a whole never looked in sync. But adding a No. 1 WR in the draft or in free agency could help change all that.

Defensive line

Despite the Giants lack of a pass rush this season, New York’s front three caused enough disruption to credit this position as being arguably the most complete unit on the entire roster.

DE Dexter Lawrence reminded fans of his dominance up front from rookie season with 53 total tackles, 4.0 sacks, 2 passes defended, and 4 stuffs. Alongside him, DT Dalvin Tomlinson recorded 49 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, 4 passes defended, and 6 stuffs.

Meanwhile, DE Leonard Williams vindicated GM Dave Gettleman’s trade for him during the 2019 Trade Deadline by racking up 57 total tackles, 11.5 sacks (7th in NFL), 1 fumble recovery, 1 pass defended and 4 stuffs.

Overall, their singular and combined success make it all the more worrisome that management will have to choose Tomlinson over Leonard (or vice versus) for a contract extension this offseason, as both players are set to become unrestricted free agents when the new league year begins.

Regardless, if the Giants aren’t able to keep whole the band together and extend Dalvin Tomlinson and sign Leonard Williams, then this unit should still be able to produce well for DC Patrick Graham once again next season.

Cornerback

James Bradberry was the star of the Giants 2020 free agent class and was rewarded for being so with the first pro bowl selection of his young career. He dominated opposing offenses with 54 total tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 3 interceptions and 18 passes defended (T-2nd in NFL).

Meanwhile, rookie Darnay Holmes demonstrated his raw talent in his first year as a member of Big Blue. An underrated pick from the start, the former UCLA defensive back made noise early on in the season once the retooled secondary started clicking on all facets.

In 12 games, Holmes recorded 29 combined tackles, 0.5 sack, an interception and 5 passes defended. Although he’s small at 5’10, his quickness and athleticism remain intriguing aspects to his game, and ones the Giants benefited from on a small scale in 2020.

Meanwhile, Isaac Yiadom, a former third round pick, who the Giants acquired on a late-preseason trade with the Denver Broncos performed well enough opposite Bradberry with 46 total tackles, 0.5 sack, 1 forced fumble, and 5 passes defended.

Additionally, Julian Love help to shore up the position group despite splitting his time in the safety role as well. He 64 total tackles (47 solo), 1 interceptions, and 3 passes defended.

Overall, this position stands out because of Gettleman’s success at building a solid foundation to build around for years to come. And with these pieces already in place, the front office is in a good position to focus on their more pressing needs.

Safety

If Big Blue’s defensive line is their most disruptive unit, then their safety position is their most complete. This is also perhaps the most improved position from the previous season due in large part to Logan Ryan’s signing.

No. 23 was part of a string of strong free agent acquisitions made by the Gettleman-led front office this past season. In his first season in New York, Ryan recorded 94 tackles, 1 sack, 3 forced fumbles (T-13th in NFL), 2 fumble recoveries, 1 interception, and 9 passes defended.

He certainly earned his 3-year contract extension, which will bode well for the Giants as they look to record their first winning season in four years.

Jabrill Peppers also shined in his second year with the team, recording 91 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble and recovery, an interception, 11 passes defended, and 6 stuffs.

But Xavier McKinney remains the most exciting player to keep an eye on into next season.

Lauded for his superior playmaking abilities and versatility on the field the former Crimson Tide star’s debut stirred a huge amount of anticipation for fans who were excited to see a player as athletic and talented join a Giants secondary starved of playmakers over the last several seasons.

Unfortunately, fans did not get to see enough of him in his first season in the pros to properly assess the impact he could have on this defense in a full season. However, it was evident that the former Alabama star has the potential to be a key lynchpin in Big Blue’s rebuilding plans to return their defense to a championship-caliber squad.

His athleticism allows him to paper over the cracks still present in the Giants secondary, and that type of versatility played at a high level makes McKinney unique; with a higher upside than his 25 combined tackles and 1 interception in the six games Giants fans saw him in.

The key for him is growth, of which I fully expect to see next season when he will have a full offseason, preseason, training camp, and regular schedule to get more involved in the team’s defensive game plans in addition to developing a chemistry with his fellow safeties, barring injury.