NY Giants Draft: 3 Reasons To Take an Offensive Player in Round 1
The NY Giants Have Injury Issues on Offense That Can’t Be Ignored
Was there anything more devastating than watching Saquon Barkley crumble to the ground and tear his ACL last season? How different would the Giants’ last four games have been with a healthy Daniel Jones?
The Giants have injury questions all over the offense. Daniel Jones has gotten hurt in both seasons to start his NFL career. This is a trend that must go away this season and in the coming years for him to be successful.
At running back, Saquon Barkley has also been injured in back-to-back seasons. He’s missed a combined 17 games the last two years, or a full NFL season. Devontae Booker has never missed a game in his NFL career, but he’s only started one game since 2016.
At wide receiver, there is a variety of injury questions.
Kenny Golladay has only played one full 16-game season in his four-year career. He missed 11 games last season so it is something to watch. Darius Slayton missed his entire rookie offseason to injury and two games in 2019. Slayton was banged up and played through multiple nagging lower-body injuries all season long last season. He needs to stay healthy in 2021.
Sterling Shepard has missed multiple games three out of the last four years, including broken bones and multiple concussions. He could always be a big hit or two away from another head injury, something he must consider for his future beyond football. Lastly, injuries have held back John Ross and Dante Pettis as well, two talented former (recent) 1st and 2nd round picks. Every player in the wide receiver room has talent and has a unique element to bring to the Giants’ offense, but they all need to stay healthy before anything else.
Lastly, the Giants’ offensive line hasn’t seen full health in a while as well. Nate Solder opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns. He’s only missed two games in nine years, his on-the-field durability shouldn’t be a concern. However, both Will Hernandez and Matt Peart dealt with COVID-19 battles that affected them both separately in different ways. Both players missed multiple weeks and struggled to find any playing time after they returned, losing almost all of the snaps they had before the virus.
With all of this, the Giants need more reinforcements on offense for 2021.
They can’t risk more casualties at all of these key positions. Injuries are something you can’t control. That’s the sad and harsh reality of injuries in sports, especially in the cruel and violent NFL. The Giants have had some plain bad luck in the last decade or so in the injury department. Because of this, they need to do everything they can to build up and boost their worst offense in over 15 years.
Taking an offensive player in Round One of the draft would provide the NY Giants with a strong and hopefully pro-ready option at receiver or offensive line. A 1st round pick will be expected to start on this team regardless, it’s imperative the NY Giants keep attacking their offense in today’s offense-crazed NFL.