Some of the premier players on the NY Giants’ roster were added via free agency or through trades in recent offseasons
NY Giants general manager Dave Gettleman has had his share of whiffs in the NFL Draft throughout the course of his three-year tenure, but has added some marquee talent through trades and via free agency in recent years.
While the Giants hope that Daniel Jones makes the kind of leap into the stratosphere of elite quarterbacks in his third NFL season, that most passers do in their second, entering the 2021 campaign the jury remains out on whether he will become a franchise quarterback.
Likewise, former first-round pick DeAndre Baker is no longer on the roster, and neither is cornerback Sam Beal, whom was chosen by Gettleman in the third-round of the supplemental draft.
However, cornerback James Bradberry and wide receiver Kenny Golladay were signed as free agents the past two offseasons, and while trading a third-round pick and fifth-round pick during a below .500 2018 campaign for Leonard Williams was controversial at the time, the defensive lineman seems to be finding his first-round potential.
According to Pro Football Focus, neither Jones, nor running back Saquon Barkley or 2020 first-round pick left tackle Andrew Thomas are considered “building block” players for the NY Giants entering this season. But, Golladay, Williams, and Bradberry top that list:
"In an ideal world, Andrew Thomas’ rookie season would have resembled Tristan Wirfs’year, making him an easy inclusion here. There were promising things to take away from how Thomas closed the year, but his 62.4 grade was underwhelming. Bradberry’s and Williams’ performances in their first full season on the defense were not. They both ranked fourth at their respective positions in PFF’s Wins Above Replacement metric during the 2020 season.The Giants will be hoping Golladay entices quarterback Daniel Jones to take more downfield shots. Golladay recently ranked as the league’s third-best deep threat, regularly winning in contested-catch situations downfield. Golladay’s 53 contested catches overall over the past three seasons are second to only Allen Robinson II at the position, even despite all his missed time in 2020."
Thomas might develop into that player in 2021, so too might Jones or a breakout star such as Xavier McKinney or Darnay Homes in a burgeoning defense.
But, for as much criticism as Gettleman’s misses in the draft have merited over the years, the embattled general manager deserves some credit for the veterans added to the roster’s core in recent years.