For the first time since 2016, the NY Giants made the playoffs and fans were thrilled with how things went throughout the campaign. It finally seems like the franchise is heading in the right direction and that is in most part due to the stars of the team stepping up in a big way.
A lot of love is going to Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen, and rightfully so. However, we can’t forget about the guys donning jerseys who recorded some head-turning performances throughout the year. With this in mind, we felt like it was the right time to hand out some end-of-the season honors, with six guys on our list being more than deserving of these honors:
Offensive Rookie of the Year: TE Daniel Bellinger
What a ride it has been for Daniel Bellinger this season, who went from a fourth-round pick that could potentially be playing behind Ricky Seals-Jones, to the undoubted TE1 of the Giants who just wrapped up a very solid rookie season.
Through 12 games, Bellinger racked up 30 catches on 33 targets for 269 yards and two touchdowns. In addition to this, Bellinger also had a tremendous season as a blocker, which is what the Giants drafted him to be.
According to PFF, Bellinger had a run blocking grade of 61.5, which ranks 20th among all tight ends in the entire league. Not bad considering where he was selected in the draft. Bellinger’s stats would be even better if he wasn’t forced to miss four consecutive games due to an eye injury he sustained against the Jaguars in Week 7.
Year 2 should be something special for Bellinger, who will not only be utilized more as a receiver, but he will only get better as a blocker. Schoen could not have done better with his selection of Bellinger. Not only did he exceed expectations as a pass catcher, but his blocking was key. Hats off to Bellinger. It’s not very often you see a fourth-round pick be a big-time impact player in their rookie season, but the future is very bright for the 22 year old.
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Pass-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux
Since being selected fifth overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux has been an absolute monster for the Giants defense, making him the obvious choice for the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
In 14 games, Thibodeaux racked up 43 combined tackles, four sacks, two forced fumbles, including one he took back for a TD, and 40 pressures. He may not have put up as many sacks as fans would have liked him too, but he did so much more than just putting up basic box score stats.
Thibodeaux was all over the field all season long, making plays in the run game, even gathering some impressive tackles at the second level. Alongside this, Thibodeaux made tons of plays while rushing the QB without getting the sack.
The hustle and effort Thibodeaux showcased this season makes us excited to see what he has to show in the coming years. Not only has he proven all of those who wrongfully doubted his commitment to football wrong, but he also showed that he is going to be a star in this league and all of his haters are just going to have to sit at home and watch him succeed.
Both Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari are going to wreak havoc on opposing offensive lines for years. Considering how many people dubbed Thibodeaux as a bust prior to his selection, or criticized him for his personality, fans have to be pleased with how he has turned out early on in his career.
Offensive Player of the Year: RB Saquon Barkley
It was such a fun season to watch Saquon Barkley, who not only made his second career Pro Bowl, but also set a new career high in rushing yards. He was the straw that stirred the drink for the NY offense during the first half of the campaign.
Barkley ran the ball 295 times for 1,312 yards and 10 TDs while also catching the ball 57 times for 338 yards in 16 games. While Barkley’s season did slow down a bit as the year went on, this was mostly due to a very apparent shoulder injury he suffered against the Packers, alongside a potential neck injury.
Many were unsure of whether or not Barkley would return to his old level, however Barkley made that crowd awfully quiet when in Week 1 of the season he ran the ball 18 times for 164 yards and a touchdown. Ever since then, it was domination week after week and many are excited to see what the future holds for the 25 year old. Regardless of whether or not the Giants decide to re-sign the two-time Pro Bowler, we know he will dominate the league for the foreseeable future.
Defensive Player of the Year: DT Dexter Lawrence
After three seasons of being one of the more solid and dependable defensive tackles in the league, Lawrence emerged as a superstar this year, dominating every opponent he faced. Lawrence was not only the best defensive player on the Giants this season, but he was also one of their best leaders, making a massive impact both on and off the field.
In 16 games, Lawrence racked up 61 combined tackles, nine sacks, two forced fumbles, seven tackles for loss, and an incredible 63 pressures, making both a Pro Bowl, and a Second Team All Pro this season.
Lawrence was the definition of dominant this campaign, which is exactly what the Giants needed considering the amount of holes they have on defense. Wink Martindale did an excellent job at unlocking the potential Lawrence had and turning him into one of, if not the best player at his position.
It would be nice if the mainstream media would realize how talented Lawrence is and the impact he had on this Giants defense, because it sure seems like the argument could be made that he deserved to be on the All-Pro First Team as opposed to the Second Team. An extension should be coming soon for him.
Comeback Player of the Year: OL Nick Gates
While originally it seemed like Barkley would be the choice for Comeback Player of the Year, and you can certainly make the argument that he deserves it, everything Nick Gates has been through make its easy for him to be honored here.
Everyone knows the gruesome injury Gates suffered last season against the Commanders, an injury many thought could be career ending, but a little more than a year later and Gates came back and instantly made an impact for the Giants.
Honestly, Gates simply coming back as fast as he did from the injury he suffered may have been enough for him to earn this award. However, Gates both came back and was a positive player on the Giants offensive line for the majority of his season.
In 229 pass blocking snaps, Gates only allowed 10 pressures and one sack, earning a pass blocking grade of 69.3 per PFF, which is the second highest on the NY Giants offensive line. Gates certainly wasn’t perfect, but he is only going to get better as his leg continues to heal and he develops more as a player.
MVP: QB Daniel Jones
This may be a bit of a hot take, but when it comes down to it, it’s hard to say the Giants would be as good as they have been without Daniel Jones this season, which is somewhat surprising considering how rough the first three years of his career were.
Despite this, Jones turned everything around this fall and winter and he was a key part in delivering the Giants their first playoff berth since 2016. His stats may not be the most eye-popping, but at almost every moment the Giants needed him to step up, Jones did, hence his five game-winning drives.
Jones completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 3,205 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions. Considering how poor everything was around him, we are extremely impressed with Jones. Not only was he sacked 44 times this season, second most in his career, but for the majority of the year Jones had a receiving core consisting of mostly practice squad players.
In addition to how well Jones played through the air, he was impressive on the ground, running the ball 120 times for 708 yards and seven touchdowns. Both Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka cooked up a perfect recipe for Jones to succeed despite limited help.
If Barkley did not have his midseason slump, he likely would have been the easy choice, but the consistency Jones brought this season was too important not to acknowledge. Hopefully Schoen makes the right decision to bring Jones back next season. If you ask us, Danny Dimes deserves a long-term deal from the NY general manager. He earned it.
Daniel Jones has a better long-term future than all but 7 QBs and no one can deny it
The debate has continued as to whether or not Daniel Jones is an elite option behind center and there's no doubt in our mind he's a Top 10 QB.