Despite the massive amount of success the NY Giants had last season, some players were pretty disappointing and, at times, made life difficult for New York on both sides of the ball due to their poor play.
However, entering the 2023 season, the Giants have the chance to be even better than they were in the previous campaign, and a lot of this relies on the improvement of certain players on the roster.
If these players can up their game to another level, the Giants’ offense and defense will reap the benefits. However, if not, it could be a pretty long season for them. These four players all play pivotal positions on either side of the ball and simply must play better than they did in 2022:
4. S Dane Belton
While Dane Belton wasn’t necessarily awful last season, he is likely going to have to step up into a potential starting role this season considering that Julian Love will now be suiting up for the Seattle Seahawks.
In 13 games Belton played last season, he racked up 29 combined tackles and two interceptions. In addition to this, Belton allowed just 16 receptions on 24 targets for 194 yards and zero touchdowns.
Belton was an incredibly solid coverage safety last season, which was expected of him coming out of the draft. However, Belton struggled against the run and must improve in that area if he wants to consistently see snaps next season.
While the addition of Bobby Okereke will make life easier in the run game for the Giants’ safeties, this does not excuse Belton from working on his run defense. A two-man safety game of Belton and Xavier McKinney could be incredibly deadly to opposing teams in coverage and would make life very difficult. However, this will not happen if Belton doesn’t fix his ability to track ball carriers and make simple form tackles.
3. OG Mark Glowinski
When the NY Giants signed Mark Glowinski last offseason, it seemed as if New York had finally found a consistent guard to plug into an offensive line that desperately needed it. However, what the Giants got out of Glowinski was the complete opposite.
In 614 pass-blocking snaps, Glowinski allowed a rather putrid five sacks, and 34 pressures, earning a PFF pass-blocking grade of 55.5. Alongside this, Glowinski was also rather putrid in run-blocking snaps as well. While he wasn’t nearly as bad in the run as he was in pass protection, he still wasn’t great.
Considering that the Giants signed him to a three-year, $20 million contract, it’s safe to say that Glowinski has not lived up to it thus far. There is still time for Glowinski to turn things around, though, as people have high hopes for him next fall.
However, if Glowinski does not improve, he very well could be released at the end of next season, as it will save the Giants money while also allowing them to find a replacement through the draft or free agency.
2. CB Cor’Dale Flott
Similar to Belton, Cor’Dale Flott showed some interesting flashes during his rookie season that has fans excited about his future. While he was nowhere near perfect, Flott was solid enough to where he likely earned his spot as the CB3 of the Giants defense heading into next season.
Flott was relatively solid for a third-round corner, allowing 16 receptions on 24 targets for 178 yards and one touchdown, while racking up 25 combined tackles. While Flott only played in 193 total coverage snaps, it’s worth noting that he never allowed more than three receptions in a game while simultaneously never allowing a catch for more than 25 yards.
However, where Flott really struggles is consistency and abilities in the run game. Flott did show some solid instincts in the run game, unlike Belton, however, Flott’s small frame makes it very difficult for him to complete tackles.
While Flott may be 6’1, he is just 175 pounds and it shows on film, so it would be nice to see Flott add some muscle during the offseason as long as it doesn’t sacrifice his speed.
1. OT Evan Neal
The rookie season of Evan Neal was quite the roller coaster ride. While he had moments where he looked incredibly solid, even great, Neal struggled mightily for the majority of the 2022 season and it really hurt the Giants’ offense at times.
Neal is still full of potential, and he still has the chance to be one of the premier offensive tackles in the NFL. However, his rookie season left much to be desired. Through 453 pass-blocking snaps, Neal allowed seven sacks and 39 pressures, while also being called for seven penalties.
This poor play was mostly because Neal was still adjusting to the NFL and just how incredible edge defenders are compared to college. Alongside this, his footwork and hand placement were very sloppy, but if we’ve learned anything from Andrew Thomas, it’s that these issues can be fixed with experience.
Another thing we learned from Thomas is that it takes time for offensive lineman prospects to develop. While it’s unlikely that Neal becomes the level of tackle that Thomas currently is, he still has a ton of time to prove the doubters wrong.
With that being said, Neal must play better next season. He doesn’t need to make the star leap that Thomas took in his second season, but he simply must be a better player than he was in 2022.
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