It's been nothing short of a miserable season for the New York Giants as they enter their bye week with a record of 2-8. The quarterback play has been terrible for most of the season. The offense still can’t score consistently, and the G-Men always seem to let games slip away in matchups they should have won.
Now, all the Giants can hope to do for the rest of the season is build any positives as they once again face the possibility of having a high pick in the NFL Draft. If Big Blue wants to see much better results next season and beyond, they must address these three positions of need during the offseason.
3 biggest offseason needs for the NY Giants at bye week
3. Tight End
This has been a position of need for the Giants for a while. After former first-round pick Evan Engram didn’t pan out due to drops and injuries, and the Darren Waller experiment turned out to be a failure, it’s been a struggle, to say the least. Even though rookie Theo Johnson seems to be improving each week, they still need to find an upgrade this offseason.
New York’s two tight ends, Daniel Bellinger and the aforementioned Theo Johnson, have stat lines that certainly won’t blow you away. The duo has combined for just 269 yards on 24 catches, with one touchdown between them. Third-string tight end Chris Manhertz, despite scoring a touchdown last week against the Carolina Panthers, has only two yards on two catches this season. While Johnson has contributed 231 yards and averaged over 11 yards per catch, it still feels like the Giants need an upgrade at the position.
2. Secondary
The Giants’ secondary is young and has struggled mightily this season. When Pro Bowl safety Xavier McKinney left for the Green Bay Packers this past offseason, Big Blue’s secondary was expected to have issues, and that has certainly been the case. These struggles have resulted in their secondary being ranked among the league’s worst this season, which is why they need an upgrade in this area during the offseason.
Despite the sudden emergence of rookie cornerback Dru Phillips, who has proven to be a solid player in New York’s secondary, he’s had his moments this season where he’s struggled with tackling. Most recently, against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Commanders, he allowed all 11 of his targeted passes to be completed. However, the most disappointing performance in the Giants’ secondary has come from second-year cornerback Deonte Banks.
Banks, who was drafted 25th overall in 2023, has had a dreadful sophomore season, allowing more touchdowns than any other defensive back with six. His struggles have been so severe that he was benched back in Week 8 against the Steelers. While both Banks and Phillips are still young and have time to develop, the Giants must find an elite cornerback or safety to help fix their secondary.
1. Quarterback
The Daniel Jones era in New York is officially over, and after six years, it’s long overdue. Between his persistent turnover issues and inability to stay healthy, it’s clear that it’s time to move on from Jones, whom the Giants selected sixth overall in 2019. Fortunately for New York, with the likelihood of securing another high draft pick, they are in a great position to find Jones’ replacement.
With the Giants currently projected to pick second overall in the 2025 draft, they are in a prime position to select one of several talented quarterbacks. Shedeur Sanders from Colorado is likely high on their radar. Beyond Sanders, this draft class also features Jalen Milroe, Quinn Ewers, and Cam Ward, all of whom would be significant upgrades over the Giants’ current situation at quarterback.
Jones has struggled this year, throwing just eight touchdown passes against seven interceptions, with many of his turnovers costing the Giants critical scoring opportunities. It’s clear that it’s time to move on from Daniel Jones this offseason, making quarterback a position the Giants must urgently address.