With how badly the 2024 season went for the New York Giants, it's hard to be optimistic about the future. However, there were some bright spots. Dexter Lawrence was an All-Pro before he got injured. Plus, Malik Nabers and Tyrone Tracy emerged as the future of the Giants offense.
On both sides of the ball, the building blocks are there. Now, if this team could just get a quarterback, we'd be looking at a truly competitive and, dare I say, good football team. Alongside the headliners, there are some more under-the-radar players who deserve more snaps and involvement heading into 2025.
3. Jalin Hyatt, WR
We're going to start this list off with a controversial one, but this is for all the Jalin Hyatt stockholders out there. For those who still believe, even after it seemed like Brian Daboll and Co. forgot Hyatt was on the roster. From 23 catches on 40 targets his rookie year to just 8 catches on 19 targets in his sophomore season, most of you are probably wondering why he deserves a bigger role. Well, his skillset could go a long way for the Giants offense in 2025.
Hyatt is the type of player who can take the top off a defense. Think of someone like Christian Watson for the Packers or Mike Williams for the Steelers back in the day—someone who keeps safeties and defensive coordinators on edge, making them wary of getting burned deep. He may not be targeted often, but when he is, it has home-run potential. A new quarterback under center will give Hyatt a real chance to be an impact player. Last year's quarterback room struggled to throw deep. Hopefully, next season’s does not, and Hyatt can have a big year in 2025.
2. Theo Johnson, TE
Because of injury, Theo Johnson is often forgotten when talking about how good the 2024 draft class has been for the Giants. Johnson was on a roll before missing the final five games. In the four games before his injury, Johnson had 15 catches on 23 targets and averaged close to six targets per game. This is the kind of involvement the Giants offense needs to continue going forward. He’ll never be the No. 1 option with Nabers on the roster, but there’s no excuse for Johnson not to be the No. 2 or 3 option, depending on how they utilize Tracy.
What happened at the start of Johnson's rookie campaign cannot happen again. He had just 16 total targets in his first six games, including one game with a single target and another with zero. Simply unacceptable. The Giants have a prototypical tight end in Johnson at 6'6", 264 pounds. Letting this combination of size, speed, and catching ability go to waste would be a travesty. He should be a top red zone target and a reliable security blanket by the time the 2025 season wraps up.
1. Andru Phillips, CB
In his rookie campaign, Andru Phillips was to the Giants' defense what Nabers was to the offense: a playmaking force who made a serious impact. Despite missing three games, Phillips collected 71 tackles, one sack, and one interception. He even had seven tackles for loss—as a cornerback. If the Giants had a better record, Phillips would have had a real case for Defensive Rookie of the Year. So how does a guy who made this type of impact while playing 68 percent of the snaps get a bigger role?
Use him in coverage. The big knock on Phillips during the draft was his coverage ability, but he’s proven he belongs on an NFL field—and then some. Expand his responsibilities. It’s pretty obvious that Deonte Banks and Cor'Dale Flott aren’t the answers as CB1 and CB2. Phillips deserves a real shot at being a cover corner, on top of the game-wrecking skills he’s already shown. Worst case scenario: he struggles in coverage but remains the dominant nickel corner he was as a rookie. It’s a low-risk, high-reward move that could elevate the defense to another level.