To absolutely no one’s surprise, the New York Giants’ offense went kaputt the second superstar wide receiver Malik Nabers and fan-favorite rookie running back Cam Skattebo suffered season-ending injuries.
Nabers was lost to a torn ACL in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers, while Skatt dislocated his ankle on a brutal hip-drop tackle from Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zach Baun in Week 8. The offense under rookie QB Jaxson Dart fought like hell, but it became obvious the G-Men just didn’t have the firepower to actually win games.
Related: Joe Schoen all but decided Wan'Dale Robinson's future in New York
The natural assumption was that New York would fix it by adding more talent in free agency or, more importantly, with the fifth pick in the draft. But as Lee Corso famously says, not so fast, my friend. When asked whether the rehabs of Nabers and Skatt would impact Big Blue's draft or free agency plans when speaking at the NFL Combine, Schoen delivered a pointed eight-word response that said plenty:
"I feel good about where those two are."
Joe Schoen’s stance on Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo changes Giants draft conversation
Tell me Schoen isn't drafting a WR without telling me. The 46-year-old might as well have handed Roger Goodell the card with Ohio State safety Caleb Downs’ name on it. Or LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane. Or Miami OT Francis Mauigoa. Or Utah OT Spencer Fano. Just don’t expect a skill position player.
Say sayonara to Ohio State's Carnell Tate, Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson, and USC's Makai Lemon. They're so donezo it's not even funny. With Leek and Skatt back, who needs anyone else anyway?
Whether their rehabs technically impact the draft or not is one thing, but new head coach John Harbaugh’s history lines up perfectly with New York passing on a skill player. In three of his last four drafts in Baltimore, he beefed up the secondary. So maybe that eight-word answer wasn’t accidental. Maybe Schoen just let the game plan slip.
If we’re being real, even if both are healthy, the offense still needs high-end help. Relying on those two to cover up everything else isn’t smart. Schoen still has to upgrade the talent around Jaxson Dart, and this offseason is the time to do it.
Even with Wan’Dale Robinson coming off a career year, Tyrone Tracy Jr. eclipsing 1,000 scrimmage yards, and Theo Johnson breaking out, it still wasn’t enough to keep them in games. Maybe they don’t draft a receiver at five. Maybe they find a legitimate WR2 in free agency like Alec Pierce or Mike Evans. However they do it, banking on two young guys coming back from serious injuries just feels wrong.