Giants 2024 midseason awards: MVP, best rookies, and biggest disappointments

We've officially reached the halfway point of 2024 and the NY Giants' centennial season. While things may not be going the way Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll anticipated, with the G-Men sitting at the bottom of the NFC East standings at 2-8 and on a five-game losing skid, the worst record in the league, there are several positive and negative takeaways throughout the last 10 weeks.

The Giants' pass-rushing unit has been dominant as they lead the NFL in sacks this year with 36, and nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II has been a crucial factor. The two-time Pro Bowler has the second-most sacks, nine, in the league behind Bengals' Trey Hendrickson. Despite not having a sack in three games, Sexy Dexy has filled in nicely on the Giants' defensive line alongside edge rusher Brian Burns with Kayvon Thibodeaux sidelined the last few weeks.

On the flip side, the Giants' offense has not been good this season, as they average just 15.6 points per game, and it all starts with their quarterback, Daniel Jones, who has struggled tremendously under center. While the Giants' rookie class on offense has performed well this season, the team is still a work in progress.

That said, let's look at the good, the bad, and the ugly and hand out the Giants' 2024 midseason awards:

Giants' 2024 Midseason Most Valuable Player: Dexter Lawrence II

While there may be dark clouds over MetLife Stadium, the Giants' most prominent bright spot this season has been Lawrence II, who has played a crucial role in helping the New York pass-rush chemistry. Sexy Dexy's team-leading nine sacks and overall numbers speak for themselves, and he should be in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation.

Still, there's a reason the Giants' defensive line has been so dominant this year. Even while the Giants have struggled, Lawrence's performance on the gridiron and leadership off the field is why he is the team's most valuable player thus far.

Despite Thibodeaux being sidelined with an injury, several players have stepped up on the defensive line and exceeded expectations this year. The addition of Burns significantly helps the Giants' defensive line, but one player who has played well is Azeez Ojulari.

The 24-year-old has six sacks and seven tackles for a loss this year, and many expected his time with Big Blue to end soon due to his injury history in years past and expiring contract. Another player who has thrived under the New York spotlight this year is undrafted rookie defensive tackle Elijah Chatman, who made the team out of training camp as a starter and has relied on Lawrence II as a mentor.

Giants' 2024 Midseason Best Rookies: Malik Nabers, Tyrone Tracy Jr, and Tyler Nubin

If there's one thing Giants fans should be excited about for the future, it's this year's rookie class. While the Giants did not take a quarterback in this past year's draft, Schoen and Daboll still deserve their flowers for bringing in one of the most impressive Giants' rookie classes in the last few years.

If the Giants' leadership stays the same following the season, it's encouraging to know that this administration will continue to bring in young talent to set the organization up for the future. It only makes you think that if the Giants can find their franchise quarterback in next year's draft, they will have young weapons on both sides of the field.

We can't talk about the Giants' future without starting on offense with how impressive wide receiver Malik Nabers has been this season. Despite missing two games due to a concussion, the 2024 first-rounder ranks third in receptions with 61 this year, has 607 yards, three touchdowns, two in New York's Week 3 victory over the Browns, and averages 10 yards per catch.

Tyrone Tracy Jr has filled in nicely in the rushing game, with 107 carries, 545 yards, three touchdowns, and an average of 5.1 yards per carry. Tracy Jr leads all rookie running backs this year in yards.

The fifth-rounder has been an excellent addition to the Giants' backfield this season after the team lost Saquon Barkley to the Eagles in free agency. While Nabers and Tracy Jr have played well, it's also worth mentioning that tight end Theo Johnson has shown flashes of success and could become a rising star.

The Giants have also found success out of their second-round draft pick, Tyler Nubin, out of Minnesota. Many experts were calling Nubin the best safety in this rookie class, which is surprising why he would fall out of the first round. While Xavier McKinney leaving the team for the Packers in free agency, Nubin has filled in nicely in the Giants' secondary.

In college, Nubin broke Minnesota's record for career interceptions with 13. While he may not have an interception at the professional level yet, the 23-year-old ranks second on the team in total tackles with 69, the most among rookies; he has three tackles for a loss and a forced fumble.

Giants' 2024 Midseason Biggest Disappointments: Daniel Jones and Deonte Banks

There's a reason the Giants are 2-8 and have performed as poorly as they have, so let's look at their biggest disappointments thus far. We would be remiss if we didn't mention the quarterback position and talk about the poor play of veteran Jones.

The 27-year-old has thrown 2,070 yards, eight touchdowns, seven interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 46.5. Danny Dimes has not thrown three or more touchdowns in a game since his rookie season in 2019. The Giants have now lost five straight games, and Jones still needs to improve confidence-wise. DJ's poor decision-making and inability to complete passes to execute a drive downfield have frustrated Big Blue fans. I think the majority of G-Men fans can agree that it's time to move on from Jones.

On the defensive side of the ball, Giants' fans have been very disappointed with second-year cornerback Deonte Banks this season. The 2023 first-rounder has had a nightmare season, and it doesn't seem to be improving anytime soon. It started a few weeks back at home against the Eagles.

The coaching staff called out the 23-year-old for a lack of hustle and effort on a Jalen Hurts 16-yard scramble on third down. Banks was benched to start the following game against the Commanders but was torched for two touchdowns against Washington receiver Terry McLaurin.

He has allowed six touchdowns this year, more than any other defensive back in the league. Banks' lack of hustle and effort makes Giants fans very upset. The Giants don't plan to give up on the young defensive back, but he has a lot of work to do and needs to improve.

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