We are flying through the offseason and the NY Giants are inching closer to Week 1 getting here. OTAs have wrapped up and the mandatory minicamp just took place over in East Rutherford. Obviously, there were plenty of talking points over the two days of practice.
With the G-Men going 6-11 in 2023, the hard work has already begun in trying to improve in 2024. Having said that, there are several things that are standing out about this team as we get ready for the summer to get here. In this piece, we focus on five that should have plenty of NY supporters pretty excited:
5. WR Malik Nabers has everyone excited about his potential
To get us going, we've got to bring up No. 6 overall pick Malik Nabers. We understand that it's still the offseason and nothing is really going to matter until September, but how can you not be fired up about this kid? Not only is Nabers saying all the right things, but he's backing up his unreal swagger with some quality play on the field.
We've gotten a small sample size already, with some of his head-turning grabs going viral on social media. Nabers reminds a lot of people of Odell Beckham Jr., which makes sense: the two are former LSU studs, drafted by the Giants in the first round. Just like OBJ, Nabers plays the game with a ton of passion.
Come Week 1 against the Vikings, Giants Nation is going to be hoping that Nabers can continue to be as good as advertised. The dream is that he can be the first Giants wideout to post a 1,000-yard season. The last person to reach that milestone? You guessed it - Beckham.
4. Daniel Jones will lead the offense out onto the field come Week 1
This isn't the news Danny Dimes haters were hoping for, but deal with it. Since tearing his ACL in Week 9 against the Las Vegas Raiders, Daniel Jones has been working his tail off in trying to get back to 100 percent. He's not quite there yet, but all signs are pointing to him being fully cleared for the start of training camp.
At minicamp, Jones didn't see any action in 11-on-11 work, but he was with the offense for 7-on-7 drills. In minicamp and OTAs, Jones appeared to be throwing the ball with some extra mustard, which is a positive sign. The fact that he's even able to get outside, run a little and throw is a testament to his work ethic in terms of his recovery.
The former No. 6 overall pick is coming off a rough 2023 season, which saw him throw for only two touchdowns in the six games he was healthy for. However, the Giants didn't replace him this winter/spring and while Drew Lock is in town, he won't be winning the QB1 job. All eyes will be on Jones at camp, but there's a feeling of optimism surrounding him for once.
3. There's still a secondary concern for the Giants
With both Xavier McKinney (Packers) and Adoree' Jackson (free agent) not returning to the Giants in 2024, there's a youth movement going on in the secondary. However, the lack of experience at both safety and cornerback has to be a bit of a concern for head man Brian Daboll and new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen.
At safety, second-round pick Tyler Nubin is going to look to make a splash and fans are pumped up about his potential. At cornerback, Deonte Banks is the unquestioned CB1, while the Giants look ready to move forward with Cor'Dale Flott at CB2. However, Flott has battled inconsistent play in the past, which is concerning.
The Giants were able to add some experience at the position by signing former Jaguars cornerback Tre Herndon, who has more than 30 starts to his name. However, he's not a splash signing and he's more of a quality depth guy. Could Schoen use some of the Darren Waller money to bring in an exciting CB, maybe Stephon Gilmore or Xavien Howard? It's hard to say, but not a lot of people are feeling overly confident about the CBs room.
2. Malik Nabers wasn't the only rookie to turn heads at minicamp
Yes, Nabers has been fun to watch, but let's not forget about other first-year studs. The list includes Theo Johnson, who is going to have to step his game up early on. Why? Well, it's because after months of rumors flying around, Waller finally made the call and let the Giants know ahead of minicamp that he's retiring.
Daniel Bellinger is going to have to step his game up in Year 3, as he's now the leader of the TEs room. However, Johnson, a fourth-rounder out of Penn State, will need to be a top pass-catching option for Jones moving forward. Thankfully, Johnson has reliable hands and he moves pretty well for a man of his size. We're excited to see what he can do.
Another offensive rookie to keep an eye on is no question Tyrone Tracy Jr. The fifth-round pick, per Art Stapleton, is already pushing to be the lead back on passing downs. Tracy is a WR-turned-RB, so it makes sense why Daboll might want to use him more for the aerial attack. Tracy also has the potential to be a special teams playmaker. He may have been a late-rounder, but NY fans should be hearing his name a lot in the regular season.
1. Brian Daboll will most likely be calling plays in 2024
It really feels like the writing is on the wall for offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. While Kafka has been promoted to assistant head coach, he's most likely not going to have play-calling duties under his belt this fall and winter. Nope, those responsibilities should go to Daboll, who was once again running the show at minicamp.
This was the case at OTAs, which caught the attention of a lot of people. Daboll said that no final decision on who the offensive play-caller will be made until training camp gets here, but it would be a shocker if Kafka ends up doing so. His latest comments while speaking with the press sure made it seem like he knows what's coming.
At the end of the day, the Giants offense did not look sharp in 2023 and Daboll reportedly took away the play-calling duties from Kafka on more than one occasion. Daboll can't afford to let the offense bring this team down again, which is why he should be the one to take charge here. It will be good for Jones and the offense as a whole.