It has been an offseason filled with many twists and turns for the New York Giants, who are looking to make it back to the playoffs after a disappointing 2023 season. There have been some stellar moves made by Big Blue, from trading for Brian Burns and of course, using their first-round draft pick to draft wide receiver Malik Nabers.
This offseason, however, saw the Giants say goodbye to their star running back Saquon Barkley, who headed down the turnpike to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles and saw safety Xavier McKinney sign with the Green Bay Packers.
So, this team will look a bit different this season with 2024 looking like a make-or-break campaign for Brian Daboll and Co. But, have there been any under-the-radar moves that the Giants made that could have a much bigger impact in 2024 than expected? We take a look at five said moves in this piece:
5. Signing OG Jon Runyan Jr.
The Giants offensive line has been a mess for years. Whenever they try to improve it either in the draft or in free agency, with the exception of Andrew Thomas, things have not improved. But after signing guard Jon Runyan Jr. to a three-year deal, this move may be one that helps turn things around.
The Giants led the NFL by a wide margin with 85 sacks allowed in 2023, so any help for the offensive line is much needed and Runyan could provide just that. The former Packer has started at least 16 games over the last three seasons and has put up some great numbers at the guard position. The 26-year-old's pass-block win rate this past year was 94.2 percent, which was ninth among all guards in the league and in the year before, his pass-block win rate was 94 percent, ranked 12th among guards.
Runyan is also still relatively young, which is a boost for the Giants and he has been healthy throughout his career. Runyan could prove to be one of the best lineman for NY this season and him lining up at right guard should help Evan Neal too.
4. Signing DT Jordan Phillips
There is nothing wrong with bolstering up your defensive line and that's exactly what the Giants did. Despite adding Burns with Dexter Lawerence and Kayon Thibodeaux, the Giants signed nose tackle Jordan Phillips, who previously played for the Buffalo Bills this past season. With an already loaded defensive front, adding Phillips could make this Giants defense scarier for opponents.
Despite not playing as much over the last couple of seasons due to injuries, Phillips, when healthy, could be a force to be reckoned with. Phillips had 2.5 sacks in 2023 in the 14 games that he played and also had 15 tackles. Phillips also does a great job in adding pressure to the opponent's offensive line, as he had a career-high five passes deflected.
Even though he has not put up huge sack numbers since 2019 when he had 9.5, Phillips is still a great option for the Giants on the defensive side of the ball, as he has been known for his heavy defensive presence and adding lots of pressure to offensive lines and getting after quarterbacks. While his injury history is something to be on the lookout for, this was not a bad move at all for Big Blue.
3. Drafting TE Theo Johnson
After months of speculation about whether or not tight end Darren Waller will retire after just one season in New York, the news finally broke that he will hang up his cleats, which makes this move by the Giants in the draft a big deal. The Giants drafted tight end Theo Johnson in the fourth round out of Penn State and now with Waller gone, Johnson is going to have a much larger role.
Yes, the Giants have third-year tight end Daniel Bellinger who has shown bits and pieces of greatness, but Johnson should not go unnoticed this year. Johnson put up perhaps his best collegiate season in his final year at Penn State in 2023 as he had a career-high 34 receptions and even though he had just 341 receiving yards, he found the end zone seven times.
The Giants made the right decision drafting a player like Johnson, who may be the perfect replacement for Waller after he did not work out in his one and only year in East Rutherford. It will be interesting to see if Johnson does get a lot of playing time during his rookie season with Bellinger and Lawrence Cager still on the roster, but Johnson appears to have a bright future with NY.
2. Signing DB Jalen Mills
The Giants secondary took a hit with McKinney, who led the Giants with three interceptions last season, left for the Packers and cornerback Adoree' Jackson not expected back either. So, Big Blue addressed much-needed help in the secondary and signed veteran safety Jalen Mills. Even though Mills is on the older side of his career being 30 years old, signing a veteran player like Mills could be a great move that could pay off for the Giants.
Despite people saying Mills may have lost his step being at the latter end of his career, he can still be a reliable presence for the Giants young secondary, as he has played in at least 10 games for the last four years and while he did not have much production last season, he did have a solid 2022 season for the New England Patriots, as he has two interceptions and had 31 total tackles with five passes that he deflected in just 10 games played.
Losing McKinney obviously hurts, but getting a reliable guy like Mills in will be a benefit for new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen. Mills is also versatile, so if the Giants need some help at cornerback, he could make the switch to the outside too.
1. Signing OL Jermaine Eluemunor
Once again, improving the offensive line is featured on this list. Jermaine Eluemunor signed this offseason and he's the projected left guard for 2024. Eluemunor also has plenty of experience at tackle, having played both positions for the Las Vegas Raiders. He's got veteran experience and is a welcome addition up front.
While Evan Neal is expected to get one last shot to prove his worth at right tackle, the idea of Eluemunor taking that spot over if the former No. 7 overall pick struggles is intriguing. Eluemunor has the ability to be a stud for the Giants and fans are still quite excited about Joe Schoen signing him.
Even though Eluemunor's pass-block rate was slightly above the average of a right tackle at 87.9 percent and he has only started double-digit games twice over his seven years in the NFL, he can still provide much-needed help on the offensive line. Do not be surprised if this move works out perfectly for the Giants. Eluemunor is definitely a bit underrated, but he should be ready to make a splash in the NFC East.