The NY Giants offense will look radically different in 2023. The Giants had a mediocre offense despite making it to the NFC Divisional Round last fall. The Giants offense finished 16th in points per game, 26th in passing yards per game, and 18th in total yards per game. The Giants offense did finish fourth in rushing yards per game thanks to career-highs in both rushing yards and rushing attempts by Saquon Barkley.
The Giants had one of the least talented offensive rosters in 2022. That will not be the case in 2023. Big Blue’s general manager Joe Schoen signed speedy wide receiver Parris Campbell Jr., veteran wideout Jamison Crowder, traded for former Pro Bowl bowl tight end Darren Waller, drafted Tennessee standout wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, and drafted physical running back Eric Gray this spring.
That is a ton of talent to add to an offense that returns Daniel Jones, Saquon Barkley (either via the franchise tag or a long-term extension), Darius Slayton, and Isaiah Hodgins. This offense should be fun to watch this fall. Here are five bold predictions for the NY Giants offense in 2023:
5. Parris Campbell Jr. sets career highs in yards and catches
The Giants signed Campbell to an incentive-laden one-year contract, so he has about seven million reasons to ball out this season. The ex-Colt wideout is coming off the best season of his career. Campbell pulled in 63 passes for 623 yards and three touchdowns in 2022, all of which were career highs.
He’s primed to smash all those marks this season. Right after signing with the Giants, Campbell flew out to Arizona to work out with his new teammates and quickly developed a great rapport with Danny Dimes.
Daniel Jones ➡️ Parris Campbell pic.twitter.com/7ROXtkqeEv
— Bobby Skinner (@BobbySkinner_) April 19, 2023
In Giants minicamp he looked like the best wide receiver on the Giants roster. The Ohio State product stands at 6-0, 208 pounds and has lightning fast speed. In the 2019 NFL Combine, Campbell ran a 4.31 40-yard dash.
His strong size and elite speed allow him to play both on the inside and the outside. That versatility will be key for Mike Kafka’s offense. Wan’Dale Robinson and Sterling Shepard both tore their ACLs last season and it’s uncertain if either will be ready for Week 1. Campbell could get a lot of opportunities out of the slot early. Campbell. is going to be a YAC (yards after catch) monster in 2023.
4. Saquon Barkley amasses 2,000 total yards
After signing Danny Dimes to a monstrous four-year, $160 million contract this offseason, the Giants franchised tag Barkley. Barkley was not thrilled to receive the franchise tag, essentially a one-year, $10.1 million contract. Barkley and the Giants have until July 17 to agree to a long-term contract. If they do not agree, Barkley will be forced to decide between sitting out the season or playing on the tag.
I expect the two sides will reach an agreement and the face of the Giants will remain in the backfield. Barkley was a monster in 2022, and was the hardest-working member on the Giants offense. No. 26 carried the ball a whopping 295 times last fall, the fourth most in football.
Barkley will undoubtedly receive a ton of volume next fall, but it will likely be less than this season. Barkley was the Giants lone playmaker last fall. Big Blue now has an offense full of speedy playmakers opposing defenses will have to account for, meaning they won't be able to stack the box like they did in 2022.
Barkley should have even bigger holes and more space to work with, making him more dangerous. Defenders have one chance to tackle him, if they miss, it could be an 80-yard touchdown. He amassed 2,000 yards his rookie season, and will undoubtedly have an opportunity to do it in 2023, especially if he becomes Jones’ favorite check-down target.
3. Darren Waller breaks the Giants single season tight end record
The New York Giants will play their 99th season as an NFL franchise this fall. In just one of those of those 99 seasons the Giants had a tight end surpass 1,000 receiving yards (Mark Bavaro had exactly 1,000 in 1986).
Jones has not had an elite tight end to throw to in his NFL career, but he certainly will now. In his four years as Giants quarterback, Jones’ tight ends posted 467 yards, 654 yards, 408 yards, and 268 yards, respectively. In 2021, Waller played in just 11 games and had 665 yards, which still would have been the best season from a tight end Jones has gotten.
On paper, the Giants do not have a WR1. They do not really need one, especially since they have Waller, who is by far the Giants biggest receiving threat. At 6-6, 255 pounds, the tight end is a matchup nightmare. It is very likely Big Blue’s two elite offensive minds, Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka, will build the Giant offense around Waller, similar to how Kansas City builds their offense around Travis Kelce.
In order to break Bavaro’s record of 1,000 receiving yards, Waller will need to average just under 59 receiving yards per game. The ex-Pro Bowler averaged just under 62 receiving yards per game throughout his Las Vegas career.
2. Evan Neal has a Pro Bowl campaign
Evan Neal’s rookie season was a serious struggle. Neal committed 27 penalties, tied for the 27th most in football, allowed seven sacks, tied for seventh most in football, and was given a porous 44.1 overall grade by PFF. Despite all that, Neal is in line for a massive sophomore leap,
Neal played right tackle for the Giants last season, a position he is still learning. The Alabama product played just one season at right tackle in college. Neal had some difficulties with his footwork last fall, but has had an entire offseason to watch the film and correct those mistakes.
After all, there is a reason Neal was the seventh overall pick in the 2022 draft. He is a physical freak, standing at 6-7, 350 pounds. He also has a full six-pack of abs, which is incredibly rare for an offensive lineman. The Giants offensive line is significantly better than it was a year ago, especially along the interior, which will take a lot of pressure of Neal on the outside.
1. Daniel Jones finishes Top 10 in the MVP race
Danny Dimes posted the sixth-best QBR in football last season, was a top-10 quarterback, won a playoff game, and set career highs in virtually every offensive category. Don’t forget Jones also became the first quarterback in NFL postseason history to record 300-plus passing yards, 70-plus rushing yards, and two-plus touchdowns in a single game.
Jones threw just 15 touchdowns last year, but the number is poised to shoot up exponentially next fall. Unlike last fall, Jones has a bevy of weapons to distribute the ball to, including Waller, Slayton, Hodgins, Barkley, Daniel Bellinger, and Campbell.
The weapons Schoen gave his quarterback will also change how the Giants call offensive plays. Jones averaged just 5.1 air yards before pass completions in 2022, ranked 27th in the NFL. With these new weapons, the Giants will let Jones rip the ball around the field, spiking his numbers.
The Giants quarterback also threw the least interceptions among NFL QBs last year, and ran for 708 yards, the fifth most among NFL QBs. The MVP award has become a quarterback award and if Jones plays up to his top 10 quarterback caliber, he could sneak into the top 10 of the MVP voting.
READ MORE: 5 bold predictions for the NY Giants defense in 2023