For much of the offseason, plenty of talk surrounding the NY Giants has been the offensive additions brought in by general manager Joe Schoen. Understandably so, as the offensive unit really has folks excited these days.
However, we can't forget about defensive coordinator Wink Martindale and all of his playmakers in East Rutherford. With Wink running the show, the Giants defense has the potential to be electric in 2023. From our chair, several guys will be ready to step up their game this season.
Matter of fact, here's three reasons why we think the G-Men will be a problem for opposing offenses starting Week 1 vs. the Dallas Cowboys:
3. The LB play will be improved for the Giants
One of the biggest headaches Giants fans got while watching this team in 2022 was the poor linebacker play. Both Tae Crowder and Jaylon Smith saw significant action, which was tough to watch from start to finish during the campaign. We saw just how bad the unit was late in the season, particularly vs. the Eagles in the playoffs.
Now, though, things are going to be quite different for this team, as both Smith and Crowder are nowhere near East Rutherford. On top of that, Schoen made a huge splash early on in free agency when he was able to sign stud inside linebacker Bobby Okereke to a four-year deal with $40 million. Okereke has monster potential with this team.
We can't wait to see what Okereke will be able to get done with this group moving forward, but he's not the only LB to keep an eye on. There's a lot of buzz surrounding Darrian Beavers, as the 2022 late-round pick had a promising summer, only to see his rookie campaign come to a close with a torn ACL in the preseason. Beavers will be ready to make an early impact - and he should do just that.
2. The NFL Draft was great for the G-Men
In terms of young talent, plenty has arrived via the 2023 NFL Draft. Obviously to start things off, we've got to talk about cornerback Deonte Banks. Banks was clearly the top target for the G-Men, as they moved up to No. 24 overall to make sure no one else could have him. Thus far in OTAs, Banks is making plenty of noise.
The young defensive back has been thrown into the fire early on, seeing action running with the starters. People are excited about what he will be able to get done this season working with standout CB Adoree' Jackson. Jackson is the leader for the secondary and he's going to have some big expectations. He's been quite impressed with Banks at OTAs.
"I’m excited. I think about when I was in Tennessee, and I had Logan Ryan being able to help me and mentor me. And the following year, I had Malcolm Butler. I always think of it as an added benefit to us as a whole, not just the defense but the team as a whole. So, I’m excited, watched his tape. Like him. Watched him go through the walk-throughs, different things. Talked to him. He’s got a good head on his shoulder. Seems like a great guy. I was excited to get Banks.Jackson on Banks via Giants Wire
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On top of Banks, other players for the secondary added in the draft were cornerback Tre Hawkins and safety Gervarrius Owens - both players have also made a little bit of noise at OTAs. You can never have too much depth, especially for the secondary. We're excited to see what these youngsters can do, especially Banks.
1. Kayvon Thibodeaux will have a monster season for the Giants
With all the excitement surrounding the new players for the Giants, it's easy to forget about some of the returning standouts. Yes, we can go on and on about Dexter Lawrence, Saquon Barkley, Andrew Thomas and others. However, can we please talk about former No. 5 overall pick Kayvon Thibodeaux, who's getting ready for his second season in the league?
Thibodeaux fell way short of his sacks goal for last season, but we don't care about that. During the seond half of the year, Thibodeaux was one of the best pass-rushers in the NFC. His coming out party at FedEx Field against the Washington Commanders was nothing short of sensational. He was making plays all night.
Now, Thibodeaux has plenty of experience under his belt and he'll look to record a head-turning amount of sacks this season after he posted four during his rookie year. Thibodeaux is a personable young man who is easy to root for. He's focused on really stepping up his game in 2023 and fans should have every reason to believe that he'll have no problem in making that happen.
READ MORE: 3 positive takeaways from OTAs and 2 areas of concern