4 biggest strengths on the NY Giants roster
By Zak Musso
After the NY Giants fell to the Eagles 38-7 in the NFC Divisional round, all eyes shifted toward the offseason - one of the most important ones in Giants history. If you told a Big Blue fan after that loss that the offseason would turn out like it has for NY, that fan would be thrilled.
Joe Schoen re-signed his quarterback Daniel Jones, franchise tagged his running back Saquon Barkley, re-signed wide receiver Darius Slayton, signed wide receiver Parris Campbell Jr., and traded for former Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller. Schoen also signed Bobby Okereke to fill the Giants biggest hole - inside linebacker.
The Giants front office also hit a grand slam in the first three rounds of the draft. The Giants drafted Maryland corner Deonte Banks in round one to play opposite Adoree' Jackson, drafted starting center John Michael Schmitz on Day 2, and thanks to Brian Daboll's trade with the Rams, the team drafted Tennessee wideout Jaylin Hyatt in round three.
Big Blue has a ton of roster strengths thanks to the strong work the front office put in this spring. Here are their four biggest ones:
4. Running back
The Giants running back room is the deepest it has been since the tandem of Amhad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs left New York. Barkley will return to be the workhorse back for the 2023 season, and possibly more if the Giants can reach a long-term extension with their star back.
Barkley rushed for the most yards of his career in 2022, and also recieved the most carries of his career. Behind Barkley, Matt Breida will return as his primary backup, at least to start training camp. Breida signed a vet minimum deal last offseason and had a real strong season for Big Blue, rushing for 220 yards and playing in all 17 games. The veteran had the Giants only touchdown in the divisional round loss.
The Giants drafted Eric Gray in the fifth round out of Oklahoma, and he could beat out Breida for the backup role. Gray, a bruising back, rushed for 1,366 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2022. The Giants also have Gary Brightwell, a big, physical back who was their lead kick returner in 2022, and second-year player Jashuan Corbin, who nearly made the team as an undrafted free agent in 2022 after a strong camp, on the roster.