During their first season on the job with the NY Giants, Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll were strapped by questionable decisions from the Dave Gettleman era, forcing them to be wary of the moves they made in 2022.
While it led to some big wins via an improved coaching staff, Daniel Jones and Dexter Lawrence immediately coming to mind, contests against division rivals like the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles exploited some of the holes in the team’s roster. After a full offseason of moves with their fingerprints all over them, Schoen and Daboll’s vision is coming together, and that spells bad news for some members of the Giants who have been on the roster for a couple of seasons.
Alas, there are at least five athletes on New York’s roster who will need to boom instead of bust to remain with the team moving forward. Here's our look at five in particular who need to post strong 2023 campaigns:
5. Cornerback Darnay Holmes
A former fourth-round selection by the Gettleman front office, Darnay Holmes was looking like a mid-round gem for the embattled Giants general manager during his rookie season. However, while he’s shown promise at times, some bad penalties and lackluster pass coverage has stunted fans' confidence in Holmes.
While he was given a chance to prove himself under defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale last season, Holmes didn’t look the part in 2022. Now, with an influx of talent into the Giants secondary, the former UCLA defensive back may be on his last legs in New York.
Over the course of his NFL career thus far, Holmes has amassed 15 pass deflections and two interceptions. He’s best suited for either the nickel-corner role or to be a depth piece for New York, but injuries and a lack of talent have seen him grace the field more than expected.
If Holmes can’t put it all together and find a role on the 2023 Giants defense, his time in New York may finally be up. Flashes aren’t enough anymore- the Giants need consistent, solid play when he’s on the field this season.
4. Cornerback Aaron Robinson
Another defensive back who needs to blossom into well, something, anything for the Giants in 2023 is former third-round pick Aaron Robinson.
When the Giants selected Robinson out of the University of Central Florida, they had hoped they were getting a physical, underrated cornerback who could ascend to become at the least a No. 2 or No. 3 pass defender on their roster. Instead, Robinson has battled injury after injury in the NFL, and hasn’t shown to be what they ordered when he’s on the field.
Halfway through his four-year rookie contract, casual Giants fans wouldn’t even know who Robinson is. This front office has no ties to the former UCF defensive back, and if he can’t get his act together, it may be time for them to look elsewhere, if only for a body who can stay on the field.
While Robinson possesses the talent to make it in the NFL, his durability has been more than questionable, and that’s unacceptable at this level. The Giants need Robinson on the field in 2023, and Robinson needs to stay on the field if he’s to prove to New York that he’s worthy of keeping around moving forward.
3. Offensive lineman Shane Lemieux
Another draft pick from a past era, the Giants were hopeful Shane Lemiuex would turn into a key piece of their offensive line moving forward. Stationed next to Andrew Thomas, the pair of young offensive linemen could learn, grow and play together for a myriad of seasons.
While Thomas has thankfully blossomed into one of the best offensive tackles in the entire NFL, Lemieux has left a ton to be desired for the Giants. It has been rough to see.
For consecutive seasons, it’s been injuries that have derailed Lemiuex’s year. Last season, the former Oregon offensive lineman actually healed up enough to make it back onto the playing field for the Giants, but it was evident something wasn’t right, and he was quickly shut back down by the coaching staff.
The Giants can no longer afford the level of offensive line play Lemiuex has provided over the last two seasons. It’s time for the offensive lineman to either become a formidable depth piece at the least, or to pack his bags and attempt to do so at another stop.
Fixing the offensive line has been Schoen’s biggest goal, and he looks to be on his way to doing so. Lemieux may not be a part of those plans beyond the 2023 season.
2. Offensive lineman Ben Bredeson
The Giants took a chance on Ben Bredeson two seasons ago, deciding to trade for the former Michigan offensive lineman from the Baltimore Ravens. They hoped to unlock something in Bredeson, but it’s been nothing more than average play that they’ve received in return.
Luckily for Bredeson, his biggest competition in 2023 may be the aforementioned Shane Lemieux, who doesn’t seem to exactly hold the favor of the team’s coaching staff at the moment. While Bredeson provided some solid depth and at times has looked good, there’s been far too many occasions throughout his career where he’s been severely overmatched by defenders.
Over the offseason, Bredeson has worked at center, just in case the Giants needed some help there as Jon Feliciano moved on to the San Francisco 49ers. However, New York drafted center Jon Michael Schmitz out of Minnesota with a second-round pick during the 2023 NFL Draft, and he figures to be the starter from Day 1 at the position.
Will Bredeson get a chance to prove his worth to the Giants in 2023? Yes, but it’s hard to have confidence in him sticking around for long, unless he truly unlocks something next campaign.
1. Punter Jamie Gillan
In one of their more shocking signings from the offseason, the Giants decided to ink punter Jamie Gillan to a two-year contract extension. After a season of uneven play from their punter, many fans were ready to see “The Scottish Hammer” move on to another squad, but Schoen and company must see something the fans don’t.
Yes, Gillan has a booming leg that has been seen on more than one occasion, but does that out-weigh the amount of touchbacks and shanked punts we saw from him in 2022? And who could forget his infamous illegal punt against the Philadelphia Eagles, which was the microcosm of one of the team’s most embarrassing games from 2022.
Evidently, the Giants are drawn to Gillan’s talent, and believe they can mold him into a punter that’s among the league’s best. Additionally, it’s not like they’re breaking the bank for him, as they’ll only be paying him $4 million in total.
If it doesn’t work out, it’s not the end of the world. You can find a good punter in many different places throughout the NFL. That’s why it was surprising to see the Giants hitch their wagon to Gillan once again. Nevertheless, he’ll have to do better than what he showcased in 2022, or it’ll be curtains on the time of “The Scottish Hammer” in New York by the end of next season.
READ MORE: Ranking the 10 best Giants, Jets and Bills players for 2023