Throughout the NY Giants' training camp, we saw several players show out and look incredible. These guys kept fans entertained and had us excited for what they could do come time for the regular season. On the opposite side of the spectrum, though, there were some Giants players who did not look as great.
While there's no reason to panic, as it's training camp, the disappearance of these four players makes us curious about their role in the 2023 season. While the coaching staff likely won't put too much weight on their performances, or lack thereof, we're still worried about what could be in store for these four:
4. WR Isaiah Hodgins
Following a simply incredible run toward the end of last season, fans were incredibly excited to see what Isaiah Hodgins would be capable of in a full season with the Giants. However, after a pretty quiet camp, there's some worry that maybe other guys will take on more of a role over him.
While in all likelihood, Hodgins will be just as featured in the Giants offense as last season, it's still odd that the noise around him has been so quiet this offseason. Hopefully, Hodgins will still be as dominant heading into the 2023 season as the Giants could really use an elite WR for Jones.
Through eight games with the Giants last season, Hodgins caught 33 passes for 351 yards and four touchdowns. These numbers are already rather impressive, but what had fans truly excited for this season was his showing against the Vikings in the Giants' Wild Card matchup. In said game, Hodgins caught eight passes for 105 yards and a touchdown.
The way Hodgins rose to the occasion in one of the biggest games of the season showed that he very well could be a stud in this league. At the very least, the Giants will have an incredibly consistent, big-bodied receiver lined up on the outside, something they haven't had in a long time. Hopefully, this silent training camp was just a fluke, as the Giants really need Hodgins to play well in '23.
3. Pass-rusher Azeez Ojulari
Similar to Hodgins, many fans are hoping for a breakout season from Azeez Ojulari. However, after a quiet training camp, fans may be more hesitant to believe this. While it's easy to worry about training camp, fans should know that players in the trenches are often at a disadvantage in camps due to the limtied physicality.
In all likelihood, this breakout season for Ojulari is still on the way. At least, we hope it is, as the options behind him aren't very good. Regardless, it would have been nice to have seen Ojulari make some plays, especially during joint practices with the Lions.
We aren't too worried about Ojulari's play, considering how incredible he looked when healthy last season. In all reality, either Wink Martindale or Ojulari himself may be taking a step back in order to be as healthy as possible going into this season. With the way Brian Daboll recently talked about playing starters in the preseason, it's very likely that we see Ojulari get some run against either the Jets or Panthers.
If he gets to play, expect Ojulari to dominate. His 5.5 sacks in seven games are some pretty elite numbers. This high level of play will hopefully translate over into 2023, he and Kayvon Thibodeaux have the chance to form one of the best young pass-rushing duos in the entire NFL. This, alongside the Giants' already stacked defense, has us so excited for the upcoming season, but Ojulari has to stay healthy too.
2. CB Cor'Dale Flott
Following some high-level play toward the end of last season, fans were excited about what Cor'Dale Flott could be capable of in the 2023 season. While he looked pretty good in the Giants' first preseason game before suffering an abdomen injury, his lack of a presence in training camp was notable.
Throughout training camp, Flott was consistently outshined by both Adoree' Jackson and Deonte Banks, which is to be expected for that secondary. However, the unexpected uprising of Tre Hawkins made it even more likely that Flott isn't a top player on the Giants' defense. He's still fighting for the slot CB spot, but who knows how things while shape out there.
Maybe with some consistently good preseason performances, Flott can earn himself that job on the team. There's still some possible movement with the CBs room too. Don't forget that there's still a chance that Darnay Holmes is released as well. With all of that said, we'd like to see Flott raise his game a bit against the Panthers this week. We'll see if he's healthy enough to play, though.
1. OG Mark Glowinski
Last season, one of the most disappointing players on the NY Giants was offensive lineman Mark Glowinski. After signing with New York on a three-year deal, many fans were excited that the Giants finally had a consistent guard on the team. Instead, what the team got was a disastrous pass protector alongside rookie Evan Neal.
While Glowinski made some nice plays in the run last season, his abilities as a pass protector were nothing short of a nightmare. Through 614 pass-blocking snaps, Glowinski allowed five sacks and 34 pressures. For an offensive guard, these numbers are rather poor. Hopefully, Glowinski can improve, but with his lack of a presence during training camp, we aren't too confident.
Throughout several moments in training camp, Glowinski found himself benched for Ben Bredeson. In all reality, this was just Daboll and Mike Kafka experimenting. However, his poor play cannot continue to be allowed with the Giants having another playoff berth in their sights.
Hopefully, he shows improvement this season. What we saw in training camp, though, doesn't have us too excited about what Glowinski can do. We should be getting a close look at him vs. the Panthers on Friday night.
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