4 moves the NY Giants still need to make after the NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft has come and gone for the New York Giants, but Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll still have plenty of work to do with the roster. The additions of Deonte Banks, John Michael Schmitz and Jalin Hyatt have fans buzzing; even the UDFA signing of Bryce Ford-Wheaton has the Giants fanbase excited given his size and potential in the league.

But for the Giants general manager and head coach, there are still long hours ahead. Exercising the fifth-year option on Andrew Thomas was a no-brainer, but on the flip side some more difficult decisions will be on the way. After all, NY finished up a 9-7-1 season that ended with a playoff berth. But it also ended with a demoralizing defeat to their rivals in the Philadelphia Eagles, who seemed to have a strong draft of their own.

So, what do the Giants need to do moving forward for the team? Lets take a look at what Schoen can get started with:

4. Find common ground on getting Saquon Barkley a new deal

Saquon Barkley wasn’t too thrilled about having the franchise tag placed on him, but the fortunate thing for Barkley and the Giants is that it was the non-exclusive franchise tag, which allows for both sides to try and work out a deal by July 17, unlike the regular franchise tag that players like Evan Engram and Josh Jacobs received.

Schoen said that he and Barkley's representatives are expected to reconvene soon on working on a potential deal for the star running back, which has given a lot of fans hope that there is a possible light at the end of the tunnel. Will an extension be on the way sooner than later?

Barkley did initially reject the long-term deal the Giants had proposed around the trade deadline mid-season which would have paid him around $12.5 million per year. However, that was also before the market for running backs would plummet in free agency; a move many are saying is an error on Barkley's representatives.

Regardless, Barkley is still the Giants best skill player who has a tremendous rapport with Daniel Jones, Daboll and the entire locker room given how they view him as a leader on and off the field. Finding middle ground on a deal to make Barkley happy and keep him in the Giants offense while he's still in his prime years is best for both sides.

3. Sign Dexter Lawrence to a massive extension

This is a no-brainer - but this also has to happen. Before everyone's eyes, we all saw the transformation in Dexter Lawrence's game in 2022, especially under the guidance of defensive coordinator Wink Martindale. Lawrence went from a pretty good player to perhaps one of the best interior lineman in the sport.

What helped Lawrence was Da'Ron Payne and Jeffrey Simmons getting extensions from their respective teams as well. Schoen had previosuly stated that he had been in talks with Lawrence, who was not reporting for the voluntary team workouts that recently started up.

By getting Lawrence locked up to a long-term deal, it not only gives him some security, but it would also give the Giants some cap space back; and given how the Giants need to create some space to sign their rookie class, getting Lawrence signed sooner rather than later seems like an easy move to make.

Sexy Dexy has earned his payday from the G-Men. It'll be on Schoen and the front office to make him happy before Week 1 arrives.

2. Get things figured out with DL Leonard Williams

This one has been a move that many thought would have been made already given his high salary currently. Yet, Leonard Williams' number for the 2023 campaign hasn't changed.

Williams signed a three-year, $63 million contract back in 2021 and for the better part of the deal, he has held up well on the Giants defensive line. His sack numbers aren't going to jump out, but his value is stopping the run. His 45 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 2022 don't tell the entire story for Williams. He graded out at 77.9 by Pro Football Focus, which showed that Williams is playing at a high level for the Giants and should be retained for the time being.

An extension for Williams, who is still a productive player, could certainly help with creating more salary cap space. Currently, his cap number for 2023 stands at $32.2 million; a figure the Giants would like to get down.

An extension for Williams could solve that and retain a key member of Martindale's defense. There's no way his massive cap hit can remain in play for '23.

1. Get creative with the salary cap

As of right now, the Giants are sitting at $575,000 in salary cap space, according to the NFLPA. So, the Giants will need to figure out how to get creative. They also need around $2.674 million in cap space to sign the rookie class, thus, why it's imperative for the Giants to figure some other moves out as soon as possible.

Could Adoree' Jackson get a contract extension? His cap number is at $19 million and an extension would not only keep the Giants best cornerback past the 2023 season, but it would create space. What about Darnay Holmes' possible release? His cap hit is around $2.9 million, so by releasing him, it would give the Giants back around $2.7 million in cap relief and barely even cost the Giants $200,000 in dead cap money.

With the additions of Banks and Tre Hawkins III in the draft, cutting Holmes might make more sense given how the Giants need some space back and given how Holmes had his struggles in 2022 - that might be a move to watch for.

Other veterans like Tyrod Taylor and Mark Glowinski are higher up on the Giants salary cap, as Glowinski's cap number is $8.35 million and Taylor's is $6.9 million, but whether the Giants would re-structure either deal or not has yet to be mentioned by anyone. The Giants are headed in the right direction, buut Schoen and Daboll are just getting started with the busy NY offseason.

READ MORE: Jalin Hyatt gives Daniel Jones his long-awaited deep threat for the Giants offense