3 biggest NY Giants roster needs after free agency
By Zak Musso
The calendar has turned to the month of April, meaning the bulk of NFL free agency has concluded. Joe Schoen's New York Giants had an active and productive free agency period.
Big Blue locked Daniel Jones up long-term, franchise-tagged Saquon Barkley, pulled off a stunning trade for Darren Waller, and signed Bobby Okereke to stabilize the inside linebacker core. Additionally, Schoen added significant depth to the receiver room by re-signing Darius Slayton, adding veteran Jamison Crowder, speedster Parris Campbell Jr., and ex-Jet Jeff Smith.
New York's front office also made several other additions to bolster the Giants depth, something Schoen stated was a priority. The Giants roster still needs work. Most of that will come through the draft. Here are the 3 biggest Giants roster needs after free agency.
3. Secondary help
The Giants have two secondary starting slots currently open. Julian Love signed a 2-year, $12 million deal with the Seattle Seahawks last month, creating an opening at safety. Fabian Moreau, who received the bulk of the CB2 work in 2022, is still a free agent.
The Giants will look internally to replace Love. leading up to Week 1, 2022 fourth-rounder Dane Belton and youngster Jason Pinnock will both get the chance in training camp to win the job, as will recent signing Bobby McCain. McCain, Belton, and Pinnock were all ranked in the bottom third of all safeties by PFF in 2022, so Schoen should look to draft a safety, or at least sign another veteran to add more competition this spring.
Cornerback is a dire need. The CBs room is currently comprised of Adoree' Jackson, Cordale Flott, Leonard Johnson, Darnay Holmes, Aaron Robinson, Amani Oruwariye, Zyon Gilbert, Rodarius Williams, and Nick McCloud.
Jackson is entrenched as CB1 for 2023. Flott is the likely slot corner, after a strong second half in 2022. The rest of the group leaves a ton to be desired. None of them profile as an NFL starting cornerback.
The Giants need to find a cornerback partner for Jackson. Cornerbacks Cam Smith, Joey Porter Jr., Julius Brents, Emmanuel Forbes, and Deonte Banks could realistically be available for the Giants to select in either round one or two of the NFL draft.