NY Giants training camp is officially here and people can't wait to see what this team will be able to get done starting on Wednesday. The vibes are high now that Saquon Barkley is in town, as we can now put the contract drama behind us.
With that said, these five Giants enter training camp with a lot to prove. If they can perform at a high level and keep the mistakes at a minimum over the next few weeks, then people will have much more confidence in their abilities leading up to Week 1:
5. CB Aaron Robinson
While he has shown a good amount of promise thus far, Aaron Robinson has appeared in just 11 games through his first two seasons. With all of the up-and-coming corners on the Giants' roster, Robinson may not have much time to prove that he can be a consistent contributor on this team.
Robinson already has guys like Adoree' Jackson and Deonte Banks playing over him. However, guys like Cor'Dale Flott and Darnay Holmes are receiving more attention than him leading up to camp. Robinson is coming off a serious knee injury, which will be something to monitor closely.
Robinson must stay healthy and consistent. If he does, then he'll put himself in a position to earn the trust of both head coach Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale. There's still plenty of promise for Robinson to be a good player, he just HAS to stay healthy
With the Giants looking to push for another playoff appearance, they cannot afford to keep waiting on a third-round pick to develop. It won't take very long for Joe Schoen to find his replacement unless Robinson shows out in training camp and the preseason.
UPDATE: It has been announced that Robinson will start camp on the PUP list with his knee injury. Let's hope he can get on the field soon. Wan'Dale Robinson, Sterling Shepard, Jamison Crowder, A'Shawn Robinson, Marcus McKethan and DJ Davidson are also on the list.
4. LB Darrian Beavers
With Jarrad Davis officially being done for the season with a knee injury, it seems as if it's time for Darrian Beavers or Micah McFadden to start alongside Bobby Okereke next season. While McFadden saw the field more due to Beavers' injury early into last season, we still believe that Beavers has more potential to be a game-changer.
McFadden was okay for a fifth-round rookie. However, his instincts in the run game and abilities in coverage were far from ideal. Beavers may not have played in the regular season, but with what we saw from him in the preseason, it certainly seems like he succeeds where McFadden fails.
We know it's risky to put so much weight on the shoulders of the sixth-round pick, but the Giants currently don't have many better options. While it's likely that we see Schoen add a veteran linebacker before the start of the season, who knows how well they will play.
For now, it seems like Beavers could be in for a big role on the Giants' defense. However, if he wants this to happen, he must show out in training camp. If he disappoints, it will easily be McFadden's job heading into their second season.
3. S Dane Belton
With Julian Love leaving for the Seahawks, the Giants now have a gap at strong safety. While it seems like Dane Belton's job to take for the 2023 season, he still has a lot to prove in training camp in order to guarantee this. Belton may have the highest upside of all the other options at SS, but if his issues persist, he very well could be pushed down the depth chart in favor of a veteran.
Last season, Belton showed flashes of excellence in coverage snaps. However, when it came time to play against the run, Belton struggled. While having a safety who's a coverage specialist is more ideal in the modern NFL, it won't help the defense much if they're a liability against the run. This is where someone like Bobby McCain or Nick McCloud come in.
These two may not be as good as Belton in coverage. However, they are both good run-stoppers who provide some value against the pass. In order to earn his starting job in '23, Belton must show that he's improving upon his problems.
2. OG Ben Bredeson
Despite playing in just 11 games last season, Ben Bredeson was more than solid for the Giants considering that he was a fourth-round pick. However, in 2023, Bredeson has the chance to solidify his status as the starter on the playoff team. The options behind him may not be scary, but Bredeson still needs to prove that his solid year in '22 wasn't a fluke.
Through 322 pass-blocking snaps, Bredeson allowed just 11 pressures and zero sacks. Compared to how poorly the rest of the Giants' interior offensive line played last season, this is honestly pretty incredible. Despite this, Bredeson still has to prove he can be a consistent starter for a playoff team going into 2023.
Behind him are Josh Ezeudu and Shame Lemieux. While they haven't shown a whole lot during their time in the league, they could still turn into solid players who very well could start over Bredeson by the time the regular season starts.
There's a ton of hope for Bredeson to turn into a solid starter for the Giants. For some teams, this would be a minor accomplishment, but for the Giants, this would be a game-changer. The left guard spot has been a turnstile of players for years. Let's hope that's no longer the case moving forward.
1. RT Evan Neal
Following a rough rookie season, Evan Neal enters his sophomore season looking to prove his doubters wrong and become a franchise cornerstone for the Giants. His first season was rough, no doubt. However, it seems that people forget that he was playing a position he had not seen snaps in since 2020.
Now, with an offseason to get in better shape and work with some legendary right tackles, Neal looks to have a breakout sophomore season. If this happens, the Giants could have one of the best tackle duos in the NFL. What would make this even better is the fact that both of these players would be under 25.
However, before we get too excited, Neal needs to show his improvement in training camp. The Giants have some pretty talented pass-rushers that will test him, so Neal must give it his all to show that he can be that guy for the Giants.
We're incredibly excited to see how Neal performs next season. If both he and Bredeson pan out, the Giants very well could go from one of the worst offensive lines in the league to a top core in the NFL. Hopefully, Neal can prove that all the hard work he's put in this offseason will pan out heading into a pivotal 2023 campaign for both himself and the Giants.
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