The NY Giants are looking to build off their playoff season from a year ago and are looking to take that next step in becoming a threat to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East. With such a strong offseason, things are trending in the right direction for this squad.
But, with all of the moves general manager Joe Schoen and the Giants front office made, are there any that may have flown under the radar that we may not be talking about as much? Are these under-the-radar players poised to have a huge year for the Giants? Here are four underrated moves the Giants made this offseason:
4. Drafting running back Eric Gray
With many not knowing whether or not the Giants and star running back Saquon Barkley will come to terms on a long-term deal or not, the Giants got some great insurance at the running back postion. No one is really talking about this player who the Giants drafted in the fifth round in the NFL Draft out of Oklahoma: Eric Gray.
Gray is not getting a lot of attention and with questions about Barkley's future with the Giants, Gray may turn out to be a sneaky under-the-radar player that can contribute to this Giants team. During his four years in college with both Tennessee and Oklahoma, Gray rushed for over 3,000 yards and averaged over five yards per carry with 21 touchdowns. In fact, in his last year at college in 2022, Gray had a career-high in rushing with 1,366 yards with 11 touchdowns.
We are not saying he can immediately put Barkley-type numbers with the Giants if Barkley is indeed absent, but we still think he can contribute to the Giants offense. He is a very fast and elusive running back who can score a lot of touchdowns and can fit well with Mike Kafka's offensive system. This was a nice pickup in the draft by the Giants. He could make a strong impact for NY once Week 1 arrives.
3. Signing safety Bobby McCain
Another sneaky pickup the Giants made was acquiring a veteran player to help this young Giants defense. Former Washington Commander Bobby McCain was brought in on a one-year deal and even though he is coming up on 30 this summer, McCain can still bring a lot to the table for this Giants defense.
Don't get me wrong, it will be hard to replace Julian Love, who left the Giants for the Seahawks, and we don't know if McCain can replicate what Love did for the Giants, but don't be surprised if he's able to step in and make a different for Wink Martindale.
It was not that long ago when McCain had a career-high four interceptions when he was on the Commanders in 2021. Though his interceptions dropped from a year ago to none, McCain is still a great pass defender and is the perfect player to put on this young Giants defense.
He can help big time for this secondary, which struggled so much a year ago. McCain wasn't a big-name signing, but the G-Men signed him on a cheap deal. He could prove to be a diamond in the rough for Schoen and Co.
2. Drafting wideout Jalin Hyatt
While drafting Jalin Hyatt has been talked about quite a bit, the fact that the Giants were able to get him in the third round is still something to celebrate. Hyatt was a speedster who a lot of people thought could end up hearing his name called in the late first round. That didn't happen, but the Giants were somehow able to land him on Day 2.
Hyatt was a great, sneaky and underrated move the Giants made and he has a chance to prove all those teams who passed on him wrong. Hyatt, who was drafted out of Tennessee, compiled a great resume with the Volunteers in his three years with 2,280 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns. This included a breakout season in 2022 with a career-best 1,267 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns.
The Giants WR core was diminished in 2022 due to injuries and a lack of a No. 1 target, so bringing in Hyatt was a great move this team made. Do I think he can develop into a No. 1 receiver? That won't happen in '23, but the future sure is looking bright for Hyatt.
He's got impressive wheels and he's already working overtime in trying to build his chemistry with Danny Dimes. He could prove to be a reliable option for this offense this fall.
1. Signing wideout Parris Campbell
Fans absolutely loved this signing the Giants made. When healthy, wide receiver Parris Campbell is a solid receiver and he's got great potential in this offense. The Giants signed Campbell this offseason on a one-year deal with hopes he can build on a strong 2022 campaign with Indianapolis.
In limited action with the Colts in 2022, Campbell had 623 receiving yards on 63 receptions with three touchdowns and he averaged almost 10 yards per catch. Those were all career-bests for Campbell and that was with poor quarterback play with the Colts. If he can replicate those numbers or even exceed them, this move may turn out to be one of the better ones the Giants made this offseason.
But of course, the Giants main concern for Campbell is for him to stay healthy as he has been dealing with injuries throughout his four-year career. However, it was definitely a good sign to see Campbell healthy on the field for most of the 2022 season. Daniel Jones and him have also been working on chemistry in East Rutherford. Campbell could be in line for an impressive campaign.
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