It goes without saying, but the 2023 season was an outright disaster for the NY Giants. After a 9-7-1 year in 2022 under first-year head coach Brian Daboll, with a playoff berth and win, the G-Men followed things up by going 6-11 and missing out on the postseason. What in the heck went wrong?
There was just something about this team that had many wondering what happened, as the Giants offense could not get into a consistent groove on both sides of the ball. On offense and defense, countless players let the team and Coach Dabes down. The long list no question includes these five players:
5. TE Darren Waller
The Giants have needed a WR1 for a while. With the team not bringing one in last spring, Joe Schoen surprised a lot of people by trading for stud pass-catcher Darren Waller. The Giants hoped that Waller could not only stay healthy, but also get back to his old Pro Bowl form. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case in 2023.
In his first season with Big Blue, Waller only had 52 receptions for 552 yards and just one touchdown. Waller also missed five games during the regular season due to a lingering hamstring injury. Plus, the former Pro Bowl tight end failed to have a 100-yard game through the air, as his best game yardage-wise was 98 yards on seven catches against the Washington Commanders on Oct. 22.
This was considered the Giants "big" offseason move to finally elevate a Giants offense that finished in the basement in the NFL in terms of passing yards. That was not the case. It is unclear if this was a one-and-done year for the 31-year-old TE, but regardless, he was a disappointment in 2023. Fans expected a lot more from Waller.
4. WR Parris Campbell
When it was first announced that the Giants were signing Parris Campbell, there was loads of excitement. The former Ohio State standout was coming off a career-best year with the Colts and while he wasn't a WR1, Campbell figured to play a big role for the offense.
Campbell was brought in on a one-year deal. He was all set to be a solid target for Danny Dimes. However, Campbell was pretty much a non-factor for the G-Men, as he had just 20 receptions for 104 yards and no touchdowns. His 'best' game for NY came in a loss to the 49ers, posting six catches for 24 yards. Yeah, not great.
Things got so bad for Campbell late in the season that he was even a healthy scratch for multiple games. There is simply no chance he returns to New York in 2024 after such a rough season in East Rutherford. He had 63 receptions and 623 yards in 2022, but Campbell took a major step back in '23. What a bummer.
3. LB Azeez Ojulari
Next to fellow outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux, Azeez Ojulari is one of the Giants top pass-rushers and when healthy, he can have a forceful impact. However, Ojulari just can't seem to stay on the field and this was another problem for him in 2023. Ojulari played in only nine games, which no one was expecting.
He also only had 2.5 sacks on the season, with two of them coming in the season-finale vs. the Eagles. This has been a problem for Ojulari for a few years now: his inability to stay healthy and play consistent snaps. In 2022, Ojulari was limited, yet still managed to post 5.5 sacks. The year before, he finished with eight sacks, setting the Giants rookie record.
Everyone was hoping for the third-year pass-rusher to make a monster impact for Wink Martindale this season, but the opposite was the case. With the Giants and Daboll not being able to depend on him staying healthy, NY most definitely needs to add some pass-rush help this offseason. Going after a big name in free agency is high on fans' wishlist.
2. RB Saquon Barkley
In what may have been his final season in a New York Giants uniform, it was not the year that the Giants or Saquon Barkley had envisioned. After not being able to come to an agreement on a long-term contract, the former No. 2 overall pick played the campaign on the non-exclusive franchise tag.
After posting over 1,300 yards on the ground in 2022 and 10 touchdowns, Barkley failed to put up similar stats this past season. Barkley only rushed for 962 yards and six touchdowns and missed three games with an ankle injury. Barkley also only had one 100-plus yard rushing game, which came against the New York Jets.
As things stand, it's up in the air if the Giants will be able to get something done with Barkley this offseason. He doesn't want to play on the franchise tag again, but Schoen seems to be hesitant to pay him like one of the top RBs in the game due to his injury history. At this point, it wouldn't be a surprise if Barkley is playing for a different team next September.
1. QB Daniel Jones
After a strong 2022 season that saw the Giants not only make the postseason but win a playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings, the Giants decided to give Jones a four-year, $160 million contract. The decision from Schoen was controversial at the time, but it's now looking awful after what happened with his QB in 2023.
Jones played in only six games this season, throwing for two touchdowns and six interceptions. The former No. 6 overall pick missed mutiple games due to a neck injury suffered against the Dolphins, and then he tore his ACL in the Week 9 loss to the Raiders. Plain and simple, this was a year from hell for Jones on the field.
Even when he was suited up, Jones didn't look sharp, with his pick-six against the Seahawks being downright embarrassing. Because of how poorly he played, there's buzz that Schoen and the Giants could try and trade up to land either Caleb Williams, Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels. Jones' future as the starter for this team is very much up in the air.