With the arrival of a new head coach and general manager, there was certainly a sense of optimism surrounding the Giants ahead of 2022. It is fair to say that the team exceeded all expectations. They finished 9-7, marking their first winning season since 2016. They also won their first playoff game since 2011 as Brian Daboll was voted the NFL’s Coach of the Year.
Roster changes
Most of the Giants’ efforts in the offseason centered on retaining existing talent, with big new deals for Daniel Jones and Dexter Lawrence. They also agreed a one-year deal with star running back Saquon Barkley. In terms of new arrivals, by far the most notable was their trade for former Raiders tight end Darren Waller, who looks set to be the team’s leading receiving threat in 2023. They also picked up linebacker Bobby Okereke, signing the former Colt to a four-year $40 million deal.
There wasn’t too much in the way of departures, outside of starting safety Julian Love and center Jon Feliciano. The only other players to depart who had played at least 50% of snaps in 2022 were cornerback Fabian Moreau and linebacker Jaylon Smith, both of whom were on veteran minimum one-year deals.
Coaching situation
2023 marks the second season of the Brian Daboll era in New York. After a very promising inaugural season, they have managed to keep the bulk of their coaching staff intact. Mike Kafka is back as offensive coordinator, after leading the team to a 10th placed finish in DVOA. They also hired Jeff Nixon to be their new running back coach. Nixon spent the last three seasons working under Matt Rhule in Carolina.
The continuity extends to their defense too, with Wink Martindale returning for his second season as defensive coordinator. His aggressive style of defense certainly had its moments in 2022, though everyone involved will be hoping for more consistency after they ranked 29th in DVOA last season.
2023 NFL Draft
| Pick | Player |
| 1.24 | Deonte Banks – CB, Maryland |
| 2.57 | John Michael Schmitz – IOL, Minnesota |
| 3.73 | Jalin Hyatt – WR, Tennessee |
| 5.172 | Eric Gray – RB, Oklahoma |
| 6.209 | Tre Hawkins – CB, Old Dominion |
| 7.243 | Jordan Riley – IDL, Oregon |
| 7.254 | Gervarrius Owens – S, Houston |
The Giants’ draft started with a bang, landing an instant impact player in Deonte Banks. They can also expect John Michael Schmitz to contribute immediately and he should be the team’s starting center from Week 1. The rest of their draft was pretty good too. Jalin Hyatt in the third round was good value and he gives Daniel Jones a very effective deep threat. They continued this good run with Eric Gray in the fifth round. Gray possesses great vision and is a plus contributor on passing downs. He should be a very capable backup behind Saquon Barkley.
Offense
The Giants did an excellent job over the offseason of improving what was one of the league’s most underwhelming receiving corps. The addition of Darren Waller is a great move, assuming he can stay healthy. Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka came from Kansas City and obviously knows all about how to use mismatch tight ends. Parris Campbell and Jalin Hyatt give them some serious speed that should help unlock a deep passing game that was sorely absent in 2022.
There’s also reasons for optimism with the offensive line. For starters, they have a pair of exciting young tackles, with Andrew Thomas firmly amongst the best players at his position. Evan Neal had some struggles as a rookie, but he should take a leap in his sophomore season. They also upgraded at center with the addition of John Michael Schmitz. Schmitz’ background in a wide zone scheme suggests there may be more of a shift to an outside rushing attack, which will suit the collection of running backs they have on their roster.
The question continues to be their quarterback. Daniel Jones looked better under Brian Daboll and whilst he may have earned a big extension this offseason, he was playing in a very simplistic offense that asked very little of him. His ADOT of 6.4 yards was by far the lowest mark in the NFL – the only other starter under seven yards was Matt Ryan. He also logged a pitiful 1.4% big time throw rate, which is the third lowest mark in the past five years, behind Matt Ryan in 2022 and Mike Glennon in 2021. If these numbers don’t improve in 2023 it is tough to see this offense competing against top competition.
Defense
The Giants boast a young and talented group of defensive lineman. Dexter Lawrence has established himself as arguably the best nose tackle in football and is one of those rare examples of a nose tackle who can be an impact player against the run and the pass. His 63 pressures in 2022 ranked second amongst interior linemen. They also have Kayvon Thibodeaux, who flashed as a rookie with 40 pressures, 21 of which came in the final six games of the season.
Their cornerback room is also home to plenty of promise. Rookie first round pick Deonte Banks is a physical press man corner who is ideally suited to the scheme that defensive coordinator Wink Martindale wants to run. They have a very capable starter opposite Banks in Adoree’ Jackson, and they will be hopeful for Cor’Dale Flott, who is projected as the team’s starting slot corner. Flott played mainly on the boundary as a rookie, allowing just 178 yards through 10 games. Rookie sixth round pick Tre Hawkins has apparently also impressed and could even get starting reps.
The worry facing this defense is their serious lack of depth at several key spots. Their third and fourth options at edge are Jihad Ward and Oshane Ximenez, neither of whom have ever topped 30 pressures in a season. Safety also looks very thin outside of Xavier McKinney. We saw Wink Martindale’s defense fall apart in his final season with Baltimore when he was forced to call on backups. If any of their starters go down this season things could get pretty rough.
Prediction
The Giants were more than the sum of their parts in 2022, thanks in no small part to Brian Daboll. Their new bevy of pass catchers should help to improve the offense this season and the defense looks better too. That said, they are in an incredibly tough division with a talent disadvantage at quarterback. That could prevent them from pushing for a playoff spot in 2023.
