Report: Giants sign in a key player to help strengthen the offencive line
Joe Schoen, general manager of the New York Giants, added a few notable players this summer.
Brian Burns, an edge rusher, is expected to have a big effect and might complete a strong pass-rush combination against rising star Kayvon Thibodeaux.
Similarly, Malik Nabers, a first-round selection, should give the Giants’ offense the burst of energy it has been missing for the past five years.
But the Giants have neglected to improve or address one position group that has been a weakness for ten years or more, and it may be the main reason the team has only made one postseason appearance since 2021.
The New York Giants’ Offensive Line Is Still a Big Concern
The Giants’ inability to establish an offensive line has been a persistent organizational shortcoming.
While Andrew Thomas, left tackle, has emerged as an All-Pro, there are serious concerns about the four other starting offensive linemen for New York going into the 2024 campaign.
John Kosko of Pro Football Focus ranked the Giants’ offensive line as the worst in the NFL before to the 2024 season.
Kosko says for PFF, “Even after receiving the lowest offensive line grade of any team in 2023.” The Giants didn’t make many changes to their roster throughout the offseason. With Andrew Thomas back to full health and the acquisitions of guard Jon Runyan (56.5 PFF grade in 2023) and tackle Jermaine Eluemunor (68.7), the team hopes to improve on their 44.6 PFF grade from the previous season.
The Giants are expecting some consistency and domination from a healthy Thomas.
Nonetheless, the Giants’ 85 sacks allowed in 2023 were the most of any team. Therefore, even with Malik Nabers’ explosive potential and Devin Singletary’s effectiveness as a rusher and receiving option, the Giants’ offense may struggle severely this upcoming season if the offensive line doesn’t improve.
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Five position battles that Brian Daboll of the NY Giants should be considering already
Giants supporters are eager for training camp to begin.
It’s time for Brian Daboll and the New York Giants to get ready for training camp and possible position fights as summer approaches. The Giants’ depth chart raises much more questions than it does answers, as is typical with a team that is constantly changing. There is a long list of players waiting for their opportunity, even though they have added a few players who will be surefire starters.
It’s hard to predict how things will turn out for the Giants in Year 3 of their coach’s employment after a thrilling first season and a disappointing Year 2 from Daboll and Co. The key will be to make the most of their personnel, something the staff has consistently shown to be more than capable of doing.
As things stand, not many players will be able to start for New York right away, and many will have to prove themselves. Having said that, the following five positional matchups are ones that Daboll and the Giants ought to be considering right now:
5. Darius Slayton vs. Jalin Hyatt
Malik Nabers, who the Giants selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, will start his rookie season as their top wide receiver. That’s all well and good, but it does imply that someone will lose a significant portion of their goal share. Due to his increased role as a slot receiver, Wan’Dale Robinson’s status is probably safe; nevertheless, veteran Darius Slayton and second-year receiver Jalin Hyatt will compete for the outside receiving position.
Slayton may be one of the NFL’s more underappreciated pass-catchers, having led the Giants in receiving four of the previous five seasons. But, at least for the past two years, his success might be more a reflection of the Giants’ dearth of skill in their receiving corps than anything else.
Hyatt, on the other hand, showed flashes during his rookie campaign, but the Giants offensive line was never able to hold up long enough to give him opportunities to go open downfield, thus he was never really able to get going. There were undoubtedly a lot of opportunities that Hyatt lost in his rookie season, whether it was because his quarterback missed him or he was just trying to stay closer to the line of scrimmage.
Hyatt’s speed is widely known, and Slayton’s discrepancies have made room for him in 2024. Not to add, there is a contract problem with the latter. Having selected Hyatt in the third round of the previous draft, the former Tennessee standout may be expected to assume Slayton’s previous position at the start of the current campaign.