State of the 2024 New York Giants: Brian Daboll, Daniel Jones under pressure to get back to playoffs
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Where does your squad stand ahead of the 2024 NFL season? Adam Rank sets the table by providing a State of the Franchise look at all 32 teams, zeroing in on the new faces to know, one significant fantasy spin and the stakes at play in the campaign to come.
Members of the Giants organization, Giants fans around the world and those who really can’t believe Saquon Barkley would have the audacity to not only leave the Giants, but go to the dreaded Eagles …
It’s an interesting time for the Giants. It wasn’t so long ago that head coach Brian Daboll led Daniel Jones and Co. to the playoffs (and won a game) during his first season on the job, winning the Coach of the Year award in the process. Since then, well, it hasn’t been great. A 40-0 loss the Cowboys in the opener last season set the tone for a disastrous start that saw the G-Men lose five of their first six games. They won four of their last seven contests, but it was too little too late. Now it feels like there’s a sense of unease following both Daboll and Jones into the 2024 season.
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2024 brain trust
| POSITION | NAME |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Brian Daboll |
| General manager | Joe Schoen |
| Offensive coordinator | Mike Kafka |
| Defensive coordinator | Shane Bowen |
| Special teams coordinator | Michael Ghobrial |
Roster reshuffling
Below is a rundown of the Giants’ most notable roster developments for the 2024 season, including this year’s draft class, as well as key acquisitions and departures via free agency and trade.
| Draft class (round-pick) | Key additions | Key departures |
|---|---|---|
| Malik Nabers, WR, LSU (1-6) | Drew Lock, QB | Tyrod Taylor, QB |
| Tyler Nubin, S, Minnesota (2-47) | Devin Singletary, RB | Saquon Barkley, RB |
| Andru Phillips, CB, Kentucky (3-70) | Allen Robinson, WR | Matt Breida, RB |
| Theo Johnson, TE, Penn State (4-107) | Jermaine Eluemunor, OL | Parris Campbell, WR |
| Tyrone Tracy Jr., RB, Purdue (5-166) | Jon Runyan, OG | Sterling Shepard, WR |
| Darius Muasau, LB, UCLA (6-183) | Aaron Stinnie, OG | Ben Bredeson, OG |
| Brian Burns, Edge | Tyre Phillips, OG | |
| Jalen Mills, CB | Justin Pugh, OG | |
| Jihad Ward, Edge | ||
| A'Shawn Robinson, DL | ||
| Adoree' Jackson, CB | ||
| Xavier McKinney, S |
New faces to know
Nabers led the FBS with 120.7 receiving yards per game in 2023, and his 14 touchdowns were tied for third most. He also had the most receptions of 20-plus yards (34) and 30-plus yards (17). The Giants are in desperate need of playmakers with Saquon Barkley now in Philadelphia. The good news is the last three LSU receivers selected in the first round of the NFL draft have been studs: Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase and some dude you might remember, Odell Beckham Jr.
“He’s the response to the query, “Who was chosen to substitute Saquon?” Barkley has been responsible for a quarter of the Giants’ scrimmage touchdowns since 2018, marking the second greatest team touchdown percentage in the NFL during that period. Singletary, who adds a receiving dimension to the running back position, has consistently achieved over 800 rushing yards in each of the past three seasons, yet has never surpassed 900 in a single season. I’ll give you a moment to process this disappointing news.”
State of the QB room
- I want to be polite here because Daniel Jones seems like such a nice guy. But this room is pretty rough right now, with Jones backed up by Drew Lock, Tommy DeVito and Nathan Rourke. Jones earned — I mean, received — a $160 million deal after throwing for a career-high 3,205 yards in 2022. Jones was headed for free agency prior to the deal getting done in March 2023, but the level of that commitment seemed unnecessary at the time and looks even worse the further we get from it. Jones is 6-21 against teams that went on to make the playoffs, and he’s 0-11 against teams that went on to win at least 12 games. He’s the only quarterback with a current contract worth $100 million in total value to never record a season with either 3,500-plus passing yards or 25-plus touchdown passes, per NFL Research. I feel like I could go on, but that would be cruel. I must note the Giants allowed 85 sacks last season (the most in the NFL by 20). Returning starters John Michael Schmitz and Evan Neal each ranked in the bottom six in Pro Football Focus pass-block grades in 2023 (among 171 O-linemen with 300-plus pass-block snaps). The O-line must improve.
Most important non-QB
The Giants had just 34 sacks last season (tied for 28th in the NFL) and posted a QB pressure rate of 31.4 percent (30th), but there is some help on the way. There are good players on the defensive line, with Kayvon Thibodeaux and Dexter Lawrence returning. And I believe the Giants fleeced the Panthers for Brian Burns in a big move this offseason, signing him to a five-year deal after the trade. Burns led the Panthers in sacks in each of the last two seasons. He’s had at least 7.5 sacks in each of his first five years in the NFL. With a pick-your-poison trio leading the way, the Giants could have a chance to return to the postseason if the defense turns the corner.
My HOTTEST Giants fantasy take:
The price is too high on Malik Nabers.
I don’t like Nabers at his current ADP — just south of WR25. I see him going ahead of Michael Pittman, Tank Dell and DeVonta Smith in some instances. I love the opportunity for Nabers as a rookie in this offense. He doesn’t have much competition for targets. But the price is way too high for me, given the Giants’ quarterback and offensive line issues. I might live to regret this, but it’s the choice I have to make.
2024 roadmap
Three key dates:
- Week 2: at Washington Commanders. There’s a winnable game against the Vikings to open the season, followed by a trip to rival D.C. The first two weeks could set the tone.
- Week 10: vs. Carolina Panthers (Munich). You have to wonder where the Giants will be in the standings at this point in the season before their traditional midseason bye week. The Giants have had a bye in Week 8 or later in every season since 2012. A win in Munich could set up Big Blue nicely for the post-bye stretch.
- Week 18: at Philadelphia Eagles. Maybe this contest will decide who gets into the playoffs. Or maybe it won’t. Who knows?
For 2024 to be a success, the Giants MUST:
A) Win the Super Bowl
B) Make a playoff run
C) Earn a playoff berth
D) Finish above .500
E) Show progress
My answer: C) Earn a playoff berth. I mean, finishing above .500 with growth from the offense could be enough to save some jobs. But for me, the Giants need to see a significant return on investment from Daniel Jones. And who knows, maybe Malik Nabers is enough to spark a revolution, with Jones throwing for 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. Maybe. But it’s hard for me to forecast that.
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