With training camp quickly approaching, two major headlines have been surrounding the New York Giants.
The top headline is whether or not the team will be able to work out a new contract with star running back Saquon Barkley. The second is whether the team improves on their 9-7-1 record from last season in year two under head coach Brian Daboll.
General manager Joe Schoen was busy throughout the offseason upgrading the roster via free agency, trades, and through the draft. As a result, the roster is vastly improved from where it was a season ago.
Of the many moves the team made in the offseason, we’ll take a look at the top five newest Giants who will have the biggest impact this season.
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Darren Waller
For the first time in his career, Daniel Jones will have a legit number-one receiving threat in tight end Darren Waller. New York acquired Waller from the Las Vegas Raiders after trading away a third-round pick (100 overall).
Waller is one of the best tight ends in the league, as he’s gone over 1,000 receiving twice in his career and was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2020. You can expect offensive coordinator Mike Kafka to line up the 30-year-old all over the field to create mismatches, similar to the way the Kansas City Chiefs utilize Travis Kelce.
With the addition of Waller, New York will certainly improve on their 26th-ranked passing offense from a season ago (185.7 yards per game). In addition to being the top target on the team, the tight end could become the first Giant since Odell Beckham Jr. in 2018 to have over 1,000 receiving yards.
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Bobby Okereke
The last image we saw of the Giants, they were thoroughly getting dismantled by the Philadelphia Eagles 38-7 in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. In that game, the Eagles rushed for 268 yards on 44 carries and scored three rushing touchdowns.
To improve their run defense, New York signed one of the best inside linebackers in free agency Bobby Okereke. Okereke spent his previous four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and had a combined 283 tackles in his last two seasons in Indy.
In three of his four seasons, the Colts had a top-10 run defense, and the hope is he can help the Giants achieve that same feat. He’ll turn 27 later this month, and the belief is his best football is yet to come. New York finished 27th in run defense a season ago (144.2 yards per game). Expect them to be in the top half of the league this season, thanks to Okereke.
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John Michael Schmitz
Schmitz was viewed by many as the best center in this year’s draft class. So when New York was able to draft him with the 57th overall pick, it was viewed as one of the biggest steals of the 2023 NFL Draft.
The interior offensive line was a huge concern heading into this offseason, especially after losing their starting center from a season ago, Jon Feliciano, via free agency to the San Francisco 49ers. But after drafting Schmitz, New York believes the 24-year-old rookie will solidify the center position for the next decade.
Schmitz built a reputation in college of having a high football IQ and good technique, so barring injury, he will be a Week 1 starter. It’s imperative that Schmitz lives up to being the best center in the draft as he will face top interior defensive linemen within the division, such as Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen of the Commanders, as well as Fletcher Cox and Jalen Carter of the Philadelphia Eagles.
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Deonte Banks
Defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale got the corner he coveted when the Giants traded up one spot with the Jacksonville Jaguars and took Deonte Banks with the 24th overall pick. His aggressive style seems to be a perfect fit for Martindale’s scheme.
“He’s tough-minded, he’s physical, he can tackle and on top of that, he can run. So, we’re excited about it. He’s getting into the groove”, Martindale said about Banks.
New York was thin at the corner position last season and used several players to play on the opposite side of Adoree’ Jackson. With the addition of Banks, they feel he can be a plug-and-play starter and be prepared to compete against the top receivers in the league. The 22-year-old corner will be tested early as he’ll face top-tier receivers such as CeeDee Lamb, Deebo Samuel, and DK Metcalf in the first four weeks of the season.
The corner position was viewed as one of the weaknesses in the defense last year, but now with Banks, it has the potential to be one of the strengths.
Jalin Hyatt
Unlike fellow rookies Schmitz and Banks, Hyatt is not expected to be a starter. However, he will see playing time immediately because he brings an element to the offense that’s been sorely lacking for years: speed.
Hyatt ran a 4.40 time at the NFL combine, but he felt he would have fun faster if one of his hamstrings didn’t tighten up. The 2022 Biletnikoff winner will not only be a deep threat for Daniel Jones, but he’ll also help open up the field for his teammates as opposing defenses have to be mindful of his speed.
Not only will he more than likely lead the team in average yards per reception, but the team might utilize him on reverses and possibly as a kick returner earlier on in the season. The team only scored 30 points or more twice last season, including the playoffs. That number will go up this year thanks to their explosive rookie receiver.