The 2021 NFL Draft is in the books, and the New York Giants are unanimously garnering positive praise for what they accomplished. Dave Gettleman made history by executing not one but two trade-backs to accumulate future assets. The front office added plenty of new weapons to ensure the success of third-year quarterback Daniel Jones. Was it enough to get this team back into the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade? As we enter a slow stretch of the offseason, it’s time to answer some of the burning questions surrounding this organization.
Does Daniel Jones Improve in 2021?
True. The Giants have surrounded Jones with a bevy of talent at every skill position, so it’s time for the young quarterback to nut up or shut up. They signed Kenny Golladay and Kyle Rudolph in free agency and added human-cheat-code Kadarius Toney in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. This front office is hell-bent on proving that they made the right decision with Jones. Will he be able to take advantage of the weapons around him to make a playoff run? He better be, or the team may be looking to use some of the future assets acquired via trades in the draft to secure a shiny new signal caller for 2022.
Do The Giants Have a Top-10 Defense?
True. Despite whiffing on Eli Apple and Deandre Baker as first-round picks, the Giants have managed to stockpile an impressive stable of cornerbacks. They locked up James Bradberry and Adoree’ Jackson in back-to-back free agencies and added a high-upside slot corner via the draft in Aaron Robinson. 2020 second-round pick, Xavier McKinney, missed 11 games but finished the season strong. Veterans Logan Ryan and Jabrill Peppers also bring a particular skill set. Leonard Williams is coming off a career year and needs to prove it wasn’t a fluke. If Azeez Ojulari is the player most draft experts thought he was before medical red flags, he may be the steal of the draft. If the team continues to make strides in year two of Patrick Graham’s tenure as defensive coordinator, this will be a group opposing quarterbacks won’t want to face in 2021.
Can Kadarius Toney Outperform Sterling Shepard?
False. Toney is fantastic! He’s the closest comp to Tyreek Hill that there was in the 2021 Draft. Electric with the ball in his hands and a threat to take it to the house on any given play, his lateral agility is uncanny. Unfortunately, The Giants’ offensive coordinator is Jason Garrett. Garrett runs a scheme that incorporates a lot of “Air Coryell” components. A system that relies heavily on taking shots deep down the field. This is not Toney’s game. At Florida, he was used primarily as an “offensive weapon.” Jet sweeps and screen passes where he can use his unique skill set to create are where he thrives. Toney is best suited for a West Coast offense, and if Garrett can’t be creative, his production may suffer.
Are the Giants a Super Bowl Contender?
False. Can the Giants put together enough wins in 2021 to make the playoffs? Possibly. There’s a good chance they string together enough wins to sneak in as a Wild Card team. If Dak Prescott isn’t the same Dak and Ryan Fitzpatrick is Fitz-awful, they could even win the NFC East. The defense is good enough to keep them in most games. There are inevitably two things that will continue to hold them back: quarterback play and a suspect offensive line. They did nothing in the offseason to address a line that ranked 31st in the league in pass protection, and Daniel Jones fumbles every time someone breathes on him. They need Jones to make the players around him better, and he may not be capable of doing that. With or without a reliable line.
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