The 2023 New York Giants disappointed after qualifying for the postseason in 2022, but this year’s team is poised to cash in on a slew of young players general manager Joe Schoen has brought in the past few years.
Here are six breakout candidates to keep an eye on.
The world is down on Evan Neal after two disappointing seasons to start his career. The former No. 7 overall pick is still a mass of a young man with lots of upside, however. The Giants still believe in him and head coach Brian Daboll confirmed this week that Neal was still the team’s starting right tackle.
The Giants have done two things to help the former Alabama star this offseason. They added some seasoned guards (Jon Runyan Jr., Jermaine Eluemunor) to fortify the interior of the offensive line and hired a new unit coach, Carmen Bricillo, who has a fresh approach along with a solid resume.
Bricillo set the record straight on Neal this week at the Giants’ OTAs
“Don’t judge a player when they’re young and don’t judge a player when they’re injured,” he said.
Many believed the Giants overdrafted Deonte Banks in 2023, trading up to grab him in the first round. They don’t think so. They are hanging their proverbial hats on Banks, a physical corner who could develop into a Pro Bowl-caliber player.
He’s already on his way…
The Giants may have missed out on their quarterback in this year’s NFL draft, but that allowed them to select Malik Nabers, who perhaps will be the franchise’s next superstar.
Assistant general manager Brandon Brown had this to say about Nabers this week:
“So Malik — or Lik, I like to call him — he’s just got a rare competitiveness and edge to him, something that I haven’t been around. I kind of say he’s got moxie, dog. The cool kids call it aura these days, where he wants to be at his best versus the best on the biggest platform, and he’s going to let you know about it,” he said.
Eric Gray did not get a ton of touches as a rookie last year but with Saquon Barkley residing down the turnpike in Philadelphia these days, he’s destined to see more in 2024. The Giants may have added some other names (Devin Singletary, Tyrone Tracy Jr., Dante Miller) to their rotation but Gray still remains very much in their plans.
Giants beat writers observing OTAs this week have reported that Gray has seen significant first-team snaps this spring. Others are reporting the Giants’ running back pecking order is still very much in flux and is ‘wide open’ according to some heading into camp.
John Michael Schmitz had several issues as a rookie last season. He injured his shoulder on an ill-fated ‘tush push’ attempt and missed a month. Then, due to a rash of injuries along the line, he was teamed up with a rotation of guards who underperformed. There was no continuity and the line was a mess as a result.
This year, Schmitz will be flanked by two free agent additions (Runyan, Eluemunor) and there should be more consistency up the middle. He believes the upgrades along the line will help him become the leader the Giants need him to be.
“I think the biggest thing for me when times are tough, you really know who a true leader is when you hit adversity, you hit a tough time. All the guys look to someone, and I want to be that for our room and take charge,” he said.
Tyler Nubin, the Giants’ second-round pick out of Minnesota, is being considered a steal by many draft experts. While his 40 time (4.56) was troubling to some, the Giants don’t seem to think that matters much as there is smooch more to love about his aura and his game.
Nubin will be asked to fill the shoes of Xavier McKinney, who played every snap at safety in 2023.