The New York Giants face a crucial offseason this spring as second-year general manager Joe Schoen continues the difficult task of building a winner.
Schoen is off to a great start, leading the Giants to a playoff berth along with head coach Brian Daboll in their first season on the job.
What can we expect in Year 2? Giants assistant director of player personnel Dennis Hickey spoke about the team’s directives during a recent appearance on the Giants Huddle Podcast.
“We see ourselves as a collective,” Hickey said. “There’s a lot of different experiences — (scouts) coming from different teams in different roles, all those things. We just want to put all our heads together. Joe and Dabs are very inclusive. They believe in diversity of thought. So, we’re getting all the educated opinions together. And we’re working through and trying to get it right for the New York Giants when it comes draft day.”
Hickey said the Giants have a vision and know what they are looking for in players.
“We have a clear vision of what we’re looking for,” says Hickey. “It’s a big competitive edge for us because we know what we’re looking for. There’s consistency. That’s some of the things we do in training camp. Coaches come in, and they just lay out: ‘These are the kind of guys we’re looking for and what fits us.'”
Hickey said another aspect that adds to the synergy of the organization is how well Schoen and Daboll work together.
“It’s fun to watch his relationship with Coach Daboll and just the alignment we have at the top. That’s great for the whole organization. I think you see that in the results,” Hickey said.
But it’s the players they choose that will ultimately determine the direction of the team. Hickey said the team has a good idea how players might pan out.
“It’s the character and the makeup that determines whether they can reach their ceiling or not and maximize what they have physical skillset-wise. That’s why we research, talk to a lot of sources, spend a lot of time investing and find out what makes these players tick and what motivates them,” he said.
The Giants hold the 25th overall selection in the first round of this year’s NFL draft.
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