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Shortly after the 2021 NFL draft had concluded, the New York Giants saw a wave of positive reviews for the job general manager Dave Gettleman had done. Not only had the team compiled additional future draft assets, they maximized a negative situation and appeared to find quality talent.
But the positivity would be short-lived.
Out of the gate, cornerback Aaron Robinson and edge rusher Elerson Smith endured injury issues, while wide receiver Kadarius Toney couldn’t stay on the field for a variety of reasons. Then, early in the season, cornerback Rodarius Williams suffered a torn ACL, ending his promising rookie season.
The theme of the draft class was and remains the same: Tons of potential, but no solid returns.
Nick Shook of NFL.com recently graded each NFC East draft class and although he gave the Giants a solid letter score (B-), he came to the same conclusion.
The Giants’ entire 2021 season can be summarized by Kadarius Toney’s rookie season. The first-rounder struggled to stay on the field due to multiple injuries, but when he was available, he occasionally exploded, as in his 10-catch, 189-yard performance in Week 5. He just wasn’t available enough to make a significant difference for a struggling offense that saw its coordinator fired during the season. Toney could still make this pick look like a home run, but there’s a lot of boom-or-bust potential.
The Giants nailed the selection of Azeez Ojulari, who led the team in sacks with eight and figures to be a key part of this defense for years to come. Aaron Robinson played nearly a quarter of New York’s defensive snaps and might fill a bigger role in 2022, with James Bradberry potentially headed elsewhere due to cap constraints. Elerson Smith’s season was shortened by injury, but he did force a fumble in his limited action.
Gary Brightwell spent most of his season on special teams, getting just two touches in 13 games. Rodarius Williams’ season ended due to a torn ACL suffered in Week 5. Raymond Johnson played a rotational role as an undrafted signee and will have to fight to stick with the Giants in 2022.
Of the group, Toney is obviously the most important. The Giants desperately need a game-changing playmaker to emerge and he certainly has the athletic talent, but can he stay on the field?
And for the reasons Shook alluded to, Williams and Robinson may also become extremely important pieces for the Giants in 2022.
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