Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
The New York Giants play the Carolina Panthers this Friday in Week 2 of the preseason and these 5 players have the most to gain (or lose).
The New York Giants will host the Carolina Panthers in Week 2 of their 2023 preseason schedule on Friday night at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
It’s entirely possible the Giants play some of their starters before wrapping up the preseason next week against the New York Jets, but it’s unclear which players will appear or how many reps they will receive.
With that uncertainty in mind, here are five players with the most to gain in the game.
According to Pro Football Focus, only three teams sport a worse offensive line than the New York Giants entering the 2023 season.
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Pro Football Focus has ranked the New York Giants as having the fourth-worst offensive line in the NFL.
Evan Neal was poor as a rookie but was playing right tackle after manning the left side in his final year at Alabama. Year 2 removes that as a potential excuse, and now he needs a massive improvement.
Only the Chargers and Vikings surrendered more total pressures than the Giants did last season, but solid play from rookie center John Michael-Schmitz and Evan Neal in Year 2 would catapult them up the rankings.
Best Player: Andrew Thomas
Left tackle Andrew Thomas upped his game again in 2022 to All-Pro levels. He earned a 90.3 overall PFF grade and allowed 23 pressures in 18 games.
Having the fourth-worst offensive line coming into the season is definitely something New York is not proud of. There were a lot of struggles last season outside of Andrew Thomas (who had an All-Pro caliber season). Evan Neal was terrible but he was just a rookie so his subpar play will hopefully be improved with a year of experience and a full offseason of training.
But the interior of the offensive line still remains a problem for New York. Mark Glowinski and Joshua Ezeudu are not really names that strike fear into opponents regarding offensive guards. However, Big Blue did make a massive upgrade at the center position by drafting the top-ranked center in the 2023 NFL draft class, John Michael Schmitz.
Getting this group into shape will definitely be a top priority following the massive extensive for Daniel Jones. New York made the playoffs and won a game last season for the first time in a decade. They will be looking to build on this going forward and that starts with improving the hog mollies up front.
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CBS Sports recently ranked the New York Giants’ 2022 NFL draft class in the bottom half of the league largely due to injuries.
The New York Giants and general manager Joe Schoen made 11 picks in the 2022 NFL draft knowing that all of those players would likely see significant roles.
Unfortunately for Schoen & Co., they got bit by the notorious East Rutherford injury bug. 10 of the 11 draftees missed time due to injury with five of them closing out the season on IR.
Linebacker Micah McFadden was the only rookie to see action in all 17 games.
Despite those issues, there was some notable upside. Edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux appears to be lightyears ahead of where most rookies are, while offensive lineman Joshua Ezeudu and tight end Daniel Bellinger showed enough to be optimistic about their future.
Wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson was also flashing before he went down with a torn ACL.
But because of all those injuries, it was hard to properly grade the Giants’ rookie class. And that ultimately led Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports to rank them in the bottom half of the NFL.
Thibodeaux hit the ground running after an injury delayed the start to his pro career. Bellinger, who many thought was a project, caught 30 passes in Year 1. (Cor’Dale) Flott was a part-time cornerback and chipped in with two pass breakups and a big one in the playoff win.
Over time, Schoen’s first draft class will likely look much better. They need right tackle Evan Neal to have an Andrew Thomas-like rebound and for the others to stay healthy. If that happens, there’s quite a bit of meat on the bone.
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If the New York Giants want to return to the playoffs in 2023, here are five things they’re going to need to settle this offseason.
The New York Giants made significant strides in 2022 under first-year general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll, logging a winning record for the first time in six years and winning their first postseason game since Super Bowl XLVI in 2012.
They face a crucial offseason if they plan to continue their climb in the NFC hierarchy, however. Much still needs to be done for them to sustain success and remain contenders for years to come.
Here are five things that they can do in the next few months that can help them get back to the playoffs in 2023.
These five New York Giants (who are still under contract) are likely to see a larger role during the 2023 regular season.
The New York Giants got many key contributions from first-year players in 2022 which helped them become a playoff team for the first time since 2016.
But some of the players they brought in didn’t — or couldn’t — help them due to injury or lost snaps in a numbers game.
Next season, we see many of those players stepping back up and contributing. Here are five names to watch in 2023.
New York Giants GM Joe Schoen offers brief commentary on all 11 players from the 2022 NFL draft class, which was his first-ever as GM.
The New York Giants wrapped up the 2022 season on Monday with year-end press conferences from general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll.
Multiple topics were discussed throughout the dual presser, including Schoen’s take on the 2022 NFL draft class — an 11-player group that contributed heavily throughout the year.
As a reminder, here’s a look at each of those picks:
Although many of these rookies played significant roles, injuries were the theme. All missed time over the course of the 17-game season with the exception of linebacker Micah McFadden.
Some missed the entire season.
Here’s what Schoen had to say about each member of his first-ever draft class.
New York Giants coach Brian Daboll says OL Joshua Ezeudu is dealing with a “long-term” neck injury but adds that it’s not career-threatening.
New York Giants rookie offensive lineman Joshua Ezeudu suffered a neck injury against the Houston Texans in Week 10. He played the following week against the Detroit Lions but has not stepped onto the field since.
Prior to a Week 15 game against the Washington Commanders, the Giants finally caved and placed Ezeudu on injured reserve.
We now know that Ezeudu will not return this season.
Prior to practice on Wednesday, head coach Brian Daboll revealed that Ezeudu is dealing with a “long-term” injury but did note that it’s not expected to threaten his career.
Daboll said OL Josh Ezeudu’s neck injury is “more long-term than short-term” but he said it’s not career-threatening.
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) December 21, 2022
Ezeudu was developing into a quality option at guard before his injury and in his absence, the Giants’ run game struggled. It got a boost with the return of Ben Bredeson this past week, but losing the second half of his rookie season is a detriment for Ezeudu.
It’s unclear how long-term is “long-term,” but Ezeudu has until April to heal up before the Giants begin their offseason workout program.
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The New York Giants have activated OL Ben Bredeson from IR and elevated safety Landon Collins from the practice squad in a series of moves.
The New York Giants activated guard Ben Bredeson (knee) off injured reserve ahead of a Sunday night matchup with the Washington Commanders.
Bredeson had started the first seven games of the season at left guard before suffering his injury in Week 7 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. It’s expected that Bredeson will resume his role as the starter.
In a corresponding roster move, the Giants placed rookie guard Joshua Ezeudu on IR with a neck injury. He had last played in Week 11 against the Detroit Lions.
Additionally, the Giants also elevated linebacker/safety Landon Collins and quarterback Davis Webb from the practice squad.
For Collins, this is his third elevation. He also played in Weeks 7 and 8, recording one tackle. If the Giants wish to use him again, he must be signed to the 53-man roster.
Prior to joining the Giants earlier this year, Collins spent the previous three seasons with Washington.
Meanwhile, Webb has been elevated for the first time this season. The Giants say that decision has nothing to do with the health or status of quarterbacks Daniel Jones, who is expected to start, and Tyrod Taylor.
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New York Giants WR Richie James and LB Jihad Ward, who are both in concussion protocol, returned to practice on a limited basis Thursday.
The New York Giants were back on the practice field on Thursday and were hopeful that several injured players would see an uptick in participation.
After a rest day, nose tackle Dexter Lawrence and safety Julian Love rejoined their teammates. Tight end Daniel Bellinger, who was limited on Wednesday, also expressed optimism that he’d be able to play on Sunday night.
Wide receiver Richie James Jr. and linebacker Jihad Ward made positive strides in concussion protocol.
The Giants’ full Thursday injury report can be found below:
Did not participate: OL Joshua Ezeudu (neck), CB Adoree’ Jackson (knee), OL Shane Lemieux (toe), DB Nick McCloud (illness)
Limited participant: DE Leonard Williams (neck), TE Daniel Bellinger (ribs), WR Richie James Jr. (concussion), LB Jihad Ward (concussion)
Full participant: LB Micah McFadden (neck/ankle), S Julian Love (rest), NT Dexter Lawrence (rest), LB Elerson Smith (Achilles)
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The New York Giants had 7 players sit out of practice on Wednesday, including LB Jihad Ward (concussion), while 4 others were limited.
The New York Giants returned to the practice field on Wednesday in preparation for a Week 15 game against the Washington Commanders.
In what is an undeniably must-win game, the Giants could use as many healthy bodies as possible. Unfortunately for them, there were quite a few banged-up players in a Sunday loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and the status of players such as Adoree’ Jackson remains very much up in the air.
Safety Xavier McKinney (hand) has already been ruled out for Sunday night and linebacker Jihad Ward is a new addition to the injury report.
The Giants’ full Wednesday injury report can be found below:
Did not participate: OL Joshua Ezeudu (neck), CB Adoree’ Jackson (knee), OL Shane Lemieux (toe), WR Richie James Jr. (concussion), LB Jihad Ward (concussion), S Julian Love (rest), NT Dexter Lawrence (rest)
Limited participant: DB Nick McCloud (illness), DE Leonard Williams (neck), TE Daniel Bellinger (ribs), LB Elerson Smith (Achilles)
Full participant: LB Micah McFadden (neck/ankle)
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