If you are a NYG fan, this article is for you. As a Raider fan myself, I’ll be co-hosting a podcast centering around nothing else but Big Blue. My buddy, who is also my co-host, has been a huge New York Giants fan his whole life. I obviously don’t have any problem with the team, and actually look forward to showing them some support this season. A lot of my family on the east coast bleed blue and red, so I definitely have a sweet spot in my heart for them as well. With that being said, let’s dive right in…
Quarterback
Depth Chart (ESPN)
- Daniel Jones
- Tyrod Taylor
- Davis Webb
Daniel “Dimes” Jones is one pick six away from watching NFL games from the sideline. Right now, “dimes” is just his nickname, but if he’s not careful, it’ll be his salary. Many NYG fans have already made up their minds that it’s time for the front office to find a new signal caller. Can you really blame them though? Heck, I’m one of those people, I have been for a while now. But as of today, the playbook still belongs to the kid from Duke. He has a lot of potential, but he needs to show it on a more consistent basis.
Having a decent game every now and then is not good enough if you’re the face of a losing franchise. I’ll admit that poor pocket protection and a quartet of terrible pass catchers have stunted his success early on. But in layman’s terms: you have to remind the fans why they should still draft you to their fantasy team. Sooner or later, he’ll realize that throwing ten touchdowns a year just isn’t going to cut it on an NFL roster. Going into his fourth season as a pro, it’s becoming increasingly more obvious that he’s running out of excuses. Until he proves that he can stay healthy and show that he’s a reliable quarterback, his days at Metlife are numbered.
Second string quarterback and NFL underdog Tyrod Taylor is the only reason this final grade isn’t even lower…
Grade: C-
Running Back
Depth Chart (ESPN)
- Saquon Barkley
- Matt Breida
- Gary Brightwell
- Antonio Williams
Like Daniel Jones, Saquon has trouble staying healthy. When he’s in full form, playing at 100%, he’s an asset to your backfield. As of right now, his career reminds me a lot of former Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden. He’s a promising young player that’s constantly been plagued with injuries. As a Raider fan myself, it was tough seeing McFadden’s career be slowed down by things like a high ankle sprain or a torn ACL. It felt like he was listed on the injured reserve more so than the actual roster. Soon Barkley won’t be able to recover as fast as he used to, and if he follows the same trajectory as McFadden, his playing career will be over before it even began.
In a way, Matt Breida has the same job description as Tyrod Taylor. He backs up an injury prone starter, that might be forced to share reps sooner than expected. He puts up decent numbers for a RB2, and still has enough left in the tank to return to his 2018 form. As long as he stays healthy, New York’s backfield will stay afloat. The only problem is, with Daboll as their new head coach, its very possible that that the NYG adapt to a more pass heavy offense, creating less opportunities for their backs.
Nevertheless, I still believe that this team can succeed with who they have on the depth chart. They’re very capable of doing so…
Grade: B-
Wide Receiver
Depth Chart (ESPN)
- Kenny Golladay
- Sterling Shepard
- Kadarius Toney
- Darius Slayton
- Wan’Dale Robinson
Kentucky standout Wan’Dale Robinson highlights one of the names to watch out for on this NYG roster. An elusive deep threat down the field, Robinson can be used like a human pocketknife. Whether it be rushing or receiving, out routes or in routes, his versatility is a huge bonus for the offense. Kenny Golladay on the other hand, has been a disappointment since joining New York. He was supposed to be that offensive spark, yet he showed the exact opposite this past season. With a big fat zero in the touchdown column, it’s hard to rely on him as a legitimate WR1.
Kadarius Toney was their first-round draft choice this year. He had one good game and then disappeared the rest of the season. Like Golladay and his fellow teammate Sterling Shepard, Toney failed to find the endzone… even once. He still has a tremendous amount of potential, like every other receiver on this list. The problem is, they haven’t done anything with it yet. This isn’t a bad group of guys, but they need to show more this season if they want to keep their spot on the roster. As I always say, “all players are trash until proven great”. They have not proved that yet.
Grade: C
Tight End
Depth Chart (ESPN)
- Ricky Seals-Jones
- Jordan Akins
- Daniel Bellinger
- Chris Myarick
Who?
Grade: D+
Offensive Line
Depth Chart (ESPN)
- LT Andrew Thomas
- LG Joshua Ezeudu
- C John Feliciano
- RG Mark Glowinski
- RT Evan Neal
I like this group, I really do. Newcomers Evan Neal and Andrew Thomas make a great duo on each end of the line. Thomas allowed only two sacks last season, and Neal was a monster during his time at Alabama. He’s arguably the best lineman and the draft, and obviously an immediate starter for the NYG.
John Feliciano is the tip of the spear of this offensive line. He has experience and can be plugged in at just about anywhere on the line. As long as he stays healthy, he has a serious chance at repeating his zero sacks allowed performance from 2021. The good news is that all these new faces will significantly improve Saquon’s chances at returning to his old self. Fingers crossed that we see a miracle this year, this NYG team certainly has the group to do it.
Grade: B-
Thanks for reading my article, I appreciate the support! I just started writing for Gridiron Heroics, but if you’re interested in checking out more of my work here’s a link to another article of mine