All the talk in the Giants world right now is about what will happen with Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley’s contracts. Thankfully, those questions will be answered by next Tuesday. While how those 2 contracts shake out will effect how the Giants go about addressing their biggest needs, the needs themselves won’t change.
So, what are the Giants biggest needs?
1. Wide Receiver
The Giants receiving core by the end of last year was comprised of Isaiah Hodgins, Richie James and Darius Slayton as its main 3 weapons. While Daniel Jones got the job done with these 3, I don’t think anyone wants to go into the season with those being his weapons again. Slayton and James are pending free agents, as is veteran Sterling Shepard. The Giants do have Wan’Dale Robinson coming back from a torn ACL, but who knows when that will be given he suffered the injury in November. The Giants need to improve this room, but that will most likely have to come through the draft. The free agent wide receivers aren’t great this year, and while I do think they should sign somebody, we have already seen what can happen when you overpay at the position like they did with Kenny Golladay.
2. Linebacker
The Giants desperately need to find an answer at inside linebacker. For as much as Giant fans love Wink Martindale, his defense struggled against the run, finishing 27th in that category. Much of that had to do with the poor play of the Giants linebackers. The Giants had a bit of a rotating cast their that consisted of Tae Crowder, Michah McFadden, and Jarrad Davis at the end of the year. While the Giants did draft a linebacker in Darian Beavers last year who is coming off of a torn ACL, they will have to add another one. This could end up being the position the Giants spend the most money on in free agency.
3. Cornerback
The Giants have a solid number 1 corner in Adoree’ Jackson, but they still need help at the position. Fabian Moreau filled in admirably as the number 2 corner last year, but he was more of a bandaid then a permanent fix. The Giants did draft Cor’Dale Flott last season, and he flashed some potential, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Giants add more corners through both the draft and free agency.
4. Right Guard/Center
The right guard position was another spot where the Giants had a rotating cast consisting mainly of Ben Bredeson and Nick Gates. The Giants should look to add a permanent starter there, but they already invested in Mark Glowinski on the other side last year. That means they likely won’t spend a ton of money there. Brining back Nick Gates would be smart as he can play both guard and center (and tackle for that matter). The Giants don’t currently have a starting center right now as Jon Feliciano is a free agent as well. I wouldn’t be shocked if they bring him back as well. It’s a good bet that the Giants add some interior lineman during the draft in April.
5. Depth and the Rest
While the positions above have to do with starting spots, the Giants need to add depth at a couple of positions, especially on the defensive line. Dexter Lawrence, Leonard Williams, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Azeez Ojulari are a solid front, but there is little help behind them. Adding through free agency and the draft to help these spots is essential, otherwise the 4 guys listed above will never get off the field. There are also questions to be answered at the running back and safety positions. The Giants will very much need a running back if Saquon Barkley isn’t back on the team. My hope is a long term deal gets done with Jones and Barkley is tagged. Either way, I could see the Giants drafting a running back in the mid to late rounds. Julian Love is also a free agent who very well could end up on another team next year depending on how much other teams are willing to pay him. The Giants do have Xavier McKinney, Jason Pinnock and Dane Belton on the roster, but if the Giants lose Love, I think it will be a bigger blow then many realize.
A lot of what the Giants do over the next 2 months or so will be determined by what happens with Daniel Jones contract in the next 4 days. No matter what, the Giants have some holes to fill on this roster.
In Joe Schoen’s second free agency, let’s hope he can continue to bring this team back to the promise land.
(Photo: USA Today Sports Images)
