The New York Giants offseason began with a rocky start after left tackle Will Beatty suffered a serious injury. As the team prepares to head into mini-camp, it is time to take a look at the New York Giants positional breakdown and assign grades for each unit.
New York Giants Positional Breakdown
Quarterback: B
Eli is Eli. You’ll love him and you’ll hate him. He throws some mind-boggling interceptions, but with a budding star in Odell Beckham Jr. and a second year in Ben McAdoo’s offensive system, Eli Manning should improve upon his solid 2014 numbers: 4,410 passing yards, 30 passing touchdowns, and a 63.1% completion percentage, which was the highest of his career.
Running Backs: B-
Last year proved that Rashad Jennings can be effective when healthy and that bulldozer Andre Williams is a one-trick pony. However, adding Shane Vereen to the mix should add versatility to a unit that struggled in 2014. There are still questions facing this group. Will Andre Williams be used in obvious third and short situations? Will Vereen only be used during third and long situations? Can Rashad Jennings play 16 games for the first time in his career? The unit is solid but definitely has some question marks.
Wide Receivers: A-
It is hard to imagine Odell Beckham Jr. improving from his spectacular, albeit short, rookie campaign. Hopefully Beckham doesn’t fall victim to the well-known Madden Curse. So far it appears that Victor Cruz could make a full recovery from his torn patellar tendon. Additionally, the receiver group has some nice depth with Rueben Randle, Dwayne Harris, Corey Washington and Preston Parker, all of whom have very different skill sets, fighting for playing time.
Tight Ends: B-
This unit, led by big-bodied pass catcher Larry Donnell, remains mostly the same as 2014. However, Donnell is dealing with achilles tendonitis, which has increased first-team reps for 24-year-old Jerome Cunningham. Adrien Robinson and veteran Daniel Fells will be competing for playing time and may become regular fixtures on the Giants offense if Donnell’s injury lingers.
Offensive Line: C-
After left tackle Will Beatty went down for roughly half the season with a torn pectoral muscle, the Giants offensive line went from “meh” to “uh-oh.” Right now the three linemen that seem to be a lock for the opening day lineup are Ereck Flowers, Justin Pugh, and Weston Richburg. Flowers is a rookie while Pugh and Richburg combine for three total years of NFL experience. Eli Manning’s blockers will be rounded out by Geoff Schwartz and Marshall Newhouse most likely. It is possible that the team may look to fortify the offensive line by signing veteran castoffs as other teams continue to tweak their rosters. However, if they endure anymore substantial injuries this unit will become one of the greatest weaknesses for Big Blue.
Defensive Line: B
Even though the defensive line doesn’t have the same superstars as the team did when they won two Super Bowls, the return of defensive guru Steve Spagnuolo should bolster this otherwise average group. Jason Pierre-Paul is easily the most dynamic pass rusher on this squad, however, he has yet to sign his franchise tag. If a Pierre-Paul hold out were to occur, it would be a devastating blow to the entire Giants defense. But having a healthy rotation of other defensive ends, namely Robert Ayers, Damontre Moore, and rookie Owamagbe Odighizuwa, as well as some capable big bodies with Cullen Jenkins, Jonathan Hankins, Markus Kuhn, and Jay Bromley, should make this unit a force to be reckoned with.
Linebackers: D+
The Giants linebacking corps has been a major weakness since the bygone days of Lawrence Taylor, Carl Banks, and Harry Carson and this crew is looking like one of the worst yet. A Jon Beason injury is all but assumed at this point, which leaves the likes of Jameel McClain, Devon Kennard, Mark Herzlich, J.T. Thomas, and Jonathan Casillas. It seems somewhat puzzling that the Giants haven’t publicly expressed interest in re-signing current free agent Jacquain Williams considering how poor the linebacking group appears to be.
Cornerbacks: C+
Before Prince Amukamara was lost for the 2014 season, he had been dominating talented receivers. Opposite Amukamara is former Pro Bowler Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Beyond that, the cornerbacks are fairly thin. Jayron Hosley and Trumaine McBride can make plays, but either player would be exposed if forced into a regular starting role. Considering the propensity for NFL offenses to use three, four, or even five wide receivers on a regular basis, this group could be torched consistently.
Safeties: F
The team was unusually proactive in the 2015 NFL draft by trading up to the top of the second round to secure Alabama playmaker Landon Collins. However, his best work usually comes when playing closer to the box, and it remains to be seen how he’ll fare out-of-the-gate in the NFL. After Collins, the position really falls off a cliff. The other starter will either be Cooper Taylor or Nat Berhe, but neither has substantial experience and it’s easy to envision to Giants being burned on countless seam routes in 2015.
All-in-all, this looks to be a different type of team than in years past. Throughout the last decade the Giants were successful when they had a powerful running attack combined with a voracious pass rush. Now, with the many weaknesses on the back end of the defense and the potential for a high-octane passing game, the Giants will likely find themselves in more high-scoring affairs than normal.
The most glaring takeaway is the lack of depth across the entire football team. The Giants better hope that Will Beatty is the last substantial injury for awhile.
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