Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Not much went right for the New York Giants last season. A year after winning a playoff game, they could not find any type of rhythm on offense or defense. Part of this was due to injuries, but much of it was due to old issues. They lack playmaking at the wide receiver position, and the offensive line play is subpar. The team hopes that, with a healthy roster and some dynamic new additions, they can compete for the NFC East crown. Here are three numbers to know before the 2024 season.
New York Giants: 770
Receiving yards of the Giants’ leading receiver in 2023
Darius Slayton was the leading receiver for the New York Giants, and he only had 770 yards on the year. This ranked 46th in the league. In a league with only 32 teams, this isn’t good. The team lacked any kind of quality wide receivers. This year, they drafted Malik Nabers out of LSU with the sixth overall pick. The hope is that he can become the clear number-one receiver and elevate others on the roster.
Nabers has shown elite speed, and many have had him on the same level as Marvin Harrison Jr. If the New York Giants are going to have any success in 2024, they have to be able to throw the ball on a consistent basis. Nabers gives them a receiver who can get open on key downs and move the chains.
New York Giants: 15.8
Sack percentage for Daniel Jones in his six starts last season
I don’t think Daniel Jones is the next great NFL quarterback. However, I do like to recognize when the support system of a player is deficient. No quarterback is going to look good behind an offensive line that is giving up sacks at this rate. In 2022, Jones was only sacked 9.1% of the time. It isn’t surprising that he sustained an injury, given how much he was getting hit.
It looks like Daniel Jones will be the week 1 starter. They have too much money invested and don’t have many other quality options on the roster. If Jones is going to have any chance to succeed, they need to keep him upright. They did focus on the offensive line in free agency and will look to reduce the number of hits their quarterbacks take in 2024.
Pass Rush Stat: 36
Number of sacks Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns have had in the past two seasons
If there is a reason to be bullish on the New York Giants, it is their pass rush. Most teams are happy to have one elite pass rusher. The New York Giants have two. Thibodeaux racked up 11.5 sacks last year, and Brian Burns has 20.5 in the last two years on a subpar Carolina Panthers team. These two will now be on the same line. A good pass rush can cover up a lot of holes elsewhere.
It doesn’t matter how good an offense is. If a quarterback does not have time to throw the ball, it is difficult to have success. Teams cannot simply double team one player. Either Burns or Thibodeaux will be one-on-one. If they can both have elite seasons, the Giants could win some games because of their defense.
The New York Giants have some roster holes but they also have the foundations of a good team. Can they recapture the success of 2022?
