The Giants are looking to change many of their “incomplete” grades to “pass” or “fail.”
The NFL’s rule of thumb is not to evaluate a draft class until three seasons have passed.
Well, in many ways, the Giants’ 2024 season hinges on their 2022 draft class, with most of the 11 players selected by general manager Joe Sean either having make-or-break years or being asked to elevate to bigger roles.
“It takes time. Guys have to develop,” Sean said on April 30, 2022, after trying to add “versatility, competitiveness and depth” with his first draft as coach. “Hopefully, as many of these guys as possible become starters, but I’m not going to hand anything over to anybody.”
Now is the time.
The challenges for members of a significant class are:
Kayvon Thibodeau (OLB, 1st round)
Optimists will see Thibodeau’s 11.5 sacks last season (the Giants’ most since 2014) as just the beginning.
Especially now that he’s paired with Brian Barnes, he’ll face fewer double teams than he did last year (44) because of the extra blocker heading Barnes’ direction.
Pessimists will believe Thibodeau’s sack numbers are impossible to replicate.
His pass rushing productivity ranked 116th among edge rushers by Pro Football Focus due to his low pressure rate per rush.
If Thibodeau is eligible next offseason and seeks a contract extension like Barnes’ (five years, $141 million), he’ll need to achieve lofty goals he has set for himself, such as leading the NFL in sacks.
Evan Neal (RT, 1st place)
Sean and head coach Brian Daboll are doing what every regime does, which is giving underperforming first-round draft picks every opportunity to turn things around, even when there’s no evidence it will happen.
Neal’s return from a fractured ankle that was initially diagnosed as a sprain appeared to slow his rehabilitation, not taking part in any 11-on-11 matches and being relegated to riding a stationary bike in late spring.
He allowed 12 sacks and 91 pressures through the first 20 games of his career before missing the final 10 games.
Neal hasn’t played at home since lashing out at Giants “sheep” fans who criticized him.
Outside of quarterback Daniel Jones, one could make a strong argument that no other player will have a bigger impact on whether the Giants’ 29th-ranked offense improves and their newly reassembled offensive line (which allowed a franchise-record 85 sacks last season) comes together than Jones.
Wan’Dale Robinson (WR, 2nd place)
Expectations are high for Robinson after he totaled 24 catches for 260 yards over the past five games and showed the same slickness he showed before tearing his ACL.
Cowboys star CeeDee Lamb also praised Robinson, calling him a “sleeper.”
Rookie Malik Neighbors has all the makings of being a No. 1 receiver with 120 targets.
Darius Slayton was up for his usual performance of 48 catches and 750 yards.
If Robinson can replicate his SEC-leading 22 missed tackles in 2021 and take advantage of the single coverage up the middle, he could be the piece that elevates the receiver corps to its best level in years.
Josh Ezeudu (overtime, 3 innings)
If the Giants were to move left guard Jermaine Eluemunor to right tackle and use Ezeudu at guard as an insurance plan for Neal, Ezeudu could get some snaps on the inside over the spring to hone his versatility.
He didn’t.
The Giants did Ezeudu the wrong move last season, installing him at left tackle after just two weeks of practice (with disastrous results).
With the added burden of being a dual-side tackle, he won’t have the same excuses in 2024 as a swing tackle.
Whether the Giants misjudged Ezeudu’s best position and failed to challenge Neal in the process is another debate.
Cordele Flott (CB, third)
Much like Neal on the other side of the ball, Flott could be an X-factor for the entire defense.
A year ago at this time, he was forced to be shuffled around in the lineup because he wasn’t ready to start in the slot.
He ended up with 40 catches (on 62 targets) for 452 yards and three touchdowns.
The Giants decided Flott was better suited to the outside position and installed him as the starter, giving little to no guaranteed money to backups Darnay Holmes, David Long Jr. and Tre Herndon in case he faltered.
He was responsible for covering the good and bad news during Neighbors’ dynamic spring run.
Daniel Bellinger (TE, No. 4)
In theory, with Darren Waller’s retirement, Bellinger should return to being a starter like he was as a rookie (30 catches for 268 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games).
However, most of the first-team playing time during the spring season went to rookies Theo Johnson and Lawrence Cager.
Bellinger has been the underdog behind Waller, and he and Daboll seemed to disagree about the extent of the injury he suffered earlier in the offseason.
Dane Belton (S, No. 4)
The ball acumen Belton showed in his limited playing time (four interceptions, three fumble recoveries) wasn’t enough to dissuade the Giants from drafting Tyler Nubin in the second round in 2024 as a potential replacement for departed co-captain Xavier McKinney.
Given Daboll’s track record, he won’t hesitate to insert rookies into the starting lineup as soon as they’re eligible, but Belton has been ranked above Nubin all spring, which could create a battle for the position.
Micah McFadden (LB, No. 5)
With Isaiah Simmons stepping into a hybrid defensive back/outside linebacker role, McFadden could be unstoppable as the No. 2 inside linebacker behind Bobby Okereke.
He’s already established himself as a viable starter, but can he be a playmaker if Iron Man Okereke doesn’t play every defensive snap again?
DJ Davidson (DT, 5th place)
A rotation that was once tough to crack just isn’t the same now without Leonard Williams and A’Shawn Robinson.
But Davidson is still on the deep end after 20 career games, despite having a year more experience than fellow late draft pick Jordan Riley and a better resume than undrafted Ryder Anderson.
Marcus McKethan (G, No. 6)
McKeithan missed his entire rookie season (torn ACL) but returned to start five games.
The addition of five veteran offensive linemen in free agency speaks to what the Giants’ plans are for McKethan.
Darien Beavers (LB, 7th)
The other backup linebackers (Carter Coughlin, Matthew Adams and Darius Muasau) provide more value on special teams than the Beavers, who has played in two career games and has already been cut once.
