Giant Expectations: Will Big Blue Crack Under Pressure in New York?

(Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

The Giants' tight end situation includes a few young guys who have a lot of potential. Kevin Boss is the clear-cut starter, as he has developed into a pretty good player for the Giants. He is reliable as a receiver and is developing his blocking skills.

Behind Boss is Darcy Johnson, a big blocking tight end who has great hands and is a red-zone threat. Johnson plays mostly in double tight end sets and on special teams. Then there is Travis Beckum, a third round draft choice for the Giants. He is a very good receiving tight end, and is really closer to a wide receiver than an end.

Then there is that fantastic Giants' offensive line.

Lead by center Shaun O'Hara and guard Chris Snee, their O-line is solid. These two are reigning Pro Bowlers, and rightfully so, as they do quite a lot for New York's offense. They are incredible performers and command the attention of their teammates.

Other top-notch offensive linemen on the Giants are guard Rich Seubert and tackles David Diehl and Kareem McKenzie. If any of these guys are injured, tackle William Beatty and guard Kevin Boothe are big, young-gun linemen, and among a group of players that will fill the voids very well.

Now we move to the defense, which is one of the most stacked in the league. The G-men have one of the strongest front sevens of all NFL teams, starting with their defensive line.

Starting at the outside will be Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck. Having a pair of Pro Bowlers as your defensive ends always helps. These guys are enormous, athletic, and powerful compared to other D-ends in the league. They are absolute sacking machines and will make a very dynamic pair in 2009.

Rotating in with both Umenyiora and Tuck is Mathias Kiwanuka, who is another phenomenal young end who would start on most other teams—giving the Giants what is probably the most dangerous trio at defensive end in the entire NFL.

There are other guys like David Tollefson, and maybe Chris Canty, who will see looks at D-end as well. But it seems he is being converted to a tackle, and that is where he will start for the Giants. Canty was brought in from Dallas as a big-time playmaker.

Also starting at tackle will be Rocky Bernard, who was also picked up as a free agent this past offseason. He was very good in Seattle, and looks to continue his success in New York.

In addition, Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield will see some time in the middle, as they were productive as the Giants' starters last year. Jay Alford will also earn some playing time being that he has done good things for his team in the past.

Linebacker is another fairly solid position for New York. They've got Antonio Pierce playing the role of middle linebacker and defensive leader. Built like a tank and and strong as anyone, Pierce forces offenses to work around him. He's a stand-out player and potential Pro Bowler, making him a vital ingredient to his team's success.

Michael Boley joined the squad this past offseason and will an make immediate impact as a starting outside linebacker. He did very well in Atlanta, and will have to continue to do so as he makes his transition to the Meadowlands. The other starter will be Danny Clark. He is a very good player and will have his chances to prove how valuable he is.

Pierce will be the best, followed by Boley and Clark. Other guys who will have to work their way in are Chase Blackburn, Zak DeOssie, and Clint Sintim.

Pierce is the strong, fierce pit-bull type, while Boley is tall, sleek, and athletic. Clark is actually the biggest of the three and plays with an instinctive, hard-hitting style. All of these players' different styles compliment each other giving the Giants balance in their linebacker corps.

Next we have the young and inexperienced defensive backfield. Led by cornerback Corey Webster, the Giants are recovering from losses in the backfield over the past two offseasons. Webster is a great young talent who is a potential Pro Bowler.

Other guys like Aaron Ross, Kevin Dockery, Terrell Thomas, and DeAndre Wright also will be contributing at the cornerback position. Besides Webster, who is going into his fifth season, none of these have more than three years of experience. Alongside Webster, Ross will start, with Dockery backing them up and seeing decent playing time.

At safety, the trend of young DBs continues.

Michael Johnson, who will start as the strong safety, has only two years of NFL experience under his belt. Free safety Kenny Phillips was a rookie last season, but both of these guys appear to be reliable and play a balanced game.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?