Identifying New York Giants' Biggest Strengths, Weaknesses After Draft
The New York Giants have executed all their meaningful acquisitions of the offseason. The 2015 draft class faces a defining rookie year, and the Giants' haul in free agency defined the team's direction in the draft. Since the turn of 2015, New York has signed 10 veteran free agents, made six draft picks and scooped up six unselected guys, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ Advance Media.
The Giants roster is already nearing its 90-man limit, and the stronger positional units are starting to separate themselves from the weaker positional groups. A "strength" position must have either exceptional depth, difference-making starters or a unique mix of talent. A "weak" position is any that lack in all three categories.
Still, even with two dozen offseason reinforcements, a few positional units remain a mystery. Those groups of personnel will be explored on the final slide.
Strength: Defensive End
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The Giants might finally be on the other side of a retooling project at defensive end, with Jason Pierre-Paul being the only holdover from New York's Super Bowl-winning era remaining on the roster.
There are elements of the 2007 D-end unit present on this year's squad. The same defensive coordinator from that season back in charge, as Steve Spagnuolo returns for a second stint with the Giants. Spagnuolo could employ slender speed-rusher Damontre Moore as the new Osi Umenyiora, while bringing up third-round rookie Owa Ozighiduwa in the situational role Justin Tuck once played.
The upside doesn't end there. New York signed George Selvie, JPP's former teammate at South Florida, in free agency, after appearing in all 16 games for the Dallas Cowboys each of the last two seasons, collecting 10.0 sacks along the way. He could become a valuable fourth man in the rotation.
Don't forget Robert Ayers Jr. is returning for another go around with the team, as is Kerry Wynn. Ayers was a reliable run defender and an efficient pass-rusher (5.0 sacks) before getting injured last year. Wynn, a former undrafted rookie, showed playmaking ability late in the season with a sack, a fumble recovery and an interception in a Week 16 win over the St. Louis Rams.
Weakness: Defensive Tackle
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While New York's defensive edges are on the rise, the interior D-line doesn't project to be any better than it was last season.
Johnathan Hankins is the only stud the Giants have at defensive tackle, unless Jay Bromley blows up in his second season with the Giants. At 320 pounds, Hankins is a hulking nose tackle type with a proven ability to stuff the run and rush the passer (51 tackles, 7.0 sacks in 2015). Bromley, on the other hand, is an untested 2014 third-rounder, who saw action in only eight games last season.
Cullen Jenkins, at 34 years old, will provide the unit with a veteran presence, though his most productive days are probably in the past. Jenkins will be most valuable to the team's long-term success as an instructor for Bromley, who could learn something from the man who has 44.5 sacks to his name, dating back to his days as a Philadelphia Eagle and Green Bay Packer.
Kenrick Ellis, a 346-pound free-agent acquisition, and 2012 seventh-round selection Markus Kuhn could get into the rotation as specialty run defenders.
Weakness: Tight End
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Tight end isn't a major weakness, but the unit went virtually untouched this offseason. Illinois' Matt LaCrosse, an undrafted free agent, was the only player added to the position.
The Giants still have guys who can at least get the job done, especially if they lean on a tight-end-by-committee approach. With 63 receptions for 623 yards and six touchdowns, Larry Donnell emerged as a viable pass-catching option last season. Daniel Fells normally replaced Donnell in blocking situations, yet the backup still caught four touchdowns of his own.
The biggest question mark might be Adrien Robinson. A fourth-round pick back in 2012, Robinson hasn't lived up to expectations. After failing to catch a pass through his first two NFL seasons, the busting tight end caught only five passes for 50 yards and a touchdown as the third-stringer in 2014.
New York's tight ends lined up all over the offensive formation last year, so versatility is championed at this position. If any one of the three can create separation as a complete tight end—a player who is reliable as a pass-catcher and ferocious as a blocker—there's no reason why that player shouldn't become quarterback Eli Manning's go-to guy.
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Strength: Running Back
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The Giants have a diverse stable of running backs this season. It's the type of backfield that could feature different ball-carriers, depending on a given week's matchups.
New York's offense, in 2014, functioned best when Rashad Jennings was healthy and shouldering a large portion of the workload, although that wasn't very often. Jennings is a smart runner who can carry the lion's share of the carries when needed (34 carries, 176 yards, TD vs. Houston in Week 3), durability concerns considered. He is smooth out of the backfield and can be useful as a receiver.
In one direction, the Giants have a more bullish ball-carrier in Andre Williams, who led the team on the ground as a rookie last year with 217 carries, 721 yards and seven touchdowns. There is not much finesse to Williams' running style, making him less of a threat to catch the ball out of the backfield.
In the other direction (with Jennings serving as a middle ground), the Giants have free-agent acquisition Shane Vereen. New York pried Vereen away from the New England Patriots, where the back racked up more receiving yardage (1,027) than rushing yardage (907) through four seasons. He will be most valuable to the Giants on third down.
Weakness: Slot Receiver
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The Giants' developing offense under coordinator Ben McAdoo can reach a new level of dynamism with a fully healthy Victor Cruz in the lineup this year. With Rueben Randle and Odell Beckham Jr. manning the outsides, Cruz could control the soft underbellies of opposing defenses from the slot.
However, with Cruz coming back from a serious knee injury, he could be playing at less than 100 percent—if at all—in 2015. To replace Cruz, the Giants have no clear plan in place.
Preston Parker is familiar with the offense and the position, playing all 16 games last season and catching 36 passes for 418 yards and two touchdowns in a periphery role last season.
There's also free-agent signee Dwayne Harris, who told Nick Powell of NJ Advance Media that he'll have more of an opportunity to contribute as a receiver. Harris was mostly relegated to special teams and blocking roles through four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys.
Many fans will root for Corey Washington to get a chance, but his 6'4", 214-pound frame is better suited for the sidelines. Marcus Harris, who starred concurrently as an inside receiver during the 2014 preseason, is a more likely candidate to get a look.
Don't count on 2015 sixth-round pick Geremy Davis to save the day. The Connecticut product lacks an explosive change of direction and a refined ability to run routes, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ Advance Media, and those are two traits absolutely essential for sound play in the slot.
Jury's Still Out
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A few questionable positional units cannot be deemed "strengths" or "weaknesses" until we see them on the field.
Offensive Line
The offensive line got its blue-chip prospect in Miami's Ereck Flowers, but we don't even know the starting configuration yet, so it's hard to call this unit a strength with confidence. Will Flowers be able to start right away at tackle, or will the Giants break him in at guard?
If Flowers plays tackle, do they keep Justin Pugh on the right ride or flip Shwartz and put Pugh at left guard? How will Weston Richburg hold up in his first season as starting center? Which Will Beatty shows up at left tackle in 2015?
These are questions that must be answered before we can accurately define the offensive line.
Defensive Backfield
The Giants made a bold move to acquire the top pick on Day 2 of the draft and used it to select Alabama's Landon Collins. He's a dynamic addition to the defensive backfield, but Nat Berhe and Cooper Taylor aren't ideal options to line up beside him. Between the two, plus the rookie, New York has no starting experience.
Free-agent acquisition Josh Gordy or 2015 fifth-round selection Mykkele Thompson, a former Texas Longhorn, could end up getting looks at the starting free safety job.
Linebacker
The Giants are legitimately two deep in the middle (Jon Beason, Mark Herzlich) and on the strong side (Devon Kennard, Jameel McClain) at linebacker. Are they just as loaded on the weak side? For the past four seasons, New York has relied upon the unspectacular duo of Jacquian Williams and Spencer Paysinger. We'll see if unheralded free-agent acquisitions Jonathan Casillas and J.T. Thomas are any better.
Kevin Boilard writes about the New York Giants at Bleacher Report.
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