Position Check: Assessing New York Giants' Strengths and Weaknesses
With the NFL draft less than a month away, it’s time to take a temperature check of each position unit on the New York Giants in anticipation of how their draft plans might be shaping up.
In the following slides, we’ll examine whether each position is a strength or a weakness, break down the reason why and, in the case of a weakness, offer a potential draft solution.
Quarterback: Strength
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When comparing Eli Manning's 2016 performance, his third season in head coach Ben McAdoo's offense, to his first two seasons in 2014 and 2015, there is enough evidence to suggest that Manning's skills have started to decline.
Despite playing behind the same offensive line for most of the 2016 season, Manning’s attempts per pass dropped from above 7.2 in 2014 and 2015 to 6.7 yards last year.
He also saw his touchdown total, which had been 30 or higher in 2014 and 2015, drop to 27, while his passer rating also fell to a pedestrian 85.1 after he topped 90.0 in 2014 and 2015.
Regardless, a declining Manning still gives the Giants their best chance of making a run for a Super Bowl championship.
The Giants, remember, won 11 games despite the offense's sluggishness.
With the front office having added some pieces around Manning (with more, including a potential successor to Manning, still to come), there's no reason to think the unit—and Manning for that matter—won't be much improved in 2017.
Running Back: Weakness
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The next time the Giants' rushing offense ranks in the top half of the league will be the first since 2012, when the unit finished 14th (116.4 yards per game).
If the Giants offense is to ever get back on track, adding a solid power back to complement Paul Perkins is a must.
Thus far, the Giants haven’t been able to do that. Their running back depth, besides Perkins, includes Shane Vereen and Orleans Darkwa, both coming off season-ending injuries; untested George Winn and journeyman Shaun Draughn.
The question the Giants must answer is whether they want a veteran for the role or if they want to stick their toe in this year’s draft class to find their missing power back.
New England’s LeGarrette Blount is unsigned, but NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported Monday on Up to the Minute Live that Blount and the Patriots still have mutual interest in each other.
If Blount isn’t an option for the Giants, draft prospects such as Wayne Gallman (6’0”, 215 lbs.) of Clemson and Marlon Mack (5’11”, 213 lbs.) of South Florida might be Day 3 options.
Gallman averaged 5.1 yards per carry over the last three seasons, recording back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing performances in 2015 and 2016.
He also forced 153 missed tackles over that three-year period and caught 81.5 percent of his pass targets for 454 yards, 610 yards after the catch.
Mack isn’t quite as proficient breaking tackles, averaging just 3.4 yards after contact, but he has that quick-twitch ability to juke defenders and separate once into space.
Mack recorded 1,000-yard rushing seasons in each of the last three years, but he also has 12 fumbles in that same span.
Tight End: Weakness
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Using data from SportingCharts.com, Giants tight ends Will Tye and Jerell Adams combined to average 1.9 yards after the catch last year. That’s not good, nor is the fact that neither Tye nor Adams averaged more than 8.2 yards per reception.
The Giants need a tight end who can stretch the field and catch at least 70 percent of the pass targets thrown his way, something Tye, who had 48 receptions for 395 yards, wasn’t able to do in 2016.
Miami’s David Njoku (6’4”, 246 lbs.) could be the guy who raises the bar if he falls to No. 23. A former wide receiver, Njoku averaged 16.6 yards per reception in his last two seasons.
Per Tristan Garnett of SB Nation's Buffalo Rumblings, Njoku creates a mismatch against linebackers who try to cover him, and is, in fact, a threat to exploit open space.
If there’s one red flag about Njoku, it’s that he has an 11 percent dropped pass rate, which is something that hopefully can be corrected at the next level.
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Receiver: Strength
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The addition of 6’4” receiver Brandon Marshall will probably go down as one of the most underrated signings made by the team this offseason.
Although Marshall is coming off an injury-filled 2016, before then he was good for eight 1,000-yard seasons in his last nine.
Perhaps just as important as his receiving skills and his leadership is that Marshall’s size makes him a solid downfield blocker, an element that was missing last year in the running game.
The Giants are hoping Marshall’s presence will take away some of the double coverage Odell Beckham Jr. has drawn of late.
Couple that with the anticipated improvement of slot receiver Sterling Shepard, and the Giants’ top three projected receivers have, at least on paper, the potential to be one of the best groups in the NFL.
If the Giants add to this group, which also includes Tavarres King, Roger Lewis Jr. and Dwayne Harris as the only others with NFL experience, they would probably take a flier on a guy either in the seventh round or as a priority free agent.
Air Force's Jalen Robinette, whose 27.9 yards per reception led the nation last year, could be a name to watch given his production and his upside.
Offensive Line: Weakness
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When it comes to the offensive line, the Giants have more questions than answers as they prepare to head into 2017.
Currently, they’re set at left guard with Justin Pugh and center with Weston Richburg. It’s the rest of the starting offensive line and the depth where the questions exist.
Left tackle Ereck Flowers is coming off another rough season, a year in which his technique was inconsistent and in which he led all offensive tackles who took at least 75 percent of their team’s snaps in total backfield disruptions (sacks, hits and hurries).
Rather than go for broke in free agency on a veteran replacement, the front office is not quite ready to give up on the No. 9 overall pick of the 2015 draft.
Co-owner John Mara revealed at the league meetings that Flowers had been spending the offseason working in the team’s weight room.
This is significant because, as offensive line scouting consultant Duke Manyweather explained on the Big Blue Chat podcast, Flowers’ weightlifting regiment could include lower back and glute work that might help him with his center of gravity and, thus, his hand placement.
On the right side, the team re-signed veteran guard/tackle John Jerry and added former Chargers offensive lineman D.J. Fluker to compete with holdover Bobby Hart for the starting right guard and right tackle spots.
The experienced backup depth at guard and center includes interior linemen Brett Jones, Khaled Holmes and Adam Gettis.
At tackle, the first guy off the bench as of now figures to be whoever loses the competition for right guard and tackle among Hart, Fluker and Jerry.
To summarize, the Giants need to add another offensive tackle; if that player can also play guard, then even better.
If they want someone who offers versatility and who would be a strong value in the first round, Western Kentucky’s Forrest Lamp, whom NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has compared to Cowboys Pro Bowl offensive lineman Zach Martin, would be the guy.
The more versatility the Giants can add to the offensive line, the more combinations they can try in coming up with a unit that finally becomes a strength.
Defensive End: Strength
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Although there is some degree of uncertainty at this position arising from the cryptic tweets by Owa Odighizuwa about stepping away from the game plus the lack of a third quality defensive end capable of relieving starters Olivier Vernon and Jason Pierre-Paul, this position is still a strength.
Last year, Vernon and Pierre-Paul created a pick-your-poison challenge for opposing offensive coordinators to solve.
When Pierre-Paul had to leave the lineup due to what ended up as a season-ending core muscle injury, the opponent’s task became simplified as Vernon suddenly began drawing all the double teams that previously weren’t there.
This duo is also among the best edge-setters against the run this team has had in some time. Vernon and Pierre-Paul (along with a big assist from interior lineman Damon Harrison) were big reasons why the Giants tied with the Patriots for the third-best run defense (88.6 yards per game allowed) in the league.
Behind Pierre-Paul and Vernon, Romeo Okwara showed some flashes as a potential third defensive end who might spell the two starters this year. Okwara, remember, went undrafted last year, but it was still interesting that he jumped ahead of Odighizuwa, the team’s third-round draft pick, for snaps once Pierre-Paul had to leave the lineup.
If the Giants are going to add to this group—and they probably don’t have to with a draft pick now that Pierre-Paul is under contract for the next four years—it probably won’t be until Day 3 or perhaps even an undrafted free agent unless they determine that Odighizuwa is indeed stepping away from the game.
Defensive Tackle: Weakness
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At defensive tackle, the Giants have Damon Harrison and then there’s everyone else.
Such is the situation New York finds itself in as unrestricted free agent Johnathan Hankins continues to chase the proverbial pot o’ gold at the end of the rainbow.
Currently, Jay Bromley is set to be the starter if Hankins doesn’t return. Behind him is Robert Thomas, who will look to play catchup this offseason after coming to the team after final roster cuts were made last summer only to lose his first several weeks due to an undisclosed illness.
Regardless of what happens with Hankins, the Giants are almost certain to add a defensive tackle via the draft—perhaps even two if Hankins signs elsewhere.
Since the defensive line is regarded as one of the team’s biggest strengths, the Giants can probably wait until the second round to add a prospect, whose rookie year shortcomings would minimized by Harrison, Olivier Vernon and Jason Pierre-Paul playing around him.
Dalvin Tomlinson (6’3”, 310 lbs.) of Alabama, might be someone to watch for in the second round. Tomlinson has flown under the radar at Alabama, but an unnamed scout tells NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein that Tomlinson is someone the NFL circles is going to really like.
Last year, Tomlinson recorded 62 stops, 5.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and four passes defensed. He was also used both inside and on the edge in Nick Saban’s complex scheme.
If that versatility can transfer to the NFL, Tomlinson would be a strong value pick in the second round, and a guy who could potentially turn a defensive tackle group whose current lack of depth makes it a weakness into a strength.
Linebacker: Weakness
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For the first time in a while, the Giants linebackers were solid, albeit not quite spectacular.
Per Athlon Sports, weak-side linebacker Jonathan Casillas finished as the 18th (out of 20) top-ranked 4-3 outside linebacker last season.
Pro Football Focus ranked Casillas (eighth) and teammate Keenan Robinson eighth and 12th respectively in coverage among the dozen outside 4-3 linebackers who took at least 60 percent of their team’s snaps last year.
The problem at this position is that other than second-year man B.J. Goodson, whom head coach Ben McAdoo told reporters will compete with Robinson for the middle, no Giants linebacker is under contract beyond this season.
That could, of course, change, but the odds of the Giants bringing back Casillas, Robinson, Devon Kennard and Mark Herzlich are not good.
Instead, the Giants might want to start looking ahead and grab an outside linebacker from the draft whom they can break in this year in certain sub packages so that by 2018, the kid is ready for full-time duty if the Giants lose Kennard, their strong-side starting linebacker, or Casillas, their weak-side starter.
While it would be surprising to see the Giants take a linebacker at No. 23, a potential third-round prospect per NFL Draft Scout's rankings that Zierlein projects as a solid fit as a strong-side linebacker in a 4-3 defense is Alabama’s Ryan Anderson, 6’2”, 253 lbs.
Zierlein notes that Anderson is a disciplined football player with a high football IQ who stays true to his assignments and who overcomes roadblocks through sheer determination.
A later pick, one that NFL Draft Scout projects for the fifth round, is Elijah Lee (6’2”, 229 lbs.) of Kansas State. Zierlein notes that Lee has the speed to be an effective cover linebacker, but he needs to work on his bend to get his playing speed to match with the timed speed.
Safety: Weakness
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How is it that the Giants safety position is a weakness after the huge breakout year that Pro Bowl strong safety Landon Collins posted?
The problem is at free safety. Although Andrew Adams, an undrafted free agent last year, played well enough, the Giants; depth at that position took a significant hit.
Nat Berhe (concussions), Mykkele Thompson (knee) and Darian Thompson (foot) are all coming back from injuries.
In Berhe and Mykkele Thompson’s cases, both dealt with season-ending injuries two years in a row, their respective injuries sharply cutting into their on-field development while also leaving one to wonder, especially in the case of Berhe, if it would be in his best interest to play again.
Darian Thompson, on the other hand, the third-round pick who won the starting free safety job early, is believed to be ahead of schedule in his rehab. He will have to battle Adams for the starting job out of principle, but there is optimism that Thompson will be able to pick up where he left off before his season-ending foot injury.
Cornerback: Strength
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Although some teams believe that one can never have too many corners, the Giants should be good to go at this position so long as they don’t have any injuries.
Last year, Janoris Jenkins, Eli Apple and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie were big reasons why the Giants defense finished second in the league in receiving touchdowns allowed (15), two more than the league-leading Denver Broncos pass defense.
Where the Giants’ depth takes a bit of a hit is at the fourth and fifth cornerback spots. The team appears to have moved on from Trevin Wade, who began the year as the nickel back before yielding the position to Rodgers-Cromartie. They also appear to have moved on from veteran Leon Hall.
Instead, they signed Valentino Blake in March to provide depth. They also appear intent on taking another look at Donte Deayon, who last year spent most of the season on the practice squad-injured reserve list, and Michael Hunter, both of whom were in camp last year and both of whom flashed.
Specialists: Weakness
11 of 11The good news is the Giants will have two-thirds of their kicking battery back from last year, long snapper Zak DeOssie and punter Brad Wing.
The bad news is their only kicker on the roster, Aldrick Rosas, has never managed to stick with an NFL team and is a bit of an unknown in those high-pressure situations that crop up in games.
That’s why the Giants aren’t likely to stand pat at the kicking position, even though head coach Ben McAdoo told reporters at the league meetings last month that he liked Rosas’ big leg despite the young man being “raw.”
The plan at kicker appears to be: Let Rosas, who was previously in camp with the Titans, kick as much as possible in the spring and summer to find out what they have.
It would be a major upset if Rosas doesn’t have competition at some point, be it an undrafted free agent or perhaps even a veteran.
If Rosas and the still-to-be-determined second kicker come up short in their respective attempts to impress, don’t be surprised if the Giants make a move to grab whoever loses the kicking battle in Tampa Bay between second-year man Roberto Aguayo and former Jets kicker Nick Folk.
Unless otherwise noted, all advanced analytics are from Pro Football Focus and all draft prospects' heights and weights and analysis are from NFL.com's combine section.
Patricia Traina covers the New York Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes and information were obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced.
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