Giants' Biggest Question Marks Ahead of 2021 Training Camp

While the New York Giants only won six games in 2020, they came close to winning the NFC East. With a defense that thrived under new coordinator Patrick Graham, New York was competitive despite not having its top offensive weapon in Saquon Barkley.

Giants fans have reasons to be optimistic about the 2021 season, with Barkley (torn ACL) on the mend and several key needs addressed in the offseason. The Giants added pass-catchers Kenny Golladay, Kyle Rudolph and Kadarius Toney to better support quarterback Daniel Jones. They used a second-round pick on Azeez Ojulari to help bolster a pass rush that lacked punch on the edge.

Many of the pieces are in place to make a leap in the second year under head coach Joe Judge. However, as training camp approaches, some question marks do still remain. You'll find a look at the most notable ones here.

Barkley's Health/Backfield Depth

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

This is a two-part question mark that starts with the health of Barkley. The Penn State product was special as a rookie in 2018, totaling more than 2,000 scrimmage yards and being named Offensive Rookie of the Year. Barkley battled injuries in 2019, though, and finished with a good-not-great 1,441 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns.

Last year, Barkley averaged just 1.8 yards per carry before suffering a torn ACL in Week 2. When and if he gets back to 100 percent this season could determine just how potent New York's running game can be.

The good news is that Barkley appears to be recovering well. Barkley recently posted a video of himself doing drills on the beach to his Instagram account—though it's still unclear exactly when he'll be cleared to practice.

According to David Lazar of the New York Post, there is no timetable for Barkley's return.

While getting Barkley healthy will be important, so too will be keeping him at 100 percent. This could require the Giants to spell him more often to lighten the workload. Therefore, sorting out New York's backfield depth will also be key.

While the Giants lost backup—and 2020 starter—Wayne Gallman Jr. in free agency, they added Devontae Booker. Preparing guys like Booker, Elijhaa Penny and Corey Clement for the regular season will be a valuable, if underrated piece of the camp equation.

Edge-Rusher

Michael Perez/Associated Press

Landing Ojulari in the second round was great value for the Giants. While no rookie is a sure thing, Ojulari has the tools needed to be an immediate contributor off the edge. However, Ojulari does not project as a dominant No. 1 edge-rushing option.

"He is long and relatively strong for his still growing frame, but it is tough to find a "calling card" in his game outside of his intensity to take on blocks that take a longer time to develop," Justis Mosqueda of the B/R Scouting Department wrote.

The problem is that New York doesn't have a dominant speed-rusher off the edge. Defensive lineman Leonard Williams was fantastic in 2020, racking up 11.5 sacks and 42 quarterback pressures. Unfortunately, the Giants were unable to fully capitalize on Williams' emergence by adding a quality complementary rusher.

No other Giants defender logged more than four sacks in 2020. One of the two players who did log four sacks, Kyler Fackrell, departed in the offseason.

This leaves down linemen Williams and Dexter Lawrence as the two most productive sack artists returning from last season. On the edge, New York could have to depend on developing players like Ojulari and Oshane Ximines—along with free-agent addition Ryan Anderson and some creative blitz packages from Graham.

Identifying the top edge-rushing options ahead of the regular season would go a long way to ensuring defensive success in 2021.

Daniel Jones

Adam Hunger/Associated Press

There's no denying that 2021 will be a make-or-break year for Jones. The Giants drafted the Duke product sixth overall in 2019 to be their new franchise quarterback. While Jones has shown some occasional flashes, he has not yet established himself as a reliable long-term option.

Jones showed promise as a rookie, throwing for 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. However, he was not good in 2020, passing for just 2,943 yards with 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while posting a passer rating of 80.4.

A lack of dependable pass-catching options has done Jones no favors, but he has also struggled with pocket-presence and ball-security issues. He's fumbled an alarming 29 times in two seasons.

Jones has gone 8-18 as a starter.

With a healthy Barkley and new additions in Golladay, Rudolph and Toney, Jones will have no excuses if he again struggles this season. The big question, though, is whether he can take advantage of his supporting cast and not just be better but be great.

While improvement would be welcomed, New York wants more than an average quarterback under center. It needs Jones to prove that he can be the long-term answer at the game's most important position. However, the season will also largely hinge on Jones' play, as backups Mike Glennon and Clayton Thorson aren't likely to step in and suddenly improve the offense.

Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference.