NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
Let’s rip the Band-Aid off, the New York Giants suck. No, Giants fans, not the organization as a whole, not the players, and not the coaches but the product they put on the field sucks. The good news is it can be fixed. They have some good building blocks, and with a little creativity this offseason, they can start working towards being a consistent competitor. How do they build a perfect offseason that doesn’t involve tearing everything down to the foundation? First, they have to establish an identity on offense while collecting some key pieces on defense. To do so, they need to draft well and not try to win free agency. Here’s how that looks:
The Giants took a gamble on Daniel Jones and lost. They tried to trade up, but they couldn’t, so they pivoted. To course correct, they need to be smart and not draft a QB in the first round. Yes, that might send some fans into a spiral, but ask yourself who in this draft can come in and have an instant impact on day 1. Is there an elite QB in this draft that is going to turn around a 2-win team starting on day 1? If you say yes, you’re lying to yourself.
To fix their QB luck, go out and get Sam Darnold. Yes, he struggled on that other New York team, but Minnesota is seeing what he can do with enough talent around him. Don’t stupidly go all-in and back up a Brinks truck for him, but an aggressive deal in the 3 to 4-year range should be on the table. Do not, I repeat, do not overpay because you’re desperate. If you’re outbid, Justin Fields showed promise with the Steelers and could be your backup plan if not plan A.
Drafting a QB still should be on the table, though. The Giants are in the perfect position to get their pick of QB in the second round with the 34th pick. With that pick, they might have to reach, but Kyle McCord should be available. McCord led college football in passing yards and might need some polishing, but the skill set is there. He’ll need work picking up the speed of the NFL, but if developed, he could be a long-term answer as he took a rebuilt Syracuse program and helped turn them into a 9-win team.
So, who do they get in the first round? There are two Heisman candidates that the Giants have to be all about. They need to draft either Travis Hunter or Ashton Jeanty. Both are playmakers, and both will come in and make an impact on day 1. It’s a coin flip between the two that will be on the coach, but the Giants need a power runner to replace what they lost in Saquon Barkley and should pull the trigger. With the way the league shifted defenses this year, the run game was more prominent, so spending that high on a running back shouldn’t hurt anyone’s feelings.
So that takes care of the first and second rounds, but the third is where the Giants would shine. They might need to trade up to get their guy, but someone like Oronde Gadsden II should be aggressively pursued. The tight end position is underappreciated in the NFL, and he’s already developed chemistry with McCord. A large target at TE, with Malik Nabers, Ashton Jeanty, and (if) they keep Darius Slayton, that’s an offense that can quickly establish itself with Darnold/Fields under center while McCord develops.
Then, the Giants are set up to have a decent, not a great, free agency, with the right planning on offense, they can spend free agency building their trenches on offense and defense while finding a few bargains for depth. If they hit these types of home runs in the first three rounds of the draft, they can use any remaining picks for defensive depth as well. They’ve already established themselves as a solid pass defense, by hitting their trenches in free agency, they should be able to course correct on run defense.
Yet, before all that, the New York Giants need to come out and state the obvious. Behind closed doors, they can say they’re trying to win every game, but with fans flying planes over the stadium voicing their frustration, it’s time to manage expectations. “Look, this thing isn’t going to turn around in one offseason. We hear your pleas, and we know you’re sick of losing, just as we are. The Giants are committed to building a consistent winner for years to come, and it won’t be a quick fix. We know you’re tired of waiting, but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and for the fans who stuck it out, we promise to get you there as quickly as possible. We’re committed to our staff, and firing guys every two to three years doesn’t work in terms of long-term success”.
Some fans might get pissed, but the truth of the matter is, how many teams fire their coach every couple of years and go on to be contenders? Give Daboll and Schoen one more year, and this strong of a draft could push them up to a 5-8 win season, then a wild card the following year, and a playoff contender within 3. It takes patience to be a fan of a bad football team, yet the Giants have the talent pool for a quick turnaround, they just don’t have enough pieces yet.
