Giants' Biggest Keys To Having Successful NFL Offseason (2024)

After making the playoffs in 2022, the New York Giants were widely expected to be postseason-relevant again in 2023. However, just about everything that could have gone wrong did.

New York's defense took a significant step backward, Saquon Barkley struggled to stay on the field, and quarterback Daniel Jones played poorly before suffering a season-ending ACL tear.

Head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen remain in place, but they face the unenviable task of picking up the pieces of a lost season. Armed with the sixth overall pick in April's draft and $26 million in projected cap space, New York has a path to improvement, but it's going to require work.

Below, we'll examine the biggest keys to the Giants having a successful offseason in 2024.

While the Giants have a fair amount of projected cap space, they desperately need to generate more. New York, which ranked 27th in total defense and 29th in total offense last season, has too many needs to address in the draft alone.

The Giants also have financial decisions to make on impending free agents like Barkley, Xavier McKinney, Adoree' Jackson and Jihad Ward.

Before Schoen even dives into free agency, he'd be wise to free up some more cap room. He has options.

New York could move on from interior lineman Mark Glowinski, who was effectively benched a couple of times in 2023. Glowinski will turn 32 in May, and releasing him would save. $5.6 million in cap space.

Schoen may have a harder time justifying the release of tight end Darren Waller a year after trading a third-round pick for him. However, Waller again dealt with hamstring issues in 2023, missed five games and finished with just 552 receiving yards.

Waller simply can be considered dependable, and releasing him with a post-June 1 designation would save $12.1 million in cap space while triggering a 2024 dead-cap hit of only $2 million.

Let's be honest, Jones wasn't very good in 2023, even before the ACL injury. Undrafted rookie Tommy DeVito was only marginally better, and he certainly didn't show enough to convince New York to dump Jones a year after giving him a four-year, $160 million extension.

Jones finished with a passer rating of 70.5, while DeVito finished with an 89.2 rating.

With Jones still recovering—and having done little to justify his lucrative new contract—the Giants have to have an alternative plan in place at the game's most important position.

If New York is willing to move off of Jones sooner than later, that could include targeting a quarterback like LSU's Jayden Daniels or Michigan's J.J. McCarthy in the first round. If the Giants are on the fence about Jones, a prospect like Washington's Michael Penix Jr. or Oregon's Bo Nix could be added for competition.

If the Giants are more confident in Jones, they'll still need to have a veteran insurance policy in place. Bringing back Tyrod Taylor, who was arguably New York's most effective quarterback last season anyway, would make a ton of sense.

Other free agent options to consider include Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew II, Jameis Winston and Joshua Dobbs.

The Giants needed to find a true No. 1 receiver last offseason, and they didn't. Wan'Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt showed some flashes in 2023, but Darius Slayton led New York with a mere 770 receiving yards. Whether it's Jones or someone else under center in Week 1, the Giants need to have a better top option.

In an ideal scenario, Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.—the top-ranked prospect on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's board—would fall to New York at No. 6. The Giants can't expect that, though, and should target receivers like Mike Evans, Michael Pittman Jr. and Tee Higgins in free agency.

Even if the Giants land a top free agent, they should consider prospects like Harrison, LSU's Malik Nabers and Washington's Rome Odunze at the top of the draft—assuming they don't target a quarterback instead.

Jones may still become a serviceable starter, but he isn't the sort of quarterback who truly elevates the talent around him. Unless New York finds one, it can't hope to be a legitimate contender in the NFC East unless it finds some legitimate playmakers on offense.

As of now, the Giants don't currently have a dependable difference-maker at the receiver position.

*Cap and contract information via Spotrac.