The New York Giants finished 9-7-1 last season, their first under general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll. They also qualified for the postseason for the first time since 2016 and did it with a lot of young and inexperienced players.
In fact, the Giants had players the age of 25 or under take more snaps than any other team in the NFL by a significantly wide margin.
2022 snaps played by players age 25 or younger:
18,302 – NYG
<huge gap>
16,451 – PIT
16,286 – DET
15,879 – DAL
15,868 – CAR
15,860 – SEA
15,693 – BAL
15,112 – KC
15,028 – JAX
14,802 – ATL
14,693 – CHI
14,640 – MIN
14,636 – PHI
14,336 – TB
14,227 – CLE
14,113 – LAC
14,079 – NYJ…— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) April 14, 2023
It’s a good sign for the Giants as their young stars are getting much-needed experience. Of the top four defensive snap leaders, only one — cornerback Fabian Moreau — was over 25. He is no longer with the team, by the way.
Neither is safety Julian Love, who led the defense in snaps (1,006). He signed with Seattle last month in free agency. But defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence (874) and defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux (740) remain with the Giants.
On offense, seven of the top nine snap leaders were 25 or under: left tackle Andrew Thomas, quarterback Daniel Jones, running back Saquon Barkley, wide receiver Darius Slayton, right tackle Evan Neal, tight end Daniel Bellinger and guard Ben Bredeson. Only Center Jon Feliciano and guard Mark Glowinski were over 25.
Feliciano, of course, departed East Rutherford for San Francisco in free agency.
Although the Giants may trim the gap with the rest of the league in 2023, they are still expected to be one of the youngest teams in the NFL.
