Over the past two seasons, New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen has vastly improved the team’s roster. And while it’s still not where he’d like it to be, it’s leaps and bounds better than it was just a short while ago.
In free agency, Schoen added the likes of linebacker Bobby Okereke, cornerback Amani Oruwariye, defensive linemen Rakeem Nunez-Roches and A’Shawn Robinson, and wide receiver Parris Campbell to name just a few. He then made equally large splashes in the 2023 NFL draft, bringing in cornerback Deonte Banks, center John Michael Schmitz and wide receiver Jalin Hyatt to further boost the team’s talent.
By every measurable objective, the Giants have improved dramatically. But their personnel had been lacking to such a large degree, Pro Football Focus still ranks them in the bottom third of the league (No. 23 overall).
The Giants have a talented defensive line, but their back seven leaves a lot to be desired. Their linebackers finished as the fourth-lowest-graded group in the NFL, while their safeties were second worst. The cornerbacks were a little better at 22nd, with Adoree’ Jackson being a bright spot. New York’s end result masked the low-grading profile of this unit, so the team will need to be better on the back end to avoid regression to the mean in close games.
Ultimately, PFF is taking the under on 7.5 wins this season and believes the Giants may finish in last place in the NFC East — yes, even behind the Washington Commanders.
The Giants are due for some regression to the mean. They finished 9-7-1 despite being the fourth-lowest-graded team in the NFL overall. They’re heavily reliant on the running game, and their back seven on defense has major question marks. A last-place finish in the NFC East wouldn’t be that shocking.
The Giants tend to be at their best when they are universally doubted, so fans will likely want to see this sort of skepticism continue.
