The New York Giants picked up a 21-19 preseason victory over the Carolina Panthers on Friday night at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey and there was a lot to like from the game.
The performance wasn’t perfect by any means but the development of the team, especially the offense, was on full display. There’s also growing optimism surrounding the rookie class and the impact they could have in 2023.
Whose stock is up and whose is down after the preseason victory? Let’s take a look.
Stock up: Daniel Jones
Daniel Jones saw just one series on Friday night but it was perfect. He completed eight of his nine pass attempts (one drop) for 69 yards and a touchdown, adding six yards on one scramble.
What more can be said? DJ has been dominant thus far in training camp and that translated to live game action against the Panthers. Save for one throw slightly behind wide receiver Parris Campbell, it was perfection from the Giants’ quarterback.
Stock down: Matt Peart
The Giants are thin at swing tackle and no one seems intent on securing the job. Last week it was Korey Cunningham and Wyatt Davis who bombed out and on Friday night it was Matt Peart.
Peart was beaten or run around on numerous occasions, which is certainly cause for concern. The Giants desperately need someone to step up here but it looks like that may have to come from an outside signing.
Stock up: Darren Waller
The Darren Waller hype train had been picking up steam throughout training camp and now it’s going to be a runaway after Friday night’s game.
Outside of a drop, which came after a big hit from Von Bell, Waller proved how dynamic he can be and what his presence means for the Giants’ offense.
With Waller on the field during the first series, the Giants exploited the mismatches he creates and drove right down the field with remarkable ease for a touchdown. It was such a dominant performance from Waller and the group that most were pulled after just 10 plays.
Stock down: Joshua Ezeudu
The Giants have battles at both offensive tackle (backup) and left guard that must be decided in the coming weeks. Their lack of depth at tackle is concerning but there should also be some concern with their depth at guard as well.
On Friday night, Joshua Ezeudu got a long look and didn’t really rise to the occasion. Defenders seemed to easily shed his blocks or push him into the backfield, collapsing the pocket. He was also notably stood up at the point of attack repeatedly.
Stock up: The rookies
Honestly, it’s really too difficult to single out a member of the Giants’ 2023 NFL draft class for this space. Maybe the stock up should actually go to general manager Joe Schoen for a job well done.
But you name the rookie and their stock went up on Friday night. Deonte Banks was solid but some of the others truly stood out.
Rookies who played exceptionally well against the Panthers include center John Michael Schmitz, wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (save for one drop), running back Eric Gray, cornerback Tre Hawkins, and especially defensive tackle Jordon Riley and safety Gervarrius Owens.
Every single member of this class is trending in the right direction.
Stock down: Lawrence Cager
Tight end Lawrence Cager is extremely athletic and has a ton of potential but he needs to improve his blocking to hold onto a roster spot.
Against the Panthers, that was lacking as Cager seemingly struggled in that department. At one point, he allowed a defender to circle right around him on a would-be sack of quarterback Tommy DeVito, who remarkably escaped and picked up some yards.
Tommy Devito is an escape artist pic.twitter.com/NUgxYBYnFG
— Talkin’ Giants (@TalkinGiants) August 19, 2023
But this is the type of stuff the Giants can’t have from Cager if they make him TE3. Not to mention, both he and Daniel Bellinger stopped on a play that was still live.
