The New York Giants went 6-11 last season despite having made the playoffs en route to upsetting the 13-4 Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card Round in 2022. They lost star running back Saquon Barkley this offseason, leaving beleaguered starting quarterback Daniel Jones with an utter lack of playmakers around him.
New York did draft Louisiana State University wide receiver Malik Nabers with the No. 6 selection in April’s draft. Nabers had 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2023, but there’s no guarantee he will become a star at the next level.
Therefore, if the Giants are to have any chance of returning to the playoffs in an improved NFC this coming season, they will have to do so with defense.
They have a few studs on defense, including Dexter Lawrence, Kayvon Thibodeaux and newcomer Brian Burns. But they could use help in the secondary, and there is a four-time Pro Bowl cornerback available in free agency by the name of Xavien Howard.
According to BetOnline, the Giants are currently the betting favorites to land the former Miami Dolphins star.
The Giants may need to go all in on defense
Howard just turned 31 years of age, and while his numbers have dropped somewhat over the last couple of years, he still seems to be a serviceable defensive back. He recorded 12 passes defended in 13 games in 2023, and he allowed an 81.3 passer rating when the man he was covering was targeted on a pass attempt.
As recently as 2020, he led the NFL in passes defended with 20 and in interceptions with 10. In fact, he has led the league in the latter category twice in his eight pro seasons.
When the Giants won six of their first seven games and made the playoffs in 2022, they did so largely with defense. Their overall defensive metrics on the year weren’t super impressive, but they found success by making games ugly. They ended up holding their opponent to 20 or fewer points nine times that season.
New York has a new defensive coordinator in Shane Bowen, who held that role with the Tennessee Titans for the last three seasons. In two of those seasons, Tennessee ended up ranking either first or second in rushing yards allowed, a category the Giants were 29th in this past season.
Until they can find an upgrade at quarterback over Jones, the Giants need to go all-in on defense in order to be competitive and have a shot at reaching the postseason.
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