The New York Giants are not exactly viewed as contenders heading into 2024. They went just 6-11 last season, and they have only made the playoffs twice since 2012.
However, an NFL insider thinks the Giants may sneak up on some teams this coming season.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated was asked to name a dark-horse contender in each conference in his latest mailbag, and he picked New York for the NFC.
“In the NFC, I think I’d give you the New York Giants, if you want a true dark horse,” Breer wrote. “They need development from 2022 first-rounder Kayvon Thibodeaux. They need to figure it out at quarterback, whether it’s Daniel Jones or, if things break wrong for him, Drew Lock. But their rookie class looked dynamite in the spring, I think Brian Burns might be the best acquisition of the offseason, and they were really good two years ago.”
The Giants are two seasons removed from going 9-7-1, making the playoffs and upsetting the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card Round. That prompted Big Blue to hand Jones a four-year, $160 million extension, as Jones played some very impressive football in 2022.
Obviously, New York took a major step back last season, but the team is certainly intriguing heading into 2024.
There is a lot to like about the Giants
The Giants aren’t the San Francisco 49ers. They aren’t the Dallas Cowboys, either. That being said, there is some reason for optimism surrounding the club with training camp on the horizon.
With the addition of Burns, New York suddenly boasts a fearsome front seven that also includes Thibodeaux and Dexter Lawrence. The Giants also have some other nice defensive pieces, such as linebacker Bobby Okereke and second-year cornerback Deonte Banks.
Most importantly, New York appears to finally have a No. 1 receiver for the first time since Odell Beckham Jr., as it selected LSU standout Malik Nabers in the the first round of the NFL Draft.
Nabers has been lighting it up in offseason workouts and should make life a heck of a lot easier for Jones, who has never had the fortune of throwing to a legitimate top wide out.
The Giants have also significantly improved their offensive line this offseason, and while they did lose running back Saquon Barkley, they replaced him with a very capable rusher in Devin Singletary.
New York is still clearly no better than the third-best team in the NFC East, but it stands to reason that the Giants could push for a Wild Card spot for the second time in three years.
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