The New York Giants were optimistic heading into the 2023 NFL season, but things quickly fell apart and the team instead found themselves in a race to the bottom and the rights to the first overall pick in the draft.
Heading into a new season, several young players will need to step up and veterans will need to deliver. Let’s take a look at six position battles for coaches and fans to keep an eye on as Giants training camp ramps up.
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Tyler Nubin vs Jason Pinnock
Jason Pinnock was a consistent starter for the Giants who showed flashes last season and was a reliable presence on the field. He fits easily into many different defensive schemes and was one of the few steady presences that the Giants could rely on in their secondary.
He’s unlikely to be a true difference-maker or to make the kind of splash plays that change the outcomes of games, but he’s also not somebody you have to worry about blowing the game every time the ball is thrown his way.
He is the perfect example of a role player in the NFL defensive back position. This isn’t a bad thing by any means. However, the Giants might be looking for a little bit more out of their secondary. Players who won’t cost you the game are obviously important, but he’s not really going to move the needle in terms of actually winning games for his team.
Malik Nabers vs. Jalin Hyatt
Malik Nabers was the Giants' first first-round draft pick in the 2024 NFL draft and the team invested significant capital to acquire him. He was selected with the sixth overall pick, and Big Blue is expecting big things from the former LSU standout.
Jalin Hyatt was a fairly high pick himself in the 2023 draft, but he doesn’t have anywhere near the level of energy and excitement surrounding him that Nabers does.
Hyatt could be a star, but Nabers could be the next Odell Beckham Jr in New York. The ideal scenario for the Giants that would actually be possible would be for Nabers to develop into a bonafide star with Hyatt becoming a dependable and respected sidekick.
Evan Neal vs doubters
To say that Evan Neal has been a disappointment would be a massive understatement. Neal was selected early in the NFL draft. Yet, he has struggled mightily, and his time with the Giants could be coming to a close sooner rather than later. So far, he has shown next to nothing that would demonstrate he’s capable of being an impact player along the offensive line.
If Neal doesn’t start to show the team reasons to continue trusting him and doesn’t start showing progress, he will likely find himself standing in front of the locked door with a one-way ticket out of New York.
The Giants have several weak spots offensively, and there’s certainly no defending their quarterback play in recent years. However, the quarterbacks haven’t exactly been put in a spot to succeed, either.
Neal has been a turnstile to this point in his career, and every quarterback the Giants put on the field finds himself under pressure early and often.
When the quarterback is too busy running for his life or looking up at the sky and wondering why he’s on his back, he can’t be finding receivers downfield and making accurate throws.
Deonte Banks vs Malik Nabers and Jalin Hyatt
We mentioned Nabers and Hyatt earlier, but the Giants’ receivers room actually has some optimism with those two leading the way. During training camp, fans should be excited to watch cornerback Deonte Banks, competing with the Giants’ receivers, specifically Nabers and Hyatt.
Banks is the only player that the Giants have who can shadow receivers and keep them from getting open consistently. Banks still has room to grow, and if he can become a true lockdown corner it would be a game-changer for New York. His work against Nabers and Hyatt will speak volumes about his progress.
The quarterback room
There are two major battles fans and coaches should be paying attention to when it comes to the Giants' quarterback room. The first would be presumptive starter Daniel Jones against the critics and doubters.
Jones has been a magnet for criticism ever since he was selected. Many fans and pundits viewed his selection as a major reach, and he’s been unable to run away from that criticism because his play on the field has been average at best.
To make matters worse, the team doubled down with a massive contract extension averaging approximately $40 million per year. Not only did the Giants commit significant money to Jones, but this contract likely took them out of the running for Saquon Barkley as well. This indirectly may have led to Barkley leaving the Meadowlands and joining their archrivals, the Philadelphia Eagles.
Jones has his work cut out for him to prove that the team made the right decision by investing in him not only once, but twice.
Jones has the likely edge as the presumed starter, but his seat will get very warm very fast if he struggles early during camp and preseason play.
The other matchup in the quarterback room will be Drew Lock versus Tommy Devito for the backup job. It’s possible that one of these two players could even jump Jones as the starter, but that has a relatively low chance of happening. More likely, these two will be battling for the backup job. Lock has the upper hand and is expected to win this battle, but if he stumbles, DeVito could overtake him.
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