NFC East Power Rankings: Eagles sit on top entering 2020 NFL Draft
By Erin Grugan
31. . Last season: 4-12. . New York Giants. 3. team
The pressure is officially on for young quarterback Daniel Jones, as the Giants head toward their first season since 2004 without Eli Manning on the roster.
Saying goodbye to the long-time quarterback that helped bring the franchise two Super Bowl trophies opens the door to taking more chances and making more strategy changes with the team, but that type of overhaul will take time.
Looking at the roster how it stands, however, boasts an impressive list of individual talents that could be an offensive power should they work cohesively and, most importantly, limit injuries.
Powerhouse running back Saquon Barkley is a deadly force of nature on offense when he is healthy, and can single-handedly carry an offense — or opposing defensive players — on his back in stride.
Put Barkley alongside teammates like Sterling Shepard, Golden Tate, and Evan Engram, and you have all the pieces of a successful team, as it’s just a matter of making them work effectively together.
The franchise’s willingness to take advantage of opportunities to make that happen will be most critical on Thursday night, where the Giants currently hold the fourth overall pick.
This is the Giants’ best chance to make a huge difference in the span of minutes if they grab an offensive tackle.
An addition of someone like Alabama‘s Jedrick Wills would be a huge help in giving Jones the time he needs in the pocket to develop and utilize his talent that would also help give Barkley an open lane to take off through.
New York’s recent unimpressive seasons the past few years may have pulled attention away from the fact that they are a talent-heavy roster, but the team overall will still need to find a way to work effectively together.
That being said, expect New York to be a strong underrated team this season. They will likely create a larger space between themselves and the last-place Redskins this season compared to last, and possibly even push closer to contending for second in the NFC East, if they can make decent use of their No. 4 pick this week.