The New York Giants are in a very good spot heading into the 2023 offseason. They are way ahead of schedule as the first year under the new regime of general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll was a smashing success.
New York went 9-7-1, earning a Wild Card spot in the NFC. They made the most of it, winning their Super Wild Card Weekend matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. But, their Divisional Round matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles showed just how much work there remains to be done.
The Giants were outclassed in every facet by the Eagles, who defeated them easily, 38-7. This offseason, Schoen will look to close that gap. The Giants have a lot of cap space to bring in upgrades and should be buyers on the open market.
There are a few areas of need on the roster currently. Offensively, the team needs to upgrade at wide receiver and on the interior of the offensive line. Both were weaknesses in 2022 and could use an infusion of talent.
Defensively, the Giants will likely seek some help at the second level. Their linebackers struggled in passing coverage and they need to find players that succeed in slowing down the run. But, their biggest need could be in the secondary.
Julian Love is set to hit free agency and the team has a lot of question marks behind Adoree’ Jackson at cornerback. Looking to shore things up at the back end of their defense, the Giants are predicted to sign safety Jordan Poyer in free agency.
It is easy to connect the dots to Poyer for the Giants as he has played the last six seasons with the Buffalo Bills, where Schoen and Daboll came from. His performance on the field has certainly warranted a new deal, but there are some concerns from a health standpoint.
Poyer has dealt with numerous injuries and going on 32 years old, it could be a risky investment committing long-term money to him. Despite that, he played at least 950 snaps every season from 2017-2021 before being held to only 12 games in 2022. Despite serious ailments, he was doing whatever it took to get on the field, which teams will certainly appreciate.
When on the field, he performs at a very high level. 2022 was the fourth straight season that Poyer recorded coverage and overall grades over 70. His 92.1 coverage grade since 2020 is the best among safeties, which would certainly be a boost for the Giants in the blitz and man-heavy system that Wink Martindale deploys.
