The New York Giants have one of the most potent interior defensive groups in the NFL with Dexter Lawrence, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and newly acquired Brian Burns taking charge, but they lack premiere talent in the deep secondary following the loss of star safety Xavier McKinney in free agency, which could become a problem for them if they want to slow down too wide receivers.
The Giants have a largely inexperienced secondary
Currently, the Giants have Deonte Banks and Cor’Dale Flott manning the corner positions, with Jason Pinnock at free safety and rookie Tyler Nubin at strong safety. While those players all have the potential to be impactful, they are also young and unproven as possible long-term solutions in the secondary.
The NFC East has some of the most talented playmakers in the entire league. The Philadelphia Eagles have AJ Brown, Devonta Smith and now Saquon Barkley to form one of the most dynamic offensive groups, the Dallas Cowboys have a superstar receiver in Ceedee Lamb, and even the Washington Commanders have the dangerous Terry McLaurin to provide an elite weapon for rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.
That is a lot of elite talent that the Giants will have to go up against this season, and the lack of star power to counter those playmakers is certainly going to pose a massive challenge for New York. In 2023, Banks and McKinney provided the bulk of impact in the secondary, but the holes in other areas still gave the Giants problems. Now with McKinney gone, they will rely on their younger players to provide quality play, but there are certainly going to be growing pains in the process like there were at the start of last season.
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The Giants struggled to contain their division opponents last season
After an impressive training camp last year, the Giants insisted on giving 2023 sixth-round draft selection Tre Hawkins II the starting nod at cornerback in Week 1. That experience was short-lived, however, as he struggled to contain the receivers he was matched up with. This season could be different given their incredibly low expectations, as they might give their guys a longer leash to prove themselves capable of making the necessary adjustments, but it could also be a humbling experience for them.
The Giants were 3-3 against NFC East opponents last season, though two of those victories came against the Washington Commanders who finished last in the division. In those six games, they averaged 283 yards on offense, but gave up an average of 391 yards to their opponents, including three games where they allowed over 400 yards. It’ll be a big ask for them to improve those numbers in 2024, as it is largely dependent on how the defense will run under new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen.
2024 is going to be an experimental season in a lot of different areas, and some games may be prettier than others. However, the performance of the young secondary players could tell a lot about how close they are to competing with the top NFC East playmakers in the future.
