The New York Giants’ offense was among the worst in the NFL last season. They ranked 29th in the NFL with 280.0 total yards per game and ranked 30th in points per game with 15.6. Upgrading the offense was a top priority for general manager Joe Schoen this offseason.
He set out to improve this offense and he succeeded. Schoen added talent to the trenches and skill positions, giving a brighter outlook for Big Blue’s offense — and, consequently, their season — in 2024.
PFF lists the Giants’ improved offensive supporting cast as a reason to be optimistic about the 2024 season
Pro Football Focus sees potential in the Giants’ offense. When listing one “reason for optimism” for all 32 NFL teams in 2024, PFF highlighted Big Blue’s offensive supporting cast as their shining light:
“Running back Saquon Barkley departed in free agency, but the Giants managed to add several offensive pieces that should make them more well-rounded,” PFF’s Dalton Wasserman wrote. “They signed two starting-caliber offensive linemen, Jon Runyan and Jermaine Eluemunor, to a unit that was the league’s lowest-graded last season. That alone should give the offense more functionality than it had last year.”
Wasserman immediately pointed out the elephant in the room — the departure of Saquon Barkley. However, considering the talent the G-Men added to their offensive line and to their running back room, they should be able to survive the loss of their leading rusher.
New York’s offensive line was historically bad last season, surrendering 85 sacks on the campaign. But it looks to be an improved unit this season as two veteran acquisitions will enter the starting lineup as immediate impact players.
However, the real upgrades that the Giants made to expand the ceiling of their offense came in the skill positions. Schoen loaded up the offensive weaponry to surround QB Daniel Jones with enough talent to bounce back sufficiently from his season-ending injury.
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The Giants added playmakers who will make the offense more explosive
At times during the 2023 season, the Giants’ offense felt like “Saquon Barkley vs. The World.”
In 2024, it will be rookie first-round pick Malik Nabers leading the skill position players, but joined by a solid group of talent in both the receiving corps and the backfield. PFF praised the three playmaking rookies that the Giants added:
“They also spent significant draft capital on offensive weaponry,” PFF’s Wasserman wrote. “The headliner is first-round pick Malik Nabers, who led the nation in receiving grade at LSU last season. He’s New York’s most explosive playmaker since Odell Beckham Jr. They also drafted tight end Theo Johnson and running back Tyrone Tracy Jr., both of whom should compete for playing time early despite being Day 3 picks.”
Nabers has truly elite potential and should immediately be the Giants’ No. 1 wide receiver. He racked up an insane 89 receptions for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns for LSU in 2023. Nabers will be joined by three other quality starters — Darius Slayton, Jalin Hyatt, and Wan’Dale Robinson. Some NFL teams struggle to plug one starting-caliber wideout in their offensive lineup. The G-Men have four on their roster right now.
But in addition to Nabers, both rookie TE Theo Johnson and rookie RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. have the potential to make a significant impact on the offense this season. This influx of young talent could transform the Giants’ offense.
While it might initially be hard to imagine that the Giants’ offense would be a reason for optimism after last season, the upgrades made reinforce Wasserman and PFF’s reasoning. The potential is there for the Giants’ offense to take a massive leap forward and help this team win significantly more games in 2024.