The 2024 NFL offseason shook up the league’s entire landscape, but the New York Giants may have come away as the biggest winners overall.
Sports Illustrated’s Monday Morning Quarterback staff gave their takes on the one team they each felt did the most legwork to improve their roster in the winter and spring. In the panel of four analysts, Connor Orr touted the Giants as the most improved team, saying this in part (h/t Stephen Lebitsch of Fan Nation’s Jets Country):
“I’ll throw the Giants into the ring for two reasons: Brian Burns changes the calculus of this defense, and I like the combination of Brian Daboll and Drew Lock and am very curious to see if it ends up bearing some Geno Smith-ian fruit for the Giants. While I wasn’t sold on Malik Nabers as the best available wide receiver at that point, I think this team can win between eight to 10 games this year despite not having what one would consider a transformative offseason,” Orr wrote.
Giants’ improved record projection could potentially earn them a 2024 playoff bid
An eight to 10-win season, while middle-of-the-pack, would give the Giants two to four more wins from their 6-11 effort from 2023. Say New York were to fall right in the middle of that projection with nine wins in 2024, they’d match or fall just short of their 9-7-1 record from 2022, the last season they made the playoffs.
They’d also put themselves in the mix in the NFC East, with a Philadelphia Eagles team that made the playoffs and finished No. 2 in the division with an 11-6 record last year. In the NFC as a whole, the Los Angeles Rams (10-7) and the Green Bay Packers (9-8) both squeezed into the postseason with comparable records.
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Giants made the biggest improvements in their receiving game this offseason
The Giants’ front office scored in the draft and in free agency, strengthening their case. Drafting a standout wide receiver in Nabers was a big plus. The LSU product is slated to become their WR1 and spearhead a promising young receiving corp that can do damage in 2024. Allen Robinson II also gives them a veteran talent who brings experience to the ball club and can produce well in spot snaps.
March 15 was a big day for the Giants, signing Lock as well as running back Devin Singletary. Yes, the Giants took a step back in the backfield with the loss of superstar ball-carrier Saquon Barkley to the Eagles. However, Singletary’s output of 898 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns along with a higher yards per carry average (4.2 ypc) than Barkley (3.9 ypc), gives New York a competent back that can take pressure off of the passing game and command attention at the line of scrimmage.
Giants greatly improved overall among other teams in the league
Burns elevates the Giants’ defense from good to borderline great. His eight sacks with the Carolina Panthers from 2023 equip their front seven with an electric pass rusher that tenaciously hounds opposing quarterbacks. He, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Dexter Lawrence are primed to lead what could be a top-10 defense next season.
More than anything else, the Giants’ passing attack is much better heading into the upcoming campaign. The defense got new troops in the trenches to support their four-man rush, and bringing back linebacker Isaiah Simmons gives them a dynamic performer who they have the luxury of holding on their bench. The secondary still has some questions marks. The offensive line has looked promising in offseason workouts but will have to earn their stripes after a historically bad outing in 2023 behind their 85 sacks allowed.
Other teams like the Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers and the Houston Texans loaded up with star power. The Texans’ defense got incredible boosts with two sacks artists in Danielle Hunter (16 sacks) and Denico Autry (11.5 sacks) while the Steelers made a splash by adding former Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson. Albeit, the Giants made sound moves in key areas that will position them to see marked improvement in 2024.