The New York Giants have wrapped up their 2022-2023 season after a brutal loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round of the postseason. It was a disappointing end to a surprisingly excellent season for the Giants. Brian Daboll’s first year as head coach was a success as he led the team to a 9-7-1 regular season record and also helped the team earn their first playoff berth since 2016. Some players exceeded expectations, others ended the year in a disappointing fashion. Here are your 2022-2023 New York Giants season awards:
Most Valuable Player: Andrew Thomas
Andrew Thomas established himself as one of the best left tackles in the NFL this season. He surrendered only four sacks in the regular and postseason combined and only let up 23 pressures on the year. Thomas was selected to the AP NFL All-Pro second team.
The Giants’ offense would not have been able to operate the way that it did this season without the elite level of play they received from their left tackle. Thomas was dominant as both a pass-protector and a run-blocker. The offense relied on Andrew Thomas all season long and he constantly delivered.
Offensive Player of the Year: Saquon Barkley
Superstar running back Saquon Barkley had a bounce-back season after struggling with injuries over the past few years. Barkley set a new career-high with 1,312 rushing yards this season and reached the end zone on 10 occasions. Saquon was the Giants’ most explosive weapon on offense and proved himself as one of the best running backs in the NFL.
Defensive Player of the Year: Dexter Lawrence
Dexter Lawrence broke out this year and prove to be one of the best defensive players in all of football. Lawrence, like Thomas, was also selected to the AP NFL All-Pro second team this season. Sexy Dexy put up big-time numbers, setting career highs in sacks (7.5), combined tackles (68), tackles for loss (7), and quarterback hits (28). Lawrence was a true force on all three down, dominating as both a run-stuffing nose tackle and an interior pass-rusher.
Most Improved Player: Daniel Jones
Daniel Jones took a huge step forward this season and earned himself a contract extension. Jones established himself as the Giants’ franchise quarterback by leading the team to a postseason win for the first time since 2012. Danny Dimes totaled 3,205 yards and 15 touchdowns with just five interceptions this year. He also added a record-setting 708 yards and seven touchdowns rushing.
Entering this season, question marks surrounded Daniel Jones as he had yet to prove himself as the future of the Giants through his first three seasons. Jones was a turnover machine at the beginning of his career but completely flipped the script on that narrative this season. The Giants quarterback had the lowest interception percentage in the NFL this season at 1.1%.
Biggest Surprise: Isaiah Hodgins
The Giants claimed wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins off waivers from the Buffalo Bills at the mid-way point of the season. Hodgins quickly burst onto the scene and emerged as Daniel Jones’s top receiving target during the second half of the season.
Hodgins totaled 33 receptions for 351 yards and four touchdowns in eight regular-season games for the Giants. The best game of his season came during the postseason when Hodgins recorded eight receptions for 105 yards and one touchdown against the Vikings in the Wild Card Round.
No one expected the Giants to get such tremendous production out of Isaiah Hodgins after he was picked up mid-season. His development was the biggest surprise this season and Hodgins has quickly proven that he has a place on this team long-term.
Biggest Disappointment: Kenny Golladay
Another wide receiver did not have such a successful year with the Giants. Unlike Isaiah Hodgins, who proved he is worthy of being a long-term piece in the Giants’ offense, Kenny Golladay proved he has no future in New York after a hugely disappointing season.
Despite having a cap hit of over $21 million this season, Kenny Golladay was barely utilized in the Giants’ offense. The coaching staff benched Golladay about one month into the season after he recorded just two receptions for 22 yards from Week 1 to Week 4. Kenny Golladay finished the season with just six receptions for 81 yards and one touchdown.
The Giants signed Golladay to a four-year, $72 million contract in 2021. So far, he has failed even to come close to living up to expectations and proving to be worth his contractual value. Many Giants fans were hoping Golladay would bounce back in 2022 and prove his worth, but after another disappointing season in blue, it is unlikely Golladay will be back in 2023.