As the New York Giants proceed through training camp and towards their first pre-season game on Thursday versus the Cleveland Browns, it’s time to start taking a look at both sides of the ball.
Has the offense or defense shown more quality over the course of the last two weeks?
Thus far, it seems as if the defense has had a slight edge over the offense during camp – primarily due to the lack of chemistry and cohesiveness on the offensive line. Olivier Vernon has tortured Nate Solder throughout camp, which is exciting considering the transition he’s making from defense end to outside linebacker. Right tackle Ereck Flowers has been a liability, especially on stunts. Flowers and new right guard, Patrick Omameh, need to develop a better understanding of how they will deal with constant blitzing and attacks from the right side.
Head coach Pat Shurmur will likely use his tight ends to help Flowers initially, but they can only do so much without completely taking a potential receiver out of the fold.
How is the New York Giants secondary holding up?
The Giants’ secondary was a liability going into camp and will continue to be with the amount of injuries already piling up. Cornerback Eli Apple has already limped off the field with an injury, Donte Deayon, who has impressed lately, came up with a quad injury. Big Blue needs to manage these ailments appropriately. There is a serious lack of depth and quality in secondary, which will likely cause problems down the stretch.
Besides the concern in defensive backfield, Janoris Jenkins has performed well, as expected. Apple is proving to be more mature and coachable. Deayon is finally coming into himself and showing that he can play a role on the active roster this season. Safety Darian Thompson has had a solid summer. Thompson’s role will be a big one if he can manage to lock up the free safety job, as he will be expected to take a major leap forward after 2017.
The defensive line has been dominant, wrecking havoc on the offensive line – with the help of the linebackers. Alec Ogletree is exactly the leader the Giants needed, and along B.J. Goodson it seems the middle of the field will be a strength. The signing of Connor Barwin also helps the linebackers tremendously, especially in the pass-rush.
How about the New York Giants’ offense?
The offense has performed well, with a majority of the struggles occurring on the line as stated before. First-round draft choice Saquon Barkley has proved to be a menace in the run and pass game; when split out wide against linebackers he’s uncoverable.
Eli Manning seems to still have some zip in his passes, with the exception of a few off days. Backup quarterback Davis Webb has been stellar, but he had a few blips during practice as well. It will be exciting to see him finally take the field in a serious manner in the coming weeks.
The receivers have been very impressive, with Odell Beckham Jr. looking better than ever and Sterling Shepard taking on a bigger role. Kalif Reymond has shown out lately, making several big time catches that could very well earn him a starting spot come September.
Tight end Evan Engram has been the most athletic on the field, making some tough catches and outrunning defenders at every turn. He will be a huge target for Manning in the passing game this season. If you’re a fantasy football participant, expect him to be a top-5 option.
Overall, both sides of the ball have shown serious improvement. I would say the defense has been a bit more impressive, but we should be excited to see some action and position battles over the course of the next month.