The New York Giants haven’t hesitated in piecing together their new coaching staff, as head coach Joe Judge has already hired familiar faces from his past to lead the charge. Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham worked with Judge in New England, and defensive line coach Freddie Roach spent time with Judge in Alabama for a brief spell.
The next vacant position on the docket is offensive coordinator, and with LSU’s Joe Brady off the board, the Giants need to settle on an alternative option. Jay Gruden, Jason Garrett, and others remain solid options for Judge, but his selection needs to be tailored to two specifics.
What the New York Giants need in their next offensive coordinator:
One thing former HC Pat Shurmur did well was develop rookie passer, Daniel Jones, who had multiple games of four-touchdowns or more. Ensuring his progression remains positive is a priority for Judge, and the Giants’ next OC must understand that Jones’ development is essential to the success of the team.
Judge did bring in Patriots’ quarterbacks coach, Jerry Schuplinski, who helped groom Jacoby Brissett and Jimmy G during his tenure in New England. Now, he will have the task of helping Jones perfect his fundamentals and extract the most value out of the first-round pick from 2019.
In addition to Jones, Saquon Barkley must be utilized in an expanded role, as his usage was limited by Shurmur’s play-calling scheme in 2019. A lack of targets in the passing game and first-down running plays severely hurt his efficiency. The Giants need an OC that will develop creative plays for Barkley to get into open space and maximize his tree-trunk like frame.