New York Giants: Ranking the top 3 players on offense and defense

You can likely count how many New York Giants players earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2019. Actually, you can’t, because zero players earned the right to be considered among the best in the NFL, a disappointing feat that the Giants need to improve upon quickly.

With that being said, management has added several quality players to help improve the roster and hopefully their on-field performance.

Let’s take a look at three players on both sides of the ball at the New York Giants will rely on moving forward:

Best players on offense:

1.) Saquon Barkley

Barkley is undoubtedly the offense’s top player, having posted two consecutive seasons of 1,000 yards on the ground and at least 438 yards through the air.

Barkley succumbed to injury in 2019, suffering a high ankle sprain against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This limited him to 13 games and a season full of discomfort. The injury cut his yards from scrimmage by 600 and chopped his touchdown total in half. However, at full health, Barkley is one of the best running backs in the NFL and will hope to prove that testament true in 2020.

2.) Kevin Zeitler

Zeitler was rated the best player on offense for the Giants in 2019, earning a 76.4 overall grade, via PFF. He allowed three sacks, which tied for 19th in the league, but he served as the most consistent player for the Giants among a bevy of inadequate performances. Playing alongside Mike Remmers and center Jon Halapio, Zeitler performed to the best of his ability with little support around him.

Given the offenses’ lack of playmakers due to injury and suspension, the Giants will be looking to him to solidify the right guard spot and hopefully build a sense of continuity on the offensive line.

3.) Daniel Jones

You could argue that Sterling Shepard or Golden Tate represent the third-best player on offense, but given the potential Daniel Jones has and the issues he faced with a lack of playmakers last season, I believe he has earned the No. 3 spot. Jones posted 24 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions in his rookie season, 2:1–TD:INT  ratio. That is stellar for a first-year player, but his fumbles were the biggest concern, having fumbled 18 times and losing 11 of them.

Jones has been working diligently to alleviate his fumbling issues, adding 8 pounds of muscle mass to improve ball security and strength in the pocket. His increased velocity and experience should lead him to a much improved 2020 campaign.

Best players on defense:

1.) Leonard Williams

The most experienced player on the defensive front is Leonard Williams. Dave Gettleman sending a third-round pick over to the New York Jets in return for Williams was easily the most controversial move of the 2019 season. However, Williams improved the line significantly, allowing Dexter Lawrence and Dalvin Tomlinson to utilize their skills appropriately.

In eight games with the Giants, Williams posted 0.5 sacks, 11 quarterback hits, and 26 combine tackles. He is a quality player that will improve with more reps.

Paired up with two other quality defensive lineman, the Giants have the ability to put interior pressure on opposing quarterbacks and collapse the pocket quickly, soaking up double teams and blockers. Williams will be an exponential factor in that goal and represents their top talent on defense.

2.) James Bradberry

Bradberry signed a three-year, $43.5 million deal with the Giants this off-season. The former Carolina panther did not anticipate Gettleman reaching out and offering him a substantial contract, but he was more than happy to accept the deal and bring his talents to New York.

Bradberry has been Carolina’s No. 1 corner for the past few seasons, and he has been extremely efficient coverage. In 2018, he posted a 44.2% completion rate against and just a 5.4% missed tackle rate. The major issue was, he allowed six touchdown receptions.

In 2019, he allowed more passes completed against him, but limited opposing wide receivers to just one touchdown. His 70.1 passer rating allowed was the lowest in his career. If he can put his past two seasons together and limit receivers’ completion percentage, he can be an extremely valuable asset for the Giants.

3.) Xavier McKinney

I was torn between Jabrill peppers and McKinney for the No. 3 spot, but McKinney is too exciting and versatile for me to pass up on. While McKinney was in college last season, he recorded seven turnovers and logged 5.5 sacks amid 95 total tackles. He was excellent for Alabama, moving around the defense and featuring at strong safety and free safety. His ability to move up close to the line of scrimmage and bait quarterbacks was impressive and he has some of the best tackling technique of any prospects entering the NFL.

If he can carry over his talents to the NFL in year one, he can immediately solidify himself as one of the best players on defense.