Giants Veterans with Most to Prove for the Long Term

As the Giants prepare to welcome in a new group of players, let's take a look at five veterans returning from last year who have a lot to prove.

The New York Giants future starts Monday when head coach Brian Daboll and his staff welcome in the players for the start of their off-season conditioning program. 

Although Daboll and the coaches won't be able to talk football jsut yet with the players per the rules of the off-season program, over the next seeral weeks, he and his staff will be getting to know the players currently on the roster both through meetings and, eventually, by watching them on the practice field once on-field workouts begin.

The true battles won't begin until training camp whent he pads go on, so for the time being, all the coaches will have to go on regarding the strengths and weakensses of the players on the field is prior film. 

But with that said, Daboll seems intent on giving everyone a fresh start toward earning a place on the roster, and there are a few returning veterans in particular who need to take advantage of the fresh start that awaits them.

In this analysis, I'm looking at the players that arguably have the most to prove in showing they should remain part of the team's plans not just this year, but beyond, regardless of contract status.  

QB Daniel Jones

Chris Pedota NorthJersey.com USA TODAY NETWORK

The Giants ' starting quarterback is right at the top of the list of veterans who need to prove their worth for the long term. Jones, who is expected to be cleared from his season-ending neck injury, looks like he'll finally get the support he needs to show what he can do.

He's getting a head coach from the offensive side of the ball looking to build an offense around what Jones does best. The quarterback has also been given what appears to be an upgraded offensive line that should be completed once the Giants snare a right tackle in the upcoming draft.

And the quarterback looks like he'll have all his skill players/weapons back healthy, though general manager Joe Schoen needs to continue adding to the tight end position.

The bottom line is that the Giants are removing any lingering excuses blocking Jones's chances of success. And while the team isn't expected to pick up his option year by the May 2 deadline, Jones can still secure his long-term future with the team if he shows he can grasp the offense quickly, slow down his internal clock, and stop making decisions that end up hurting the offense.

WR Kenny Golladay

Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com via Imagn Content Services, LLC

If someone predicted told you that Kenny Golladay wouldn't record a touchdown in his first campaign with the Giants and would have under 50 receptions, would you have believed it?

Neither would I, especially not after the Giants signed off on his medicals before signing him to a four-year, $72 million contract last off-season.

Yet a combination of injuries, including a preseason hamstring strain that robbed him of precious time with quarterback Daniel Jones and an offensive scheme that wasn't a good fit for what Golladay does well, led to him finishing with 37 receptions for 521 yards and ZERO touchdowns.

When Golladay wasn’t spending his first year fighting injuries (hamstring, hip, knee, rib) he was having all kinds of difficulty creating separation. Per NextGen Stats, Golladay averaged 1.7 yards separation, tying him for the least average amount of yardage with Devante Parker, recently traded by Miami to the Patriots.

And what about those contested catches that were supposedly a Golladay specialty? That's a question many people would probably like answered, as Golladay logged a career-low 48 percent success rate on contested catches (15 of 31).

Golladay, who still has two more years worth of guaranteed money owed him, needs to do a lot better with those opportunities he does get. 

DE/OLB Elerson Smith

Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

Much has been made--and rightfully so--about the Giants' pass rush needing some additional firepower. While the Giants are expected to pluck a pass rusher from what is widely regarded as a deep class among the position, as one-time general manager Ernie Accorsi used to say, you can never have too many pass rushers.

And speaking of what the team has, finding out what second-year defensive end Elerson Smith has to offer is undoubtedly going to be among the many top priorities.

Smith, the Giants' fourth-round draft pick last year, didn't get to play in many snaps due to injuries. He started the 2021 season on the injured reserve list with a hamstring strain and then landed on the injured reserve list later in the year with a neck injury.

That was not a good development for a young man whose 2020 college season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But there's still a lot to like about Smith, who flashed several times and was more of an attacker out there than someone who simply reacted to what developed in front of him.

He had a fast get-off, good hand usage, body lean, and quick feet when he lined up inside. If he bulks up a bit more, he could better hold up to the physical demands of his position to where he could be a vital part of that pass-rush rotation. 

DL Dexter Lawrence II

Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

Dexter Lawrence is the other Giants' first-round pick from 2019 on whom a decision must be made concerning his option year. Unlike Jones's situation, it wouldn't be surprising if the Giants are leaning toward exercising that option.

Lawrence has predominantly manned the B-gap (1,343 snaps played there, per Pro Football Focus), the coaching staff looking to take advantage of how well the 6-foot-4, 342-pounder moves. While he doesn't have gaudy numbers, they have gradually improved each year.

Last season, Lawrence recorded career highs in quarterback pressures (43) and total tackles (40) and fell one shy of matching his career-high (33) in STOPs. The main knock on Lawrence has been his inconsistency with finishing off some of his pressures.

It will be interesting to see if new defensive coordinator Don Martindale plans to deploy Lawrence as prior staffs have. And as for Lawerence's option year, it would only cost the Giants $10.7 million to pick that up.

That's not a gross amount of money in the grand scheme of things, and it also would ensure the Giants have a key member of their defensive line in place for 2023, especially if the team decides it wants to drop Leonard Williams' contract after this season for the $18 million in cap savings. 

RB Saquon Barkley

Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

Regardless of the type of season running back Saquon Barkley has in 2022, the Giants will find themselves at a crossroads regarding the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 draft after this season.

Can they afford to devote significant financial capital to a talented player who has struggled to stay on the field every year since his second NFL campaign?

Probably not, which is why Barkley not only has to stay on the field this year but also prove that he can once again out-run people to the edge, make defenders miss, and do a better job of attacking the line of scrimmage.

It will be interesting to see how Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka decide to use running back Saquon Barkley this year. Will there be an uptick in the screen game? Will we finally see more of Barkley split out wide or even in the slot than we have?

When we look at Barkley's NFL career, yes, injuries have been a detriment, and yes, to a degree, his frequent refusal to take what's there yardage wide and instead look for the home run ball has been as frustrating as has his pass pro.

With an improved offensive line in front of him, a (hopefully) more creative coaching staff, and being another year removed from his ACL injury, there is optimism that Barkley can get back to being the player everyone thought he might be. 

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