Key Takeaways from the New York Giants After a Disastrous 2024 Season

The disastrous Giants 2024 season left a trail of disappointment but highlighted key takeaways for potential growth.

Abby Dixon | 23 Hours Ago

Jan 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) walks off the field after loss to Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

In this story:

New York Giants

The New York Giants’ 2024 season was quite the disappointing eye-opener and one that fans will be too happy to put in the rearview mirror. But before we do just that, here are a few takeaways that came out of the Giants’ 100th season in existence.

Quarterback Needed: Draft, Free Agency, or Trade?

After Daniel Jones' promising 2022 season in which he led the Giants to a playoff berth, the team hoped they had found their long-term answer at quarterback.

However, his play regressed significantly in the years since, and this season's quarterback drama has left the Giants and their fans questioning everything.

Tommy DeVito, Drew Lock, and Tim Boyle took turns under center in 2024. Boyle's limited snaps made little impact, while DeVito fell behind Lock, who finished out the season.

Despite an impressive Week 17 performance against the Colts when Lock threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns, his overall inconsistency highlighted the need for a more experienced solution under center.

Lock ended the season completing 59.1% of his passes for 1,071 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions while getting sacked 12 times.

Could quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (11) be a free-agent bridge quarterback option for the Giants? / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Giants secured the third overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft after winning their third game of the season in Week 17, which puts them in a precarious spot.

With Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward projected to go first and second, the Giants may miss out on a much-needed top-tier quarterback prospect.

Complicating matters further, the Titans and Browns—who secured the first and second picks—both have pressing needs at quarterback.

If the Giants want to be in the 2025 quarterback draft class hunt, they may need to trade up, potentially striking a deal with the Browns to secure the second overall pick.

If the Giants stick with the third-round pick, they are anticipated to lock in Travis Hunter (CB/WR), who would also fill in some much-needed positions; however, New York will then need to look at trading or signing a free-agent quarterback.

While Sam Darnold has emerged as an intriguing free-agent option after his MVP-caliber season under Kevin O'Connell, reports suggest the Vikings will likely retain him.

This makes exploring other avenues essential, including revisiting a prospect they passed on in the 2024 draft—J.J. McCarthy. The rookie played just one pre-season game before suffering a season-ending ACL injury.

Despite the knee injury, McCarthy is expected to be an asset to the Vikings depth chart—or any team that ends up with him. He had a promising start in the NFL, completing 65.7% of his passes for two touchdowns and one interception.

Jan 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29) runs past Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (54) during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Tyrone Tracy Jr. and a Promising Ground Game

One of the few unexpected bright spots for the Giants this season was the emergence of rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. After earning a more prominent role mid-season, Tracy Jr. has showcased his talent. The rookie rushed for 839 yards and five touchdowns, adding 284 receiving yards.

His early performances were tainted by ball security issues, with some costly fumbles in his first few starts—including one that cost him a game against Carolina in overtime.

The Giants' offense has struggled with ball security for several seasons, so his appearance didn't seem too special—until it did. To his credit, he improved as the season progressed, proving that he deserved a spot in the backfield.

By the season's final stretch, Tracy Jr.'s improved ball-handling and impressive vision solidified his role as the team's lead back.

With continued development and other offensive improvements, he could become a cornerstone of the Giants' run offense.

While the offensive line's inconsistent play limited the run game's overall effectiveness, Tracy Jr.'s performances were a clear sign of promise. With some time and rebuilding, Tracy Jr. could be ready for a breakout sophomore campaign.

Jan 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) scores a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Malik Nabers: The Downfield Threat the Giants Need

The Giants' passing game seemed to lack everything in the 2024 season, but rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers offered a glimpse of what the future could hold if the Giants gave the offense a quarterback.

Nabers finished the season ranked seventh in the league with 1,204 receiving yards and seven touchdowns (T-21st), averaging 11 yards per reception.

His ability to stretch the field and win contested catches added a much-needed dimension to the offense—not to mention he achieved all of this in 170 targets and 109 receptions despite being targeted by four different quarterbacks this season.

Nabers earned 4.4 yards after the catch this season, catching 66.1% of his receptions and recording a 46.2% contested catch percentage. While he had some drops in critical possessions, the rookie owned up to his mistakes and is committed to improving.

He ended the 2024 campaign with a drop rate of 6.8% per Pro Football Focus. With Nabers' willingness to learn and a more stable quarterback situation, he could become the trusted downfield weapon the Giants have lacked for years.

Jan 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll walks onto the field after loss to Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Closing the Deal: Finishing Games Strong

One of the most frustrating aspects of the Giants' 2024 season was their inability to close out games.

The Giants, who finished 1-8 in one-possession contests, saw their struggles in high-pressure situations were attributed to poor coaching decisions, missed kicks, and late-game turnovers.

These issues exposed the Giant's poor execution in crunch time. Since Eli Manning's retirement, New York's offense has desperately missed the clutch factor that Manning brought to the offense.

A prime example came in Week 2 against the Commanders, where the Giants seemed to have the game in their hands; however, after a missed extra point and two missed two-point conversions, the Commanders ultimately walked away with the victory after earning 21 points on seven field goals.

Similar scenarios unfolded in games against the Cowboys and Panthers, where the Giants had chances to secure victories but could not.

A combination of questionable coaching decisions and costly turnovers significantly contributed to their inability to finish strong.

Adding to the frustration was the absence of kicker Graham Gano, who was injured in Week 2 and missed several games while on IR.

Gano's injury left the Giants with having to cycle through three kickers before he returned--and some missed scoring opportunities in the process.

This forced Daboll to make risky decisions in the red zone since he knew he didn't have a reliable kicker to lean on.

Improving in these areas requires a renewed focus on situational football. Daboll must instill a sense of discipline, while key players must step up as leaders in critical moments.

New York's season would've been unrecognizable if the one-possession losses had a different outcome.