Recognizing the Giants' 2019 Season Superlative Efforts

Yes, it was a forgettable 2019 campaign for the Giants. But there were quite a number of efforts that are worthy of positive recognition. So here is a list of who we would pick and why.

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Based on the kind of season that the New York Giants had in 2019, it’s unlikely that any player — outside of maybe Daniel Jones for the 2019 Offensive Rookie of the Year Award — will be considered for any of the NFL’s end-of-season awards. 

However, based on the seasons they had and the vital impact they had on the team, there are some Giants players that are still worthy of recognition — at least among their teammates, that is.

With that in mind, here are the 2019 New York Giants end-of-season award recipients.

Offensive Player of the Year: Saquon Barkley

A high ankle sprain may have forced him to miss three games and hindered his production upon his midseason return, but Saquon Barkley still had a strong enough year to earn Offensive Player of the Year honors — among Giants players, that is.

The 22-year-old tailback recorded his second consecutive 1,000-yard season in 2019, finishing the year 1,003 yards rushing and eight total touchdowns while averaging 2.8 yards after contact per rush attempt (T-No. 6 in the NFL among running backs) in 13 games played — all team-highs. 

Additionally, Barkley was one of the NFL’s most versatile players this year, averaging 110.8 scrimmage yards per game (T-No. 6 in the NFL)

Barkley’s injury struggles definitely left fans wondering how many more wins the Giants could have tallied had he been healthy the entire year, but the team has nowhere but up as long as he’s capable of producing at an elite level.

Runners-Up: Darius Slayton, Daniel Jones

Defensive Player of the Year: Janoris Jenkins

You can easily make a case for Markus Golden here — and I’ll get to him in a bit — but Janoris Jenkins’ impact this year can’t be understated. The 31-year-old corner didn’t make it to the end of the season in the Big Apple, but in the 13 games he wore a Giants uniform, he was easily the best defensive player New York had.

Despite playing 13 games, Jenkins led the Giants in interceptions (four) and passes defended (14), and he was easily the team’s best cover man. 

Jenkins allowed just 53.8 percent (42 of 78 targets) of the passes thrown his way to be completed and held quarterbacks to a team-best 65.3 passer rating against.

New York’s defense also struggled in coverage in the three games after Jenkins was released, allowing 290 yards passing per game, nearly 13 yards more yards per contest than the 13 games that Jackrabbit was in the fold (277.2 yards passing allowed per game through Week 14).

Runners-Up: Markus Golden, Dexter Lawrence

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Darius Slayton

Daniel Jones has a pretty strong case here and under normal circumstances, he’d be a slam-dunk pick for this award. However, Darius Slayton needs to be recognized for his impressive body of work this season.

The unheralded fifth-round pick out of Auburn was easily New York’s best receiver in 2019 and made a little franchise history along the way, becoming just the eighth rookie receiver in Big Blue’s storied history to lead the team in yards receiving (740). Additionally, Slayton also co-led (Saquon Barkley) all Giants skill position players in total touchdowns scored, finding the end zone eight times this season.

The 22-year-old wideout seemingly has a bright future ahead of him and as long as he continues to develop, he could be in for a long and fruitful career in the Big Apple.

Runner-Up: Daniel Jones

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Dexter Lawrence II

New York’s rookie defenders had their fair share of struggles throughout the year, but Dexter Lawrence II was easily the one first-year player that consistently brought his A-game every Sunday.

The Clemson product went largely unnoticed due to the unheralded nature of playing along New York’s 3-4 defensive line, but he absolutely dominated at the point of attack. 

The 22-year-old defensive lineman was a force against the run in 2019, earning a 76.3 run-defense grade from Pro Football Focus (No. 21 out of 117 qualifying interior linemen). Lawrence was a surprisingly strong interior pass-rusher as well, notching 2.5 sacks, nine quarterback hits and 15 pressures on the year.

A highly-criticized selection during the 2019 NFL Draft, Lawrence proved vital to New York’s defensive front this season and with plenty of room to grow, he could become even better in the immediate future.

Runners-Up: Julian Love, Oshane Ximines

Comeback Player of the Year: Markus Golden

After recording a career-high 12.5 sacks in 2016, Markus Golden completely fell off the map over the following two years, missing 17 games between the 2017 and 2018 seasons due to a torn ACL. And when he returned to the field, he looked nothing like the burgeoning sack-artist he once was, logging just 2.5 sacks upon his return in 2018.

Thanks to his familiarity with defensive coordinator James Bettcher, the 31-year-old joined the Giants on a one-year deal this past offseason and much to New York’s delight, he quietly re-established himself as the quality pass rusher he once. 

Golden was, without a doubt, Big Blue’s best edge rusher this season, notching 10 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, 27 quarterback hits (No. 6 in the NFL), 17 hurries and 45 pressures (T-No. 7 in the NFL) — all of which were team-highs.

A free agent this offseason, Golden is surely in for a pretty big payday and — it should go without saying, really — if the Giants are smart, they’ll bring him back on a multi-year deal.

Runner-Up: None

Fantasy Player of the Year: Saquon Barkley

It kind of makes sense that New York’s Offensive Player of the Year also takes home Fantasy Player of the Year honors as well, right?

The 22-year-old tailback dealt with some inconsistency throughout the year but was easily the best fantasy player on Big Blue’s roster. Barkley finished 2019 as this year’s RB10 despite missing three games, racking up 244.10 PPR points from Week 1 to Week 16. 

However, what really seals his fantasy stud status is his incredible string of performances during the fantasy playoffs (Week 14 to Week 17), averaging a ridiculous 29.8 PPR points pre-game down the stretch.

The Giants have enough fantasy-relevant talent at multiple skill positions, but it’s abundantly clear that the offense runs through Barkley (20.9 touches per game in 2019). Barring an injury in the preseason, the 22-year-old tailback should be a bonafide RB1 in 2020.

Runners-Up: Golden Tate, Daniel Jones

Most Valuable Player: Daniel Jones

Fumbles were a persistent issue (19 in 2019), but the NFL is a quarterback-driven league and — maybe outside of Saquon Barkley — it’s hard to argue that there was a player more integral to New York’s limited success in 2019.

The Duke product was under center for three of New York’s four wins this season and did more than hold his own in his first professional season, completing 61.9 percent of his passes for 3,207 yards tossed 24 touchdown passes, and finished the year with a higher QBR (55.0) than three quarterbacks who are still in contention for a Super Bowl: Aaron Rodgers (53.5), Tom Brady (52.5) and Josh Allen (45.8). 

Additionally, the 22-year-old signal-caller was also an accountable threat on the ground, tallying 279 yards rushing (No. 7 among QBs) and two touchdowns while averaging 6.2 yards per attempt (No. 2 among QBs).

However, what really seals Jones’ MVP case is his performance in games won. The rookie quarterback was at his best in the three games he won this season, completing 67.9 percent of his passes for 913 yards (304.3 yards passing per game) and eight touchdowns to just two picks (110.4 passer rating).

Big Blue’s future will depend on Jones’ development from here on out, but if 2019 is any indication, the franchise looks to be in good hands going forward. As long as he can take that all-important next step forward in 2020, there could be — and I’ll admit I’m being optimistic here — an actual NFL MVP Award in his future.

Runner-Up: Saquon Barkley