Now that the Giants have hired wide receiver Kenny Golladay and cornerback Adoree ‘Jackson – and rehired striker Leonard Williams – let’s sort out general manager Dave Gettleman’s biggest remaining needs to handle the free agency and the 2021 NFL Draft.
These rankings range from the most important to the least important.
1. Edge emery: Yes, Williams will assist in the passing race. But the Giants do not have many answers in the external linebacker, with Oshane Ximines and Lorenzo Carter leading the group. Gettleman is not going to find an elite external linebacker at the free agency right now, but he certainly could address his position in the draft. Ximines had 4.5 sacks as a rookie in 2019, but had zero last season, when he was limited to four games. Carter had a sack last year in five games. He finally needs to take the next step, entering the final year of his newbie contract.
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2. Offensive guard: In the left guard, the Giants have Shane Lemieux and Will Hernandez. None of them are a great option. In the right guard, they no longer have Kevin Zeitler, who was dismissed for reasons of a salary cap, although he is still productive. Gettleman has not hired a single offensive striker at the free agency so far this off-season. The right guarding place is a major concern. Getting Lemieux on the left guard and Hernandez on the right guard (or vice versa) is a possibility – albeit a scary one for quarterback Daniel Jones. Gettleman must direct his inner offensive line at the top of the draft. Remember that the Nick Gates center can slide into the guard if Gettleman draws a center.
3. Defensive line depth: Dalvin Tomlinson is gone, for the Vikings. The Giants could not keep Tomlinson and Williams. Between Dexter Lawrence and Williams, the Giants still have a very solid team in their defensive line, if Williams can play as he did last season. Austin Johnson is the third starting line-up in front of the Giants 3-4. (He’s no Tomlinson, though.) In addition to these guys, coordinator Patrick Graham will be looking. BJ Hill envisions taking on a bigger role in 2021, with Tomlinson leaving.
4. Linebacker depth: The middle linebacker, Blake Martinez, was a good free player last year. But the Giants still need to solidify the role of internal linebacker alongside Martinez – and they also need to define the depth in the position. This season could offer a much bigger opportunity for Tae Crowder, Mr. Irrelevant from last year, if he manages to defeat Reggie Ragland, who just came in with a one-year contract. The Giants let Devante Downs act freely, so he is no longer a depth option. It is possible that Graham could rely heavily on defensive backs – instead of playing Ragland and / or Crowder a lot – because his security guards, Jabrill Peppers and Xavier McKinney, can handle linebacker duties to some extent.
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