New York Giants

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones dealt with a neck injury that sidelined him for the final six games of the 2021 season, but he's not worried about the ailment causing him issues in 2022. 

Speaking with reporters on Monday, Jones said he'll be "cleared and ready to go" for the team's offseason program.

The Giants have remained optimistic that Jones' neck ailment wouldn't be a long-term issue. According to ESPN's Jordan Raanan, the 24-year-old was close to returning before the end of the 2021 campaign. 

The Giants' offseason program kicked off Monday with phase one, which includes up to four workouts per week. Players are limited to strength and conditioning workouts for this two-week phase. 

Jones will not have to face any contact until August, so it's not necessarily surprising that he's taking the field for New York's offseason program. 

The 2019 first-round pick is entering a critical point in his career in his fourth season. Through the first three years of his career, he did nothing to prove to the Giants that he could be their quarterback of the future.

Last season, he completed 64.3 percent of his passes for 2,428 yards and 10 touchdowns against seven interceptions in 11 games. If he plays like that in 2022, it's possible New York will look for a new quarterback. 

The Giants already signed Tyrod Taylor to a two-year deal this offseason, and they could draft one of the top quarterbacks in the 2022 class with the fifth and seventh overall picks. Malik Willis, Desmond Ridder and Kenny Pickett are among the top names available.

However, Jones doesn't appear too worried about his status.

"I'm excited. I'm excited to get going here. I appreciate the support," he said. "But it's my job to do my role, to prepare this team, to prepare myself to play as well as I can and put this team in position to win games. So I take that responsibility very seriously and that is what I'm focused on."

If Jones plays at a high level, he could lead the Giants back to the postseason for the first time since the 2016 campaign. 

Mitchell Trubisky is weighing all of his options as the veteran quarterback embarks on NFL free agency for the second year in a row.

Trubisky spoke highly of New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll, who was his offensive coordinator with the Buffalo Bills, in an interview with ESPN's Adam Schefter (via Kevin Patra of NFL.com):

I think of Coach Daboll right away just because of my connection with him right away in Buffalo. I'm excited to see what he does in New York. I don't know where I'm gonna go, but I know whatever he does there he's going to do a great job with that offense. He's a great leader of men. He's real and authentic with all the guys and I think that's why so many people respected him in our building. I'm excited to see what he's going to do.

He also referenced the Pittsburgh Steelers, who might be in the market for an experienced signal-caller following the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger, and called them a "legendary franchise."

"You think of the Black and Gold, you think of the coach, Mike Tomlin. Ben Roethlisberger slinging it around," Trubisky said. "But the Black and Gold, just legendary colors. A great historical franchise for the NFL."

By signing with the Giants, Trubisky would effectively be putting Daniel Jones into the same position he was in in 2020.

The Chicago Bears declined Trubisky's fifth-year option 2021, which was a clear sign of the franchise's lack of faith in him. The Bears also acquired Nick Foles that offseason, and Foles subsequently took over as the starter midway through the season. That sealed Trubisky's fate in the Windy City.

ESPN's Jordan Raanan reported in February "it seems likely [the Giants] will pass" on Jones' fifth-year option, which will be worth $22.4 million in 2023.

Trubisky's arrival would put a level of pressure on Jones to deliver, and the absence of a commitment for 2023 would pave the way for Trubisky to be a starter again in the event Jones continues to struggle.

In Pittsburgh, the quarterback situation is even more messy because there isn't a clear successor to Roethlisberger. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on March 3 that the Steelers "will look everywhere" for a solution this offseason:

Considering the arc of his Bears tenure, Pittsburgh probably wouldn't be signing Trubisky with the idea of him being a long-term answer. The 27-year-old would at least be an upgrade over Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins and thus serve as a nice stopgap if the Steelers targeted a quarterback in the 2022 NFL draft.

That Trubisky, who didn't go above and beyond in his time as a starter, could have multiple solid offers on the table is a testament to the scarcity of experienced quarterbacks this offseason.

There don't seem to be a lot of shoppers in the trade market for New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley. 

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, it "doesn't seem like teams have called" the Giants about Barkley since he was put on the trade block. 

Giants general manager Joe Schoen told reporters earlier this week that the team was "open to everything" when asked about the possibility of trading their top players, including Barkley. 

Despite Schoen's openness to making a move, the asking price for Barkley would seem to make it difficult that a deal actually comes together.

One assistant general manager told NFL reporter Jordan Schultz that Schoen would want a first-round draft pick to trade the four-year veteran. 

Barkley, who will play next season on the final year of his rookie contract, has the eighth-highest cap hit among running backs in 2022 ($7.2 million), per Spotrac. 

Since winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2018, Barkley has struggled with injuries and inconsistent play. He led the league with 2,028 yards from scrimmage in his first season but has just 2,391 scrimmage yards over the past three seasons combined. 

Barkley only played two games during the 2020 season after tearing his ACL in a Week 2 loss to the Chicago Bears. He missed four games in 2021 due to a sprained ankle suffered in Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys. 

The Giants selected Barkley with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft. The Penn State alum led the team in rushing yards (1,307) and receptions (91) and ranked third in receiving yards (721) as a rookie. 

With Brian Daboll entering his first season as New York's head coach and uncertainty at the quarterback position, Barkley could have a significant role in the offense as the team looks to improve on last year's 4-13 record.     

Daniel Jones has looked like anything but a surefire franchise quarterback during his first three seasons in the NFL, and the New York Giants will reportedly let the 2022 campaign play out before making a decision on 2023.

Jordan Raanan of ESPN reported the NFC East team is increasingly unlikely to pick up the fifth-year option on Jones' contract before the May deadline to do so.

"It seems likely they will pass since he's yet to show any real consistency in his first three seasons as a starting quarterback and it would mean guaranteeing him $20-plus million for 2023," Raanan wrote. "It seems inevitable they let Jones play it out this year and if he has a great season, that will present a good problem."

Raanan explained the Giants are in something of a "mess" after former general manager Dave Gettleman's previous decisions to restructure deals to get them under the salary cap in the past.

New general manager Joe Schoen is apparently looking to clear $40 million in cap space, and cutting cornerback James Bradberry and wide receiver Sterling Shepard may help him do that. The team could even look to trade running back Saquon Barkley this offseason depending on the market.

Yet New York will only go as far as the quarterback's performance even if Schoen is able to clear some cap space and add difference-makers in the draft.

The hiring of head coach Brian Daboll is one reason for optimism since he helped develop Josh Allen into one of the best quarterbacks in the league during his time as the offensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills.

There is plenty of room for improvement for Jones as well, who looked well on his way to a productive NFL career by throwing for 3,027 yards, 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions as a rookie in 2019 before taking a step back the past two years.

The Duke product failed to reach the 3,000-passing-yard mark in 2020 and 2021 and finished that stretch with a combined 21 touchdown throws to 17 interceptions. His ability to make plays with his legs makes him slightly more valuable than the passing numbers indicate, but the regression was a concerning sign for New York.

By waiting to make a decision on 2023 until the 2022 season is complete or at least underway, the Giants can determine if Daboll's tutelage has the desired effect.

If it doesn't, don't be surprised if the team moves in a different direction either through the draft or free agency next offseason.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. believes upgrading the offensive line should be a priority for the New York Giants in the 2022 NFL draft. 

The Giants currently have the No. 5 and No. 7 pick in the first round after thanks to last year's trade with the Chicago Bears, providing an opportunity to add an elite player at a key spot.

"You can bet that one of these two picks will be an offensive lineman," Kiper said on Monday's episode of First Draft (21:40).

Kiper added that North Carolina State lineman Ikem Ekwonu "would be the guy to really look at," while Alabama's Evan Neal was also said to be a possibility.

Bleacher Report's Scouting Department listed Ekwonu as the No. 2 overall player on the latest big board and Neal at No. 3.

The Giants already invested the No. 4 pick in the 2020 draft in offensive tackle Andrew Thomas, although the former Georgia star has been inconsistent in his two NFL seasons. He also still needs plenty of help around him on an offense that ranked 31st in both points scored and total yards.

Improving the offensive line could go a long way in unlocking the talent on that side of the ball, including Daniel Jones, Saquon Barkley, Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney.

In the NFL, undergoing a rebuild is often viewed through the lens of failure. A rebuild means a potential franchise quarterback didn't pan out. Or a coaching change halted progress installing a system. Or maybe star players became too expensive to retain.

But in the rights hands, a rebuild can be rife with optimism. The New York Giants, a team that hasn't posted a winning record since 2016, could sure use something to look forward to.

The Giants have nine selections in the 2022 NFL draft; five of them in the top 81. This is a defining moment for a franchise looking to reclaim some of its former glory, 10 years removed from its last Super Bowl win.

And its shepherd, new general manager Joe Schoen, who was hired in January after serving as the Buffalo Bills' assistant GM, is heading into the team's offseason with the right mentality.

"I would say where we are right now, as many at-bats as you can get, as many swings as you can get, I think that's important where we are as a team," he said, per the team's website.

Adding that he doesn't believe any team is ever "one player away," Schoen's plan of attack heading into April's draft is to move up or move back to get the right player, as long as he can "sleep good at night" with the decisions he makes.

Big Blue made some savvy moves in the 2021 NFL draft to put themselves in this enviable position. They traded the No. 11 selection in last year's draft to the Chicago Bears, netting them an extra 2022 first- and fourth-round pick. In the second round, they picked up another 2022 third-rounder when they traded with the Miami Dolphins to move back from No. 42 to No. 50.

But the 2021 draft wasn't just about stockpiling selections. The Giants also added to their talent pool with first-round wideout Kadarius Toney and second-round edge-rusher Azeez Ojulari.

In mid-October, Toney whipped Giants Nation into a frenzy with a 10-reception, 189-yard performance, showing what he is capable of when healthy. When the book closed on the 2021 season, Toney had missed seven games because of injury, finishing with 39 receptions for 420 yards.

But the team can build around Toney in 2022, regardless of who's starting under center. Even before diving into the draft, the first order of business for Schoen and new coach Brian Daboll is deciding how quarterback Daniel Jones factors into the team's future.

If he remains the starter, this would be Jones' third head coach in four years, which is never the best situation for a young quarterback to prove himself.

What Schoen and Daboll need to do, whether it's for Jones or any other signal-caller, is beef up the Giants' O-line. According to ESPN Analytics, the Giants' pass-block win rate (defined as "the rate linemen can sustain their blocks for 2.5 seconds or longer") was 54 percent in 2021, 28th in the league.

Adding talent on the offensive line and receivers room will give the Giants the building blocks they need to jump over .500 in 2022.

It will also give Jones the best chance he's ever had to prove he can be the guy in a make-or-break fourth season.

A new B/R three-round mock draft released today takes a look at how the Giants can best use their first five draft selections to transform their future. And it's no surprise that with the No. 5 overall pick, the Giants select NC State offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu (scouting report).

Boasting an "unbelievable combination of size, power and athletic ability," B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn grades Ekwonu the top offensive tackle prospect in the class. Even if the Giants add Ekwonu and his 6'4", 320-pound frame, it's worth noting that the only positive on the Giants' O-line in 2021 was left tackle Andrew Thomas improving in his second season.

The Giants could slot Ekwonu at right tackle opposite Thomas, they could opt to put him next to Thomas at left guard. Either way, he immediately upgrades an offensive line in serious need of it.

With the Giants' second selection at No. 7—the pick they received from Chicago (truly an embarrassment of riches!)—they bring in more firepower on offense with USC wide receiver Drake London (scouting report).

With a grade of 9.0 from B/R NFL Scout Nate Tice, London is a Day 1 X receiver. Per Tice, London "shows the ability to consistently create yards after the catch because of his good burst and ability to get north with the ball in his hands on underneath throws. That makes him a valid option for routes at all three levels."

That kind of versatility and every-down potential could completely transform the Giants offense in 2022. Tice praises London's spatial awareness both when working against zone coverage or on scramble drills, which allow him to "stay friendly to the quarterback"; crucial whether it's Jones or someone else throwing him the ball.

With their third pick in the top 36 selections, the Giants continue to add support along the offensive line with IOL Kenyon Green (scouting report) out of Texas A&M.

If you're keeping track, that means the Giants have so far netted the top offensive tackle prospect and the No. 3 interior lineman prospect. Not too shabby.

Thorn writes that Green has "key foundational traits to become a longtime, high-quality starting guard in the NFL," though "he needs to clean up some bad habits and polish up his footwork and hands before reaching his potential."

Green could prove instrumental for the Giants' run and pass games. His "core strength, girth and wide base," argues Thorn, help him set an anchor against the bull rush, while his size aids his run-blocking by both covering up defenders and overwhelming linebackers at the second level.

With their fourth selection at No. 67 overall, the Giants select UCLA tight end Greg Dulcich (notice a trend?).

Some Big Blue fans might think that drafting a wideout and a tight end within the first three rounds is overkill for a team that also made pass-catchers a priority in free agency last year. However, those free-agent additions didn't immediately pay off. John Ross III will become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and Kenny Golladay hasn't lived up to his four-year, $72 million contract ($40 million guaranteed).

The fact is that adding London and Dulcich, who was a semifinalist for the John Mackey Award given to the nation's top tight end, will free up Toney and Golladay to be productive and avoid double teams.

Dulcich is a downfield threat who can open up the Giants' offense; in 2021, he was No. 2 among all the tight ends in the nation with 17.3 yards per catch.

With their fifth selection and 81st overall, the Giants finally address the defense with South Carolina edge rusher Kingsley Enagbare (scouting report).

In 2021, the Giants' pass-rush win rate ("how often a pass-rusher is able to beat his block within 2.5 seconds") was 34 percent, which ranked 30th in the league. That's right; the Giants' pass rush was just as bad as its pass blocking. Enagbare, per B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen, possesses "the length, motor and explosion to be a functional starter in the NFL," with "above-average explosiveness."

The truth is that following the 2021 NFL season, the Giants needed improvement in almost every area. But the results Schoen and Daboll were able to achieve in Buffalo should earn the trust of fans wanting to see New York climb out of the NFC East basement in 2022.