Giants.com New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones in the huddle at practice.
The New York Giants are under new management this season, but does that mean they’re rebuilding?
Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus recently published his NFL Power Rankings heading into the 2022 season and separated the league’s 32 teams into five categories: “True Contenders” (5 teams), “Could Be Their Year” (6 teams), “Eyes on the Playoffs” (9 teams), “Stuck in Limbo” (6 teams) and “Rebuilding” (6 teams).
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The Giants fell into the “Stuck in Limbo” category at No. 26, which was the worst ranking of any team not in the “Rebuilding” category. Below you’ll find Monson’s analysis of the team.
The biggest additions the Giants made were at general manager and head coach, and Brian Daboll, in particular, could have a real impact on Daniel Jones at quarterback. Jones was a top-five graded quarterback in the league through the first month of the season in 2021 before the wheels fell off as the offense disintegrated around him. The Giants did what they could on the offensive line, and the receiving corps staying healthy would be a big boost for the team overall. The Giants offense could be a surprise unit in 2022.
The five other teams in the “Stuck in Limbo” category were as follows: Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 21), Minnesota Vikings (No. 22), Washington Commanders (No. 23), Detroit Lions (No. 24) and New York Jets (No. 25). The Dallas Cowboys (No. 12) and Philadelphia Eagles (No. 13) both made the “Eyes on the Playoffs” category.
Are the Giants Really ‘Stuck in Limbo’?
Let’s circle back to the question at the top of the article and try to answer it. The only logical reason PFF categorizes the Giants as “Stuck in Limbo” rather than the “Rebuilding” category is because Daniel Jones is still the starting quarterback. The head coach is new, the general manager is new, and many of the players are new.
Bobby Skinner of Jomboy Media recently pointed out that the Giants currently have more players on the roster who were signed/drafted by new GM Joe Schoen (49) than old GM Dave Gettleman (41).
Giants roster makeup by GM
Joe Schoen-49
Dave Gettleman-41
Jerry Reese-1
Note that 25 of Joe Schoen’s additions are rookies.
The one player left over from the Jerry Reese era is wide receiver Sterling Shepard.
Those numbers paint the picture of a rebuild, and it only comes into clearer focus when you look at the salary cap. Schoen inherited a bad situation from Gettleman and was forced to make some difficult cost-cutting decisions, such as releasing starting cornerback James Bradberry (who then signed with the Eagles).
The good news for the Giants is Schoen’s hard work is already starting to pay off. The franchise currently ranks ninth in Pro Football Focus’ three-year cap health rankings.
So, even if you keep the Giants at No. 26 in the Power Rankings, there’s two ways PFF could have framed this: They’re either the worst non-rebuilding team, or the best rebuilding team. Presumably because they still have Jones at QB, PFF went with the former.
Some Are Buying Low on the Giants
Whether it’s PFF doing these Power Rankings, CBS Sports snubbing them from the Top 100, or just the fact that they’ve posted a losing record eight of the past nine seasons, there’s plenty of reasons to be down on the Giants heading into the 2022 season.
That said, some analysts see a lot of potential in this year’s Giants. Former NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson, for example, recently picked the Giants as a team that could make a significant leap this season.
The new direction under Daboll and Schoen, mixed with the fresh talent, mixed with the veterans who have something to prove could yield a winning combination for the Giants in 2022.
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Giants Barely Above ‘Rebuilding’ Tier in PFF Power Rankings