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As the New York Giants reload under a new regime, general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll are trying assemble the most talented team possible.
The talent evaluators over at Pro Football Focus (PFF) recently poured over the rosters of all 32 NFL teams and identified the three best players on each squad. For the Giants, PFF singled out these three players as the best on the team: Leonard Williams (defensive interior), Andrew Thomas (left tackle) and Adoree’ Jackson (cornerback).
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Here’s what Ben Linsey of PFF wrote about the Giants trio:
Given the Giants’ cap situation this offseason, there should be more high-end talent on this roster.
Thomas took a notable step forward in his second season out of Georgia last year, improving his PFF pass-blocking grade from 54.7 in 2020 to 82.1 last season. Williams isn’t enough of a pass-rush threat to warrant his status as the second-highest-paid interior defensive lineman in the NFL, but he can be counted on to play a high number of snaps with above-average play against both the run and the pass. Jackson stands out as one of the more underrated cornerbacks in the league after earning 80.0-plus PFF coverage grades in each of his last two full seasons in 2019 and 2021.
New York’s two top-10 picks in the 2022 NFL Draft could quickly factor into this conversation, as well
Other players PFF considered were Dexter Lawrence (defensive interior), Xavier McKinney (safety), Evan Neal (offensive tackle) and Kayvon Thibodeaux (edge). Two notable players not even mentioned in the article were quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley.
Now, let’s dig a little deeper and preview what to expect from each of the three players PFF highlighted in 2022.
Leonard Williams, Defensive Interior
The Giants list Williams as a “defensive lineman,” but PFF breaks down that label a little further into “defensive interior” and “edge.” Williams definitely has an interior lineman’s build at 6-foot-5 and 302 pounds, but he does possess some “outside” potential as a defensive end. As a result, he’s probably the most versatile peg in New York’s defensive front.
PFF’s review of Williams is not a glowing one, but that might be a result of his underwhelming sack production last season. Williams had 11.5 sacks and 30 QB hits in 2020, then only produced 6.5 sacks and 14 QB hits last season. He made an impact in other ways, though, as he started all 17 games last season and his number of tackles rose from 57 in 2020 to 81 in 2021.
With a playmaker like Kayvon Thibodeaux now lurking on the edge, Williams could be even more impactful in 2022.
Andrew Thomas, Left Tackle
In Andrew Thomas, the Giants believe they have a franchise left tackle. Now heading into his third NFL season, Thomas is tasked with anchoring an offensive line that’s looking to turn a corner. As the blind-side protector, he will play a pivotal role in quarterback Daniel Jones’ 2022 prove-it season.
And when he isn’t blocking for Jones, Thomas is catching sick touchdown passes from him.
The only thing that’s slightly concerning about Thomas is he had ankle surgery in the offseason and has been seen limping a bit at practice this spring, per Jordan Raanan of ESPN. The Giants need him 100 percent healthy for the start of the season.
Adoree’ Jackson, Cornerback
This one is a bit of a head-scratcher. Jackson isn’t a bad defensive back, but few Giants fans would name him when asked to identify the three best players on the team heading into the 2022 season. He was the No. 2 cornerback behind James Bradberry last season and is now stepping into the No. 1 role with Bradberry in Philadelphia.
Last season, Jackson’s first with the Giants, he had one interception and eight passes defensed in 13 games played (12 starts). Unless he suddenly transforms into a lockdown cornerback that opposing quarterbacks avoid, Jackson will have to put up better numbers than that in 2022.
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