For the past decade, the New York Giants have furiously attempted to upgrade their roster through the NFL draft and free agency. That effort continues to fall short as indicated by another 10-plus loss season in 2024.
New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen’s tenure began two years ago with a roster filled with overpaid veterans and failed draft picks. He had very little talent and even less salary cap space to fix the problem.
In 2022, Schoen went to work on getting cap healthy, but then had a lukewarm draft. He had two high first-round picks in Kayvon Thibodeaux (No. 5) and Evan Neal (No. 7). That should have been a shot in the arm for the franchise, but to date, it has not.
Thibodeaux has shown flashes, but Neal has already busted as an NFL offensive tackle. He’s being tried at guard this summer.
Schoen followed that up with another mediocre performance at the draft table. None of the 18 players he selected in his first two drafts have been considered for league-wide honors.
Last season, Schoen’s draft was a success, with all six players contributing and showing considerable upside. He followed that up with what appears to be another fruitful draft this spring.
Still, compared to the rest of the NFL, the Giants’ roster isn’t measuring up. Yet. In a recent ranking of the league’s top 100 players from CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco, only two current Giants made the list.
No. 29 – Dexter Lawrence – defensive tackle
Big Dex missed time with injury last year, but he was a force before being sent to the sidelines. He can play the run as well as anybody, but he can also push the pocket. He’s a massive force inside. (Last season: No. 19)
No. 45 – Malik Nabers – wide receiver
As a rookie, Nabers had 109 catches playing in an offense with major quarterback issues. As that position gets better, so will his numbers. He averaged 11 yards per catch, but he has more big-play ability than that number would indicate. (Last season: NR)
For the record, former Giants running back Saquon Barkley was ranked third overall on the list.
Of course, all of this is subjective and open for debate. The Giants actually have several other players who might have made the list in other years, such as linebacker Brian Burns and left tackle Andrew Thomas, but both had off seasons in 2024.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: 2 New York Giants crack Pete Prisco’s top 100 players of 2025 list
Reporting by John Fennelly, Giants Wire / Giants Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
