Now that the Giants have signed wide receiver Kenny Golladay and cornerback Adoree ‘Jackson – and re-signed defensive line Leonard Williams – we need to put general manager Dave Gettleman’s most important needs in the free agency and 2021 NFL draft.
This ranking goes from the most important to the least important.
1. Edge rusher: Yes, Williams will help speed up the pace. But the Giants did not have many answers at the lineout player, with Oshane Ximines and Lorenzo Carter leading the group. Gettleman is not going to find an elite linebacker in free agency at the moment, but he can certainly address the position in the draft. Ximines had 4.5 bags as a rookie in 2019, but last season he was zero when he was limited to four games. Carter had one bag in five games last year. He must finally take the next step as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.
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Offensive guard: The left guard has the Giants Shane Lemieux and Will Hernandez. Neither is a good option. On the right hats, they no longer have Kevin Zeitler, who was released for salary tax reasons, although he is still productive. Gettleman has not signed a single offensive lineout in free agency so far this season. The right waiting area is a major source of concern. Starting Lemieux at left-back and Hernandez at right-back (or vice versa) is a possibility – albeit a tight one for quarterback Daniel Jones. Gettleman needs to address his domestic offensive line high in the draft. Remember, center Nick Gates can move to the guard if Gettleman sets up a center.
3. Defensive line depth: Dalvin Tomlinson is gone, to the Vikings. The Giants could not afford to keep Tomlinson and Williams. Between Dexter Lawrence and Williams, the Giants still have a very solid duo on their defensive line if Williams can play like last season. Austin Johnson is the third starting lineup in the Giants’ 3-4 lead. (He’s no Tomlinson, though.) Except for the guys, coordinator Patrick Graham will be looking. According to BJ Hill, Tomlinson will take on a bigger role in 2021.
4. Linebacker depth: Midfielder Blake Martinez was a good free agent last year. But the Giants still need to strengthen the inside of the lineout next to Martinez – and also need to sort out the depth on the position. This season could offer Tae Crowder, Irrelevant, a much bigger opportunity last year if he can beat Reggie Ragland, who has just arrived on a one-year contract. The Giants let Devante Downs walk into free agencies, so he is no longer an in-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 services, Jabrill Peppers and Xavier McKinney, could to some extent handle the duties of linebackers. .
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