1. Malik Nabers replacing Darius Slayton as WR1
The storyline of this offseason for the New York Giants is first-round pick Malik Nabers, who was selected by the team at No. 6 in this year’s NFL Draft. The LSU wide receiver is the first star WR to join the Giants since Odell Beckham Jr. was taken at No. 12 in the 2014 NFL Draft. The former first-round pick also played collegiately at LSU and immediately impacted the Giants’ offense.
The Giants are hoping for a similar performance from Nabers to that of OBJ during his tenure in New York. Beckham was the last Giants receiver to have 1,000 yards or more in a single season, back in 2018. The player who has come closest to that mark and has led the Giants in receiving yards the four of the last five seasons is veteran wideout Darius Slayton, but his WR1 job may be in jeopardy now with Nabers in town.
Slayton had been away from the team for its offseason program, but he just rejoined the squad over at OTAs. Slayton didn’t land an extension or any additional guaranteed money, but he has more dough on the table via incentives. Having him around will be big for the offense, but we’re excited to see what he can do to help Nabers as well. Slayton will make a difference on offense, but Nabers will no doubt be the go-to WR option for this team in ’24 and beyond.
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2. Dru Phillips replacing Darnay Holmes
The Giants’ third-round pick, Dru Phillips, is a player who could potentially make a significant impact on the team’s defense this season. When he was first drafted, a lot of people thought he’d push for the CB2 job on the opposite side of the field from star CB Deonte Banks. However, Schoen and Brian Daboll have a different plan for him.
The plan is for Phillips to begin the season on the inside, but if needed, he could be pushed to the outside. At slot CB, Phillips very well could end up winning the starting job. The Giants did re-sign Darnay Holmes this offseason, but he’s not expected to start and he should make his biggest difference on special teams.
At Kentucky, Phillips played in 38 games with 16 starts across three seasons and finished his collegiate career with 82 total tackles, 10 pass breakups and three tackles for loss. Phillips had dominant sophomore and junior campaigns the last two seasons, which boosted his stock significantly in the draft. His offseason work also turned heads.
While the NY Giants centennial season is right around the corner, the team will have many new faces and look different this year. Big Blue was active throughout the offseason during free agency and the NFL Draft to fill several positional needs.
New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen and the organization’s front office improved significantly in many areas, like defense, with the addition of veteran pass-rusher Brian Burns. The team also added offensive line help, which was a weakness last season, but the Giants’ rookie class stands out the most heading into the summer and fall.
The Giants added six new players in this year’s NFL Draft class, all showing promise and potential to succeed immediately in New York. Let’s look at four rookies who could replace these veterans and take their jobs in ’24:
3. Tyrone Tracy Jr. replacing Gunner Olszewski
It will take several players to replace a player like Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley, who left for the NFC East Rival Philadelphia Eagles in free agency. The Giants added veteran running back Devin Singletary to replace Barkley and run the backfield, but also added more depth in the NFL Draft with fifth-round pick Tyrone Tracy Jr. out of Purdue.
While many Big Blue fans believe Tracy could be the sleeper of this year’s NFL Draft, he is not quite ready to become New York’s starter over Singletary. The Giants rookie played wide receiver for the Iowa Hawkeyes for four seasons but switched to running back when he transferred to Purdue, where he played the last two years. After transitioning to the position, Tracy emerged as one of the top running backs in the conference, boosting his draft stock significantly. Last year, Tracy led the Big Ten in yards per carry (6.3) and had eight rushing touchdowns.
The Giants’ fifth-round pick has undoubtedly had an interesting path to the NFL. Still, his ability to play wideout, running back, and serve as a returner makes him valuable to the team in his rookie campaign. We can expect to see Tracy mainly as a returner in 2024, potentially Gunner Olszewski. Last season with the Boilermakers, Tracy had 408 yards and a touchdown on 16 kick returns.
His experience on special teams makes him a good fit in New York and even a starter on offense in the future. Keep in mind that Olszewski limped off the field in anger at OTAs. We can only hope it’s not a serious injury, but Tracy could help fill the void if he misses time.
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