The most important thing the New York Giants must accomplish in 2021 is evaluating whether Daniel Jones has what it takes to be one of the NFL’s elite franchise quarterbacks
Best-case scenario
Daniel Jones makes the kind of leap in his third NFL season that Josh Allen did in his second for the Buffalo Bills, and guides a suddenly high-priced roster back to the NFL Playoffs for just the second time in nine seasons.
Jones has shown momentary flashes of brilliance, but the reality is the jury remains out on the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft who enters this season with nearly three times as many career turnovers (23) as he does victories (eight).
Embattled New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman and the front office did their part to facilitate Jones making the leap, committing $45 million guaranteed over the next four seasons to prize free agent wide receiver Kenny Golladay, signing veteran tight end Kyle Rudolph, and selecting wide receiver Kadarius Toney out of Florida in the first-round of April’s NFL Draft to finally give the young quarterbacks the weapons to succeed.
If Jones can show that he has overcome his turnover issues, makes strides in his second season in coordinator Jason Garrett’s scheme, and maximize the weapons around him, the New York Giants can be in the mix for the NFC East division crown thanks in part to a top-10 defense and boatloads of star power on offense.
Worst-case scenario
Jones falters, the offensive line fails to improve despite being anchored by 2020 No. 4 overall pick Andrew Thomas and former third-round pick Matt Peart, leading to many of the same questions continuing to dog the franchise.
For everything the Giants have done to add skill players on offense, the line still has the chance to be this team’s undoing. If Jones winds up failing to live up to expectations, the Giants could fail to win more than six games.
X-factor
For the past three seasons, the Giants have had to scheme up pressure on the quarterback due to a lack of a dominant edge presence. That has the chance to change with third-round pick and former Georgia standout Azeez Ojulari. Now that the Giants have built one of the NFL’s most gifted secondaries, if Ojulari can push for seven-plus sacks as a rookie, this defense has the chance to be top-10.
Biggest game – Week 2 at Washington
This contest between division rivals will serve as a litmus test for the Giants. Against arguably the most gifted front-seven in the NFL, and against the defending NFC East champions, the Giants’ trip to FedEx Field isn’t just an early test but also an opportunity to prove that this offseason’s spending was worth it and this team can have legitimate designs on contending this season.
Bold prediction
Despite all of the star power on offense, look for the Giants’ defense to be the backbone of the team in 2021, and the questions to persist on offense.
Even after the additions of Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, Kyle Rudolph, and Saquon Barkley’s return, if the offensive line doesn’t improve dramatically, it’s hard to expect Daniel Jones to improve or the Giants to win more than six games. Despite the talent in the starting lineup, the NY Giants will be picking in the top-10 in the NFL Draft once again next spring.