In a draft that left fans scratching their heads, the New York Giants stumbled their way to a disappointing D- grade. With the 13th pick in the draft order, they had plenty of opportunities to make a splash, but instead managed to make waves for all the wrong reasons. Despite the 16 rounds available, the Giants failed to capitalize on their picks, leaving them with a projected record of 6-9-0 and a lackluster 9th place finish. It seems the Giants are destined for a season of mediocrity, as their projected points of 441 and the 2nd toughest schedule in the league will surely test their mettle.
While the Giants did manage to make one solid pick with Darren Waller at 83, who had an ADP of 61, their draft was marred by a questionable decision early on. Taking Daniel Jones at 13, who had an ADP of 93, left many scratching their heads and wondering what the Giants were thinking. To make matters worse, the Giants seemed to have a strange infatuation with one particular team, drafting a whopping 8 players from the same squad. It remains to be seen if this strategy will pay off, but it certainly raises eyebrows. All in all, the Giants' draft performance can only be described as underwhelming, and it looks like they'll be living up to their name this season - giants in disappointment.
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ADP Analysis
Bars above zero indicate a pick was selected later than a player's ADP. Bars below zero show players that were taken earlier than their ADP.
Inside the Draft
Player Outlooks
- Round 1, Pick 13 - Bye 13
2023 Rank: 105 - 2022 Rank: 24
Jones wound up as a top-10 fantasy quarterback last year thanks to his rushing production, as his passing totals remained flat under new coach Brian Daboll. He did improve his accuracy though and threw fewer interceptions, as Daboll largely removed the downfield pass from the playbook and had the 26-year-old dink and dunk to keep the chains moving. While Jones may not have the downfield accuracy to test secondaries consistently, he also didn't have a lot to work with as injuries decimated an already lackluster receiving corps. The Giants made some effort to address that in the offseason, notably adding tight end Darren Waller in a trade with the Raiders. Jones was given a four-year, $160 million contract in March, which is a pretty clear sign Daboll think there's more untapped potential in the 2019 first-round pick, but expecting him to turn into the next Josh Allen is probably asking too much. As a positive, the resolution of Saquon Barkley's contract status (a one year deal) should maintain balance in the Giants' attack. Barkley's presence makes it difficult to for defenses to also spy on Jones' scrambling opportunities.
- Round 2, Pick 27 - Bye 10
2023 Rank: 46 - 2022 Rank: 58
Barkley managed to stay mostly healthy last year for the first time since his rookie season, and the result was a career high in rushing yards. New head coach Brian Daboll made him the centerpiece of his offense in order to take some pressure off quarterback Daniel Jones, although Daboll may have had little choice given the state of the Giants' receiving corps. The new offensive scheme gave Barkley a career high in rushing attempts per game but didn't showcase his pass-catching skills, as he managed less than half the receiving yards he had in 2018 despite finishing fifth in the league among RBs in targets. While Barkley had an impressive rebound after some injury-plagued campaigns, question marks surround the running back headed into 2023. The veteran back presumably is not overjoyed with his new one year contract. In addition, a reinforced group of receivers and tight ends could encourage Daboll to lean more on Jones and the passing game. Barkley has the talent to put up elite numbers out of the backfield, but health and usage remain obstacles to the 26-year-old reaching his fantasy ceiling.
- Round 3, Pick 41 - Bye 13
2023 Rank: 194 - 2022 Rank: 229
Hodgins had only four catches in his first two NFL seasons with the Bills and had trouble escaping Buffalo's practice squad in the first half of 2022 before finally being cut loose. Claimed off waivers by the injury-ravaged Giants, the Oregon State product quickly climbed the depth chart once he got his chance and emerged as Daniel Jones' most dependable target. Hodgins was especially impressive down the stretch, catching TDs in five of six games through the end of the regular season and into the playoffs before capping that run with an eight-game, 105-yard performance in a wild-card win over the Vikings. New York added plenty of competition for targets in the offseason, bringing in Parris Campbell from the Colts and tight end Darren Waller from the Raiders before drafting Jalin Hyatt in the third round, and a healthy Wan'Dale Robinson could also make an impact. The chemistry Hodgins established with Jones last year should serve him well though, and he figures to maintain a key role in the Giants' passing attack.
- Round 4, Pick 55 - Bye 13
2023 Rank: 207 - 2022 Rank: 247
After a disappointing 2021 campaign, it wasn't clear Slayton still had a future with the Giants, but he re-established himself as a downfield threat under new coach Brian Daboll. It took a few games and a few injuries ahead of him on the depth chart for that to happen, though, as Slayton didn't make his first catch until Week 4 before going on to set new career highs in yards per catch and yards per target. The Giants brought in plenty of competition in the offseason, adding Parris Campbell in free agency, Jalin Hyatt in the draft and tight end Darren Waller via trade, but Slayton's elite speed should still give him a role in the offense. Slayton, 26, signed a two-year, $12 million contract in March to stay in New York, but less than half that money is guaranteed, so if he tumbles down the depth chart again he may not get another chance to regain his standing with the team.
- Round 5, Pick 69 - Bye 10
2023 Rank: 228 - 2022 Rank: 230
Campbell played more games in 2022 than in his first three NFL seasons combined, but the Colts' quarterback issues kept him from truly capitalizing on his good health last season. The 2019 second-round pick still has enticing size and athleticism and posted solid numbers while working primarily out of the slot, earning a one-year, $4.7 million contract from the Giants this offseason. Campbell will have plenty of competition for targets on his new team, and if he doesn't establish some early chemistry with quarterback Daniel Jones he could become a forgotten man in an offense that also features holdovers Isaiah Hodgins, Darius Slayton and Wan'Dale Robinson, plus new tight end Darren Waller and 2023 third-round pick Jalin Hyatt.
- Round 6, Pick 83 - Bye 13
2023 Rank: 54 - 2022 Rank: 273
Injuries put a damper on Waller's numbers over the last two seasons, but in the two years prior to that he established himself as one of the NFL's most dangerous tight ends. Only Travis Kelce had more receiving yards at the position in 2019 and 2020. Injuries weren't the only things that seemed to limit Waller's production in 2022 though. He took a back seat to Davante Adams in the Raiders' offense, and Waller had trouble finding a fit in Josh McDaniels' scheme. An offseason trade to the Giants gives Waller a fresh start. While he's arguably the most talented pass-catcher quarterback Daniel Jones has ever had to work with, Brian Daboll's scheme has even less of a track record of TE production than McDaniels' offense. Waller will turn 31 in September, and while he could return to elite status this season as Jones' top option, he'll also carry a lot of risk even if he manages to stay healthy.
- Round 7, Pick 97 - Bye 13
2023 Rank: 288 - 2022 Rank: 25
After being a roughly average kicker through his first eight years in the NFL, Gano made some adjustments and has been one of the league's most accurate and reliable legs since 2017. His fantasy value has wavered along with the efficiency of the offenses supporting him, but Brian Daboll turned the Giants into a solid unit last season, and the New York offense could take another step forward in 2023 if quarterback Daniel Jones continues his development and takes advantage of an improved collection of receiving options. Gano has seen either 32 or 33 field-goal attempts in each of his three seasons with the team, but there are reasons to believe his opportunities will increase this year.
DEF - Round 8, Pick 111 - Bye 13
2023 Rank: 300 - 2022 Rank: 75
A top-notch group of pass rushers headlined by Leonard Williams and Kayvon Thibodeaux didn't translate into much fantasy production last year, as the Giants finished outside the top 10 in sacks and in the bottom eight in turnovers. Having Azeez Ojulari healthy for a full season would help, and free-agent tackling machine Bobby Okereke should bolster a shaky run defense, but the secondary lost safety Julian Love in the offseason and will likely need 2023 first-round pick Deonte Banks to make an immediate impact at cornerback if the unit as a whole is going to take a step forward.
- Round 9, Pick 125 - Bye
2023 Rank: - - 2022 Rank: -
- Round 10, Pick 139 - Bye
2023 Rank: - - 2022 Rank: -
- Round 11, Pick 153 - Bye
2023 Rank: - - 2022 Rank: -
- Round 12, Pick 167 - Bye
2023 Rank: - - 2022 Rank: -
- Round 13, Pick 181 - Bye
2023 Rank: - - 2022 Rank: -
- Round 14, Pick 195 - Bye
2023 Rank: - - 2022 Rank: -
- Round 15, Pick 209 - Bye
2023 Rank: - - 2022 Rank: -
- Round 16, Pick 223 - Bye
2023 Rank: - - 2022 Rank: -
Team Forecast
Bye Week Points Lost
Each bar represents the total projected season points for each player that's on bye that week. This chart shows any potential bye week issues.
Schedule by Opponent Points
Week-by-week schedule with each opponent's projected season points. This chart shows any difficult or easy stretches in the schedule.
