Catching Up with the Enemy: New York Giants 

The Eagles’ first of two matchups against the Giants will come in Week 7 at MetLife Stadium, with the second in Week 18 for the regular-season finale.

The two games will come with plenty of storylines and intrigue as new Eagles running back Saquon Barkley faces off against his former team for the first time.

The Giants finished the 2023 year with just six wins and struggled after Daniel Jones went down for the season with a torn ACL.

With new draft pick Malik Nabers making noise in Training Camp and Jones coming back healthy, the Giants are looking to surpass their 2023 win total.

2023 record: 6-11 (3rd in NFC East)

Key additions: OLB Brian Burns, G Jon Runyan Jr., RB Devin Singletary, DB Jalen Mills

Key losses: RB Saquon Barkley, S Xavier McKinney

Top draft picks: WR Malik Nabers (Round 1, Pick 6), S Tyler Nubin (Round 2, Pick 47), CB Dru Phillips (Round 3, Pick 70), TE Theo Johnson (Round 4, Pick 107)

Here is a look at how the Giants are shaping up heading into the 2024 season after a few weeks of Training Camp, as told by Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News:

What are some of the storylines in Training Camp for the Giants?

“Where they are entering Year 3, is a team that has a coaching staff with a high amount of turnover trying to put it all together quickly to show significant progress in the third season of a regime and a roster that has some more pieces than they had when (General Manager) Joe Schoen and (Head Coach) Brian Daboll took over, but also has some clear weaknesses that indicate that they’re still a ways away.

“So it’s a process that is further along than they would ideally like based on what the team on the field looks like, but there are some key pieces they’ve added that look like they could be exciting, namely, Malik Nabers and Brian Burns, the receiver and then the pass rusher, who are adding to their top-end talent, and the hope is that they will be able to help them elevate Daniel Jones and the team to not only competence, but some clear level of success.”

Where does the offense stand going into the season?

“The top four wide receivers, there’s three draft picks of Joe Schoen, it’s Jalen Hyatt, third-rounder, Wan’Dale Robinson, a second-rounder, and Malik Nabers, a first-rounder. And then Darius Slayton, a fifth-rounder from the previous regime. So that’s the top four. And then Devin Singletary replaces, essentially as much as you can, Saquon Barkley as the number one running back. And their top tight end looks like it’s going to be Theo Johnson. And so Chris Manhertz is a veteran there. Daniel Bellinger has returned as an incumbent, a third-year player. But Johnson, as he got healthy at the start of camp and has practiced with them, it’s pretty clear that he’s going to end up being the top tight end. And then the offensive line, which really was outside of Nabers, the offensive line was the focus of the offseason.”

“As far as free agency, they signed Jon Runyan Jr., the guard from Green Bay; they signed Jermaine Eluemunor, the tackle from the Las Vegas Raiders. And then early in camp, they signed Greg Van Roten, the Raiders’ right guard from last season, as well as Aaron Stinnie, who came from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and won a Super Bowl as a postseason replacement starter with Tom Brady in 2020, and also some depth at center in Jimmy Morrissey and Austin Schlottmann. So, a lot of bodies getting thrown at this offensive line.”

Are there any players who are turning heads throughout camp?

“Dante Miller, he’s an undrafted rookie, had played at South Carolina in its running back room. There’s a lot of opportunity there with Saquon gone, and he has been the most explosive player at running back during camp. It could mean their running back room at the top of the depth chart ends up being Devin Singletary; Tyrone Tracy Jr, the draft pick out of Purdue; and Miller. If that’s the case, it could push Eric Gray, a draft pick of Schoen in the fifth round two years ago, off the roster.

“The depth wide receiver competition is interesting. Allen Robinson II, the veteran, well established. He has had a pretty strong camp, and is increasingly improving. So after those top four and then Gunnar Olszewski as a punt returner, Robinson is making it interesting there. There’s Isaiah Hodgins; there’s Robinson; there’s Miles Boykin, a special teams ace. So, he’s giving them maybe another weapon, but also some tougher decisions to make.

“At linebacker, Dyontae Johnson. He’s a special teamer who has athleticism and is young and is challenging for that second linebacker spot behind Micah McFadden. Speed and athleticism are something the Giants need all over the field. So that’s a player to watch. If he continues to ascend, I think his presence would make their defense better if he can get on the field and be reliable enough to stay there.” – Compiled by Liam Wichser