NFL Week 1 power rankings: Giants considered one of league’s worst teams

Well, not much has changed since the preseason began.

The media doesn’t have much faith in the New York Giants heading into Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season, as the franchise is ranked in the lower half of every team ranking leading up to this weekend’s opening kickoff.

While one media outlet has a little more faith in the Giants, the majority believe they’ll finish within the bottom four spots of the league standings.

If you average the eight mainstream media poll rankings we’ve included, the Giants sit at an average of No. 29 overall (just percentage points above the No. 30 overall spot).

Yikes.

SI.com– No. 24

Depending on what happens with the Eagles and the Cowboys, I withhold some optimism that the Giants can make a run at second place in the division and possibly find themselves in a wild-card game. I have them currently projected for eight wins—with or without Daniel Jones at the helm—with my main questions being the efficacy of this offensive line and the maturity of the secondary. These are big, big questions but the Giants also have new coaches for both units.

CBS Sports– No. 29

This might be a win-or-else season for Brian Daboll. It’s going to be a challenge to win in a good division with quarterback questions.

NFL.com– No. 30

There’s only so much room for growth imaginable here until we see Daniel Jones perform somewhere close to the level he did in 2022, when he was good but hardly transcendent. Helping his cause are a legitimate WR1 in waiting in Malik Nabers and an offensive line that added several parts this offseason — and there’s absolutely nowhere for that group to go but up. The Giants addressed the pass rush by trading for Brian Burns, which was a must; they blitzed relentlessly last year and were near the bottom in sack rate. Yet, with the loss of Saquon Barkley, as well as the reality of Jones and a very young secondary facing the fire this season in a division that features two heavyweights and a suddenly intriguing Commanders team, my optimism for the 2024 Giants thriving is fairly limited.

Yahoo! Sports– No. 30

The Giants are banking heavily on two things this season: Their defensive line might be one of the best in the NFL, and Malik Nabers could step right into a 100-catch season. The rest? It might not be very pretty. This is a tough task for Brian Daboll, who is likely on the hot seat.

Fox Sports– No. 31

I started the preseason thinking that Daniel Jones wouldn’t be the Giants’ quarterback in 2025, and I’m not moving off my spot. I think the hope in New York this season is that Malik Nabers and this offensive line will grow into promising pieces that can help the Giants’ next QB.

New York Times– No. 31

Preseason vibes: Feisty at least

The Giants were fined $200,000 for a series of fights during joint practices with the Lions. Detroit was fined, too. The difference is that might be the most competitive the Giants are this season. The Athletic’s win projections have New York at 6.7, the fourth-lowest total in the league. Rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers, who was right in the middle of the practice fights, at least looks like the real deal, so he’ll make New York interesting.

ESPN.com– No. 32

The Giants have won six or fewer games in six of the past seven seasons, and arguably the league’s worst overall roster suggests they will make it seven of eight in 2024. If Daniel Jones doesn’t make a big leap after returning from an ACL tear, there’s a good chance the Giants will choose his replacement with the first pick in April’s draft.

USA Today– No. 32

Any optimism that might have been engendered by the offseason version of “Hard Knocks” pretty much went out the window as soon as QB Daniel Jones reverted to his worst professional self during his preseason return.