The newcomer you’re most interested to see make his Giants debut is quarterback Russell Wilson.
John Schmeelk: Fiction – I really don’t want to answer this question the way I am going to. I want to pick Russell Wilson, or perhaps Abdul Carter would be an even better pick. I can’t wait to see him line up against Laremy Tunsil in Week 1. But I’m going to have to say Jaxson Dart. This doesn’t mean I want to rush him onto the field. I hope Russell Wilson plays well and the Giants are in the playoff hunt to the very end, meaning Dart doesn’t have to play at all. That would be great. It also doesn’t mean I’m not most interested to see what Dart looks like in a real NFL game against an NFL defense pulling out all the stops. Can he develop into the future quarterback the Giants so desperately need? We’ll potentially get a small taste of that answer at some point this year.
Dan Salomone: Fact – Brian Daboll wants to get the ball downfield (to people like Malik Nabers), and there aren’t many players who can throw the deep ball better than Russell Wilson. Say what you want about Pro Bowls and alternates, but let’s not forget that he made it last year. It was the 10th of his career as he went 6-5 as a starter in the regular season with 16 touchdowns to five interceptions. He also ran for two more scores. Wilson has proven he can get the ball in the end zone and stack some wins with a talented defense, which the Giants now have.
Matt Citak: Fact – I almost went with Abdul Carter here, but as we all know, quarterback is the most important position in football. While Wilson’s stats from last season with the Steelers might not jump off the page, the veteran quarterback was solid across his 11 starts. Wilson threw 16 touchdowns to just five interceptions while earning a 95.6 passer rating. Perhaps most importantly, Wilson is known for being an accurate passer. The Giants have some talented pass-catchers between Malik Nabers, Wan’Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton, Jalin Hyatt, and Theo Johnson, not to mention running backs Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Cam Skattebo. Having a quarterback who can accurately get the ball to these playmakers should help raise the floor for this offense. The Giants will not need him to look like Seattle Russell Wilson for him to help the offense take a big step this season.
A rookie will lead the Giants in either sacks or rushing yards this season.
John Schmeelk: FICTION SLAM – You will not find someone more excited about Abdul Carter and Cam Skattebo than the guy writing this sentence. Carter was my top player in the draft class, and Skattebo had second-round ability. I still think this is a bridge too far. Rookie pass rushers rarely surpass 10 sacks, and I have to think either Dexter Lawrence or Brian Burns will reach double digits this year. As for Skattebo, fans should not let their excitement for him make them forget how good Tyrone Tracy Jr. was last year. Tracy should get more carries early in the season as Skattebo still tries to figure things out. And Tracy’s speed and ability to generate explosive plays more frequently should get him more yards than the rookie.
Dan Salomone: Fact – Carter jumped on the scene right away in Happy Valley, picking up True Freshman All-American honors in 2022. He led Penn State in sacks as a true freshman and was second in tackles for loss.
“Abdul is one of those guys that as a true freshman jumped off the film,” general manager Joe Schoen. “If you’re just watching anybody against Penn State, he’s playing off the ball, he’s moving at a different speed than everybody else. So as personnel folks, you’re always, man, who’s that freshman, like the kid at Ohio State this year, that receiver (Jeremiah Smith), like that guy is jumping off the film already. He was one of those guys. So he was on our radar from early on in August, like, we’ve got to go see Penn State. We have to go see this guy play.”
Matt Citak: Fiction – This has nothing to do with my feelings on Carter or Skattebo, as I believe they will both make a big impact on the Giants this season. But my answer has more to do with the players they will be competing with to lead the team in those categories. Dexter Lawrence had a career-high nine sacks in just 12 games last season, while Brian Burns was right behind him with 8.5. Both of these guys could easily push for double-digit sacks once again. Carter could too, of course, but I have to give the slight edge to the proven veterans. Meanwhile, Tracy picked up 839 yards on the ground in just 12 starts while averaging 4.4 yards per carry as a rookie. Skattebo will certainly get touches this season and help create a formidable 1-2 punch with Tracy, but I expect the second-year back to still lead the backfield in touches and yards.