John Schmeelk: I will start by saying that if Dan, Matt and I are doing our jobs properly, there should be no under-the-radar players to Giants fans who have been reading our content. But for those of you that haven’t been locked in all offseason, here are some players have may not have been in the top headlines but could still impact the team this season. I’ll give you one from each of the three sides of the game.
The former Raven left Baltimore to join his former coach, John Harbaugh, in New York. Though undersized at 5-8 and just 180 pounds, he throws his body around and hits with the power of a much bigger player. He is very instinctual and can play on all three levels of the defense. He is also very tough, returning from an Achilles injury suffered last May to play in Week 15 last season. I expect him to have a role on defense and special teams.
No one really talks about punters much, but fans should be excited about one of the best in football coming over with Harbaugh. He averaged more than 50 yards per punt last season and had the second-highest punting net in the NFL (44.9 yards). He has a big leg and the ability to put the ball where he wants as a directional punter. He is only 27 and has experience playing in rough weather in the Big Ten at Penn State and in the AFC North. A Pro Bowl selection and first-team All-Pro, he should help the Giants win the field position battle all season.
Offense was the toughest phase to find a true under-the-radar player, and while Mooney was certainly a topic of conversation this offseason, I don’t think he was high enough on the radar. Mooney has two 1,000-yard seasons on the back of his football card. He will be hugely important as a reliable receiver on the outside and in the slot.