Overview: The Giants lost by 40 at home to the Cowboys in their season opener, and things didn’t get a whole lot better from there. Failing to continue the momentum of Brian Daboll’s first season in charge, New York was out of serious playoff contention by mid-November.

Daniel Jones signed a four-year, $160 million extension last offseason but tore his ACL in Week 9. While he wasn’t great before the injury, it’s hard to really gauge anything he (or flash-in-the-pan replacement Tommy DeVito) did since the offensive line allowed 85 total sacks, second-most ever since sacks became a trackable stat.

Do the Giants go into 2024 with Jones as the unquestioned starter? Do they use the franchise tag on star running back Saquon Barkley (1,242 yards from scrimmage, 10 total touchdowns) for a second straight season? Do they use the sixth overall pick on a WR1? Or do they use premium resources to address the defense, which wasn’t particularly strong (especially against the run) in its own right?

New York thudded back to Earth last season after 2022’s surprise run to the divisional round. There’s lots of pressure on Daboll and Co. to get things right this fall.

Key free agents
RB Saquon Barkley
CB Adoree’ Jackson
LB Isaiah Simmons
SS Xavier McKinney
OLB Jihad Ward
DL A’Shawn Robinson

Who’s in/out: With a defensive revamp likely in store under new coordinator Shane Bowen, the biggest name to watch here is Barkley. A second straight franchise tag would cost the Giants $12.1 million against the cap this season, though the tag could be applied not as a means to bring him back, but rather as a placeholder to negotiate a longer-term deal at a lower cap hit. Or they could choose to let the former No. 2 overall pick hit the open market since Barkley, while still one of the league’s most productive backs, does not play what teams generally consider a premium position.

Key free agent needs
Offensive line
Running back
Wide receiver

Why the holes? No quarterback would look good behind the Giants’ offensive line, which needs a ton of repairs after allowing a staggering 85 sacks last season. If Barkley is allowed to walk, the Giants will need to address their backfield too, and they’ve sorely lacked a true No. 1 receiving option ever since trading Odell Beckham Jr. five years ago.

2023 – 2024 SEASON

Player	Yds	Tgt	Rec	TD
D. Slayton Q NYG – WR	770	79	50	4
W. Robinson NYG – WR	525	78	60	1
J. Hyatt Q NYG – WR	373	40	23	0

Do they have the money? The Giants are in decent shape, at a projected $26.8 million under the cap, according to Spotrac.

Potential notable cuts

TE Darren Waller
G Mark Glowinski

Why they might be gone: The splashy trade last March for Waller, one of the league’s premier athletes, never fully came to fruition thanks to injuries and inconsistency. He’s due $14.1 million against the cap this season, and the Giants might decide it’s already time to move on. Glowinski, meanwhile, is scheduled to make $7.1 million this season, and as we’ve alluded to, the offensive line needs some serious work.

Draft picks

1st round: No. 6
2nd round: No. 39
2nd round: No. 47 (from Seahawks)
3rd round: No. 70
4th round
5th round
6th round

Good draft fit

Malik Nabers, WR, LSU

Why him? The Giants could go tackle in a rich offensive line draft, but Nabers might be their most gamebreaking bet right away. The LSU star has the burst, productivity and room for improvement to be worthy of a top-10 pick, according to Yahoo Sports draft expert Nate Tice.

What can move the fantasy football needle this offseason?

The Giants will likely run it back with Daniel Jones as the starting quarterback in 2024 but they will need a better group around him. They can’t realistically count on Darren Waller for the big role they ticketed him for last offseason. The receiver room doesn’t have a difference-maker, but rather a collection of solid role players. Oh, and they’re likely losing Saquon Barkley as the starting running back. Couple all of those moves with a desperate need on the offensive line after a nightmarish run last year, and the Giants still have a long way to go in building an offensive ecosystem I’m rushing to invest in this season. — Matt Harmon