Football Outsiders: New York Giants rank 15th in young talent

The New York Giants were ranked 15th in terms of the talent on the roster 25 years of age and under, according to Football Outsiders.

Among the notable 25-and-under players are 2013 draft picks Damontre Moore, Johnathan Hankins, Justin Pugh and Ryan Nassib, running back David Wilson, defensive tackle Linval Joseph cornerback Prince Amukamara, defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, linebacker Mark Herzlich, and wide receivers Hakeem Nicks and Rueben Randle,

According to Football Outsiders, the team has plenty of numbers when it comes to young players, but not a substantial amount of talent.

"...while the young talent that they do have is substantial, it's either banged up or not completely proven. Hakeem Nicks has yet to play a full 16 games and just had his worst NFL season as a starter, while fellow star Jason Pierre-Paul struggled through a 6.5-sack season (despite 24 hurries) and may not be ready for the start of the season after undergoing back surgery.

"...the Giants have stockpiled plenty of young contributors on defense like Linval Joseph, Jacquian Williams, Jayron Hosley and Prince Amukamara. They also have a pair of wild cards in the wildly talented Rueben Randle and David Wilson. Neither of them played much last season, but when they received chances, Wilson was phenomenal and Randle was physically dominant. Come next year, they could be the ones vaulting this team back into the top 10."

Author Rivers McCown makes some valid points, though some are obviously better than others.

Though Nicks was not healthy last season, he has proven he's capable of being a top-five wide receiver in the NFL. The same goes for Pierre-Paul.

Certainly, there are still question marks about the Giants' other top talent -- Wilson, Randle and Amukamara -- all of whom will need to make great strides in 2013 to solidify themselves as premier players.

Others such as Hosley, Williams or Herzlich will also have opportunities, though the pressure on them is not as magnified as it is on veterans like Nicks or Pierre-Paul, or players expected to break through like Wilson and Amukamara.

The rankings were based the number of games players 25 or under started in 2012, the roles the younger plays held, how many All-Pros a team had, whether the quarterback or impact players were young, the number of talented prospects that were added in the 2013 NFL Draft and the organization's track record of developing and retaining its young talent.

The Seattle Seahawks earned the top spot on the rankings, followed by the San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals, Washington Redskins and Green Bay Packers. The St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts rounded out the top 10.