New York Giants News

Giants news, 3/23: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jordan Addison, draft plans after free agency, more headlines

New York Giants news for Thursday

By JamesPHickey Mar 23, 2023, 6:00am EDT

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Giants’ Joe Schoen, Brian Daboll, Mike Kafka and more to attend the Ohio State pro day

The Giants descended on Columbus in force, headlined by general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll along with offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and offensive line coach Bobby Johnson.

The man they came to see was Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who Schoen and Daboll were seen having dinner with Tuesday.

The next day, Smith-Njigba showed why. Working his way back from a hamstring injury that cost him most of last season, Smith-Njigba ran a 4.53 40 at Ohio State's pro day on Wednesday.

Afterwards, Smith-Njigba talked about his dinner with the Giants the night before the workout.

Jaxon Smith-Ngiba told me his thoughts on the dinner with the NY Giants last night and how special it could be to be a part of the Big Blue. pic.twitter.com/ATr9vDwLkV
— Matt Goldman (@MattGoldman28) March 22, 2023

“It was great. Great dinner, great conversation, great people and great coaches...I feel like they’re on the come-up, you’ve seen it last year [by] them making the playoffs, doing their thing. I definitely loved meeting with them. We had a great conversation and a great time, so, happy I got to be able to do that.”

Other Giant observations

USC football: Jordan Addison discusses Pro Day, NFL Draft | Sports Illustrated

Addison also said the team that he’s heard from most recently is the New York Giants and that he’s willing to play anywhere on offense or special teams to get on the field at the next level.

The second episode of Giants Life: The Process has dropped

Setting a new standard.

Watch "Giants Life: The Process" : https://t.co/vth3DUVcXP pic.twitter.com/Mm4ZewvJQp
— New York Giants (@Giants) March 22, 2023

2023 NFL free agency: Best team fits for unsigned players | ESPN.com

Bill Barnwell of ESPN compiled a list of the best team fits for unsigned players, and for the Giants he lists free agent cornerback Marcus Peters. Barnwell suggests a possible one year, $2.5 million with the Giants:

“Peters thrived after joining the Ravens in 2019 under the stewardship of defensive coordinator Don Martindale, who has since joined the Giants. Martindale’s defense picked off just six passes last season, which was tied for the fewest of any team.”

New York Giants Free Agency Grade: Daniel Jones, Saquon Barkley, and Darren Waller Bring Hope To New York | ProFootballNetwork.com

The New York Giants were busy in free agency, re-signing Daniel Jones, keeping Saquon Barkley, and adding Darren Waller. We grade the Giants’ free agency.

How the Giants’ NFL Draft plans may have changed after first wave of free agency | The Athletic

The Athletic’s resident draft expert Dane Brugler his thoughts on where the team stands after the first wave of free agency and how he thinks it will impact its draft approach:

“The likelihood the Giants draft an off-ball linebacker or tight end in the first-round is pretty low after their recent additions,” Brugler said. “Draft picks are more long-term investments rather than gap-fillers for the 2023 roster. Most mistakes come from reaching on a need instead of taking the best player.

“That is the long way of saying, I wouldn’t rule out anything with the No. 25 overall pick. Wide receiver, cornerback and interior offensive line feel like the most likely options for the Giants in the first round, based on who is expected to be available and the positions they likely want to invest in.”

NFL 2023 Beat Writer Mock Draft | The Athletic

25. New York Giants: Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas.

Though the Giants signed linebacker Bobby Okereke to a four-year contract this month, the position was one of the team’s biggest weak spots in 2022. By season’s end, the Giants were still signing players off the street, and one of those, Jarrad Davis, played both postseason games. New York brought Davis back on a one-year deal. Why not find a complementary piece for Okereke in a versatile player like Sanders? He would fit well in Wink Martindale’s system.

The Ringer's 2023 NFL Mock Draft | TheRinger.com

25. New York Giants Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU.

The Giants re-upped the contracts of Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton while inking Parris Campbell in free agency, but that doesn’t mean they’re done upgrading the receiver group. Johnston gives the team some size and YAC ability on the outside and should make Daniel Jones’s life a little bit easier.

Ranking the NFL’s best backup quarterbacks for 2023 | Sports Illustrated

Ranked 12th, Tyrod Taylor is a veteran backup who has ample starting experience. At 34 years old, he enters his 12th season and second with the Giants, working behind Daniel Jones.

After sitting his first four years with the Ravens, Taylor earned a Pro Bowl trip in 2015 with the Bills, posting career-highs in passing yardage (3,035) and touchdowns (20). Two years later, the Virginia Tech product led Buffalo to its first playoff appearance in 18 years.

Giants Lead 2022 DVOA Overachievers | Football Outsiders

Instead, Daniel Jones had a career campaign, finishing with a positive DVOA for the first time in his career. A healthy Saquon Barkley produced more DYAR than he had hit in any year since his rookie season. Darius Slayton and Richie James both set career highs in receiving DYAR. The defense was still terrible, and the offensive line remains a work in progress, but Daboll was able to squeeze the most out of the pieces left to him and produce something respectable. And it was something that got better over the course of the year—the Giants went from a DVOA of -7.8% over the first half of the season to -1.5% over the second half, ranking in the top seven in both passing and rushing offense.