One of the keys to establishing a team that is successful in the long run is to invest in a young team. With young players, teams can mold them into the players that best fit their environments. While teams may splurge in free agency for established talent to fill their holes, having the best young players is crucial for the future of NFL teams.
The New York Giants have struggled to remain competitive in recent years. While the team has been successful in obtaining young talent through the draft, especially in the 2018 draft, they have yet to gel it all together. Here we shall take a peek at which young talent the New York Giants should build around for a brighter future. For the purpose of this article, rookies were not included as they have yet to play an NFL snap, however, they will be addressed in a future article.
Running Back Saquon Barkley, Age 22
Who are we kidding, every NFL fan has heard of Saquon Barkley. Considered as one of the best running backs in the league, the reigning Rookie of the Year needs no explanation. If you need a refresher as to why he is on this list, check out the most recent piece on Saquon here.
Offensive Guard Will Hernandez, Age 23
Having an offensive lineman on this list should appeal to Giants fans everywhere. Considering the major holes the New York Giants had in the offensive line in previous years, having one of the best young guards in the league should slowly alleviate the pain caused by years of neglect to the line. If there is one thing analysts and Giants fans can agree on, it’s that Will Hernandez is one of the best picks General Manager Dave Gettleman has drafted while in New York.
As any rookie starter, Will Hernandez experienced an adjustment period once he entered the NFL. With the Giants having various newcomers on the offensive line, including some that did not last the entire season, it was a process to figure out which players worked best together. However, playing alongside veteran tackle Nate Solder helped Hernandez fine-tune his skills, making the all-rookie team in the process. Impressively, Hernandez allowed no sacks in the second half of the season, and deserves more credit for the success of the run game.
Tight End Evan Engram, Age 24
While Evan Engram has yet to put together his potential on the field, whether due to rookie struggles or health concerns, he deserves a place on this list. A decent rookie season was followed up by a slow start to a short-lived season due to injuries, where Engram only played in 11 games. Engram has shown flashes of what he is capable of accomplishing on the field, and with the right support and game plan, should be able to bring it all together in the near future.
Evan Engram’s versatility and red-zone efficiency makes him of one the NFL’s best young tight ends.
PFF’s Henry Buggy examines: https://t.co/Hg9ctiLuOD pic.twitter.com/JleYdZef8W
— PFF (@PFF) July 7, 2019
If Engram is able to continue improving in run blocking while limiting drops in the passing game, he can become the offensive weapon the Giants need to take the next step. Whether it’s Eli Manning or Daniel Jones lining up at quarterback, it’s crucial for Engram to secure the football and take advantage of the increased targets coming his way this season. Head Coach Pat Shurmur will look to spread the ball more in the air now with Odell Beckham Jr. gone. As a result, look for Engram to become a breakout star in 2019 as well as a solid building block for the Giants’ future.
Safety Jabrill Peppers, Age 23
Recently acquired from the Cleveland Browns in a blockbuster set of trades, Jabrill Peppers looks to make the Browns regret trading him away. While his rookie campaign was below average, Peppers leaped in his sophomore season. Becoming a jack-of-all-trades, Peppers was able to line up all over the field for the Browns, convincing Giants GM Gettleman that he would be a viable replacement for star safety Landon Collins.
Jabrill Peppers had a much improved 2nd season in the NFL last year. ???
77.3 coverage grade
+15.6 from rookie year74.2 run defense grade
+7.9 from rookie year77.6 overall grade
+17.1 from rookie yearImage: Noah K. Murray, USA Today pic.twitter.com/3OOzMVPAah
— PFF NY Giants (@PFF_Giants) June 24, 2019
Having only two years in the league, Peppers should continue showing improvement as he gains more experience in each of the positions he will take snaps in. After playing in five different roles in 2018, look for Giants defensive coordinator James Bettcher to spread Peppers all over the secondary. According to PFF, the Giants’ secondary is one of the most improved in the league, and Peppers is part of the reason. If he can replicate his 2018 performance, Peppers could become an essential piece of the Giants’ defense.
Defensive Tackle B.J. Hill, Age 24
After being selected with the Giant’s second third-round pick, B.J. Hill had a quietly successful rookie season last year. Prior to the season, All-Pro DT Damon “Snacks” Harrison called B.J. Hill “the most athletic defensive lineman we have,” above himself and DT Dalvin Tomlinson. When the Giants traded Harrison away in October, Shurmur called out the young group of defensive tackles to step up and fill the void. B.J. Hill did just that, living up to the previous remarks. With Tomlinson shifting to Harrison’s former slot at nose tackle, Hill slid into Tomlinson’s slot in the 3-technique.
For the season, Hill had 22 run stops, along with 27 quarterback pressures, two passes deflected and 48 combined tackles. His sack count at 5.5 may not seem like much, but this set the record for most sacks by a rookie in Giants history. With the departure of pass-rusher/OLB Olivier Vernon, look for Hill to have more opportunities to get to the quarterback while Tomlinson and newcomer DT Dexter Lawrence clog the run game.
Takeaway
Having talented young players on the roster does not automatically lead to a contending team. After all, this is the team who had one of the best young wide receivers ever in OBJ, a perennial Pro Bowl safety in Collins, and one of the best run-stoppers in Harrison. Yet the New York Giants have only made the postseason once since winning the Super Bowl back in 2011. Looking to buck that trend, Gettleman has focused on building through each draft and trading for younger players. If each of these players steps up their game in 2019, look for the New York Giants to become a contending team much sooner than people expect.