USAT: Giants Wire audio clip

USAT: Giants Wire

Feb 22, 2022

Shortly after the 2021 NFL draft had concluded, the New York Giants saw a wave of positive reviews for the job general manager Dave Gettleman had done. Not only had the team compiled additional future draft assets, they maximized a negative situation and appeared to find quality talent. - But the positivity would be short-lived. - Out of the gate, cornerback Aaron Robinson and edge rusher Elerson Smith endured injury issues, while wide receiver Kadarius Toney couldn’t stay on the field for a variety of reasons. Then, early in the season, cornerback Rodarius Williams suffered a torn ACL, ending his promising rookie season. - The theme of the draft class was and remains the same: Tons of potential, but no solid returns. - Nick Shook of NFL.com recently graded each NFC East draft class and although he gave the Giants a solid letter score (B-), he came to the same conclusion. - The Giants’ entire 2021 season can be summarized by Kadarius Toney’s rookie season. The first-rounder struggled to stay on the field due to multiple injuries, but when he was available, he occasionally exploded, as in his 10-catch, 189-yard performance in Week 5. He just wasn’t available enough to make a significant difference for a struggling offense that saw its coordinator fired during the season. Toney could still make this pick look like a home run, but there’s a lot of boom-or-bust potential. - The Giants nailed the selection of Azeez Ojulari, who led the team in sacks with eight and figures to be a key part of this defense for years to come. Aaron Robinson played nearly a quarter of New York’s defensive snaps and might fill a bigger role in 2022, with James Bradberry potentially headed elsewhere due to cap constraints. Elerson Smith’s season was shortened by injury, but he did force a fumble in his limited action. - Gary Brightwell spent most of his season on special teams, getting just two touches in 13 games. Rodarius Williams’ season ended due to a torn ACL suffered in Week 5. Raymond Johnson played a rotational role as an undrafted signee and will have to fight to stick with the Giants in 2022. - Of the group, Toney is obviously the most important. The Giants desperately need a game-changing playmaker to emerge and he certainly has the athletic talent, but can he stay on the field? - And for the reasons Shook alluded to, Williams and Robinson may also become extremely important pieces for the Giants in 2022. - Follow the Giants Wire Podcast: - Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts - - - - - - - - - - - - - Email - - - - - Sign up - - - - - - - - Like this article? - Sign up for the Giants Wire email newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning - - - - An error has occured - - - Please re-enter your email address. - - - - - - Thanks for signing up! - - - You'll now receive the top Giants Wire stories each day directly in your inbox.

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