Optimist Alley 2022 NFL Season Preview: The New York Giants Welcome a Competent New Regime

Hope springs eternal for every fanbase this time of year, and who am I to rain on that parade? 

It’s time for Optimist Alley, which focuses on the positive of all 32 NFL teams heading into the 2022 season — because there’s always a silver lining if you look closely enough.

Past Previews: ATL I CAR I CHI I DET I HOU I JAX I NYJ I SEA

Today’s Team: New York Giants

Season Win Total: 7.5 (Over +125; Under -145)
Odds to Make Playoffs: +225
Odds to Win Division: +700
Odds to Win Super Bowl: +8500

Dave Gettleman and his fake keyboard are out. As are Joe Judge and his second-down quarterback sneaks.

Will the New York Giants be good this year? No. 

Do they finally have a chance to build something promising, now that new GM Joe Schoen and new coach Brian Daboll are in town? Yes.

The draft was already a departure from the old regime, when New York spent its first three picks on an edge rusher, an offensive tackle and a wide receiver. Hey, premium positions! Not a running back at No. 2 overall.

Giants fans have reason to believe in a better future, and hopefully that carrot can help them get through what promises to be a dreadful 2022 campaign.

Three Reasons For Optimism

Joe Schoen: The new GM did what he needed to do this offseason, cutting bait on several veterans to begin the process of undoing all of Gettleman’s major mistakes as general manager. He also made the prescient choice not to pick up Daniel Jones’ fifth-year option, meaning the Giants will have a blank slate at quarterback next season. While that is a bit scary, it’s better than hoping Jones suddenly becomes a franchise quarterback without any prior evidence.

Kadarius Toney and Wan’Dale Robinson: The Giants spent a first-round pick on Toney in 2021 and a second-rounder on Robinson this season. Toney had a bumpy rookie campaign but flashed his immense upside. Robinson has reportedly been a quick study in offseason work. Both have impressive shiftiness, and bring a level of intrigue to the offense if they each pan out.

The Defensive Front: The best way for less-talented teams to stay in games is by pressuring the opposing quarterback. The Giants have a chance to do that, as the defensive line of Leonard Williams, Dexter Lawrence, Azeez Ojulari and Kayvon Thibodeaux should be above average. New defensive coordinator Wink Martindale is also going to blitz a lot, which should help out a back seven that lacks talent.

Three ‘Over’ Bets For The Giants

RB Saquon Barkley over 900.5 rushing yards (-118): It’s been a rough couple years for Barkley, who tore his ACL and has dealt with serious sprains in both ankles. However, the talent is undeniable, and when he’s on the field, the Giants are assuredly going to feed him. This rushing yardage total is enticing because Barkley has the talent to gain huge chunks of it in short spans. He reached 1,300 rushing yards as a rookie and 1,000 in only 13 games in 2019. I’m betting on the injury luck to turn around in 2022. Barkley is a buy-low candidate, and at only 25 years old, a bounceback campaign seems more likely than not.

QB Daniel Jones over 11.5 interceptions (-110): Jones has averaged a little less than 10 interceptions per season through three, but he’s also missed a total of 12 games in that span. If he can stay on the field for 16 or 17 games, this total will have a great chance to hit. Jones has an interception percentage of 2.3 in his career. There could be some bumps in the road as he adapts to a new system, and if the Giants are as bad as expected, he will be taking chances late in games. Expect the interceptions to rain down in 2022.

QB Daniel Jones over 3,450.5 passing yards (-112): We’re back on the Jones train. He has never reached this total in three seasons, but once again, the missed games was a big reason why. Furthermore, Jones is now in his fourth season and playing to keep his job next year. New York has no reason to make him a game manager like it did early in his career. Jones needs to let it rip for a proper evaluation. That will likely lead to plenty of issues, but it will also result in an uptick in passing yards.

If You’re Feeling Very, Very Bullish

RB Saquon Barkley for Offensive Player of the Year (+6000): This is an uphill battle because the Giants are likely going to struggle this season, which makes it tougher to win an award. But if Barkley starts off hot, the buzz will grow. The natural talent is still there, and all we need to do it look back at his one full season to have an inkling of his upside: as a rookie, Barkley had 1,307 rushing yards, 721 receiving yards and 15 combined touchdowns. 

OK, A Small Dose Of Pessimism

The Giants have some intriguing young pieces, but rookies like Thibodeaux, Robinson and tackle Evan Neal will not be finished products this season. And the veterans on the team simply do not have enough talent to keep New York super competitive on a weekly basis.

Jones has had plenty of chances to prove he is the franchise quarterback but has never lived up to the billing as a former No. 6 overall pick. The Giants are going to take their lumps this season, as a standout season from Barkley and a strong pass-rush would still only take them so far.

New York lost 10 football games by double-digits a year ago and a limited amount of progress from that 4-13 campaign is all that can be asked for in 2022.

The Encouraging Conclusion

The Giants don’t have a concrete plan at quarterback for the future, but that’s a good thing. They will have flexibility after the season and should continue to build up other areas of the roster instead of paying a premium for a signal-caller that is not of star quality.

It was well past time to hit the reset button for the Giants, and a new regime is finally making that happen. For now, New York fans should hope to see some flashes of stardom from its youngsters, and then pray that the team is bad enough to be in line for a quarterback prospect in the 2023 draft.

The Best Giants Bet For 2022: Giants ‘under’ 7.5 regular season wins (-145)