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New York Giants Ranked Among Most Talented Teams

By Kenneth Teape

May 6, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New Giants general manger Jerry Reese (back left), corner back Eli Apple (28), wide receiver Sterling Shepard (87), safety Darian Thompson (27), head coach Ben MaCadoo (back right), linebacker B.J. Goodson (93), running back Paul Perkins (39) and tight end Jerrell Adams (89) during rookie minicamp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Mandatory Credit: William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports
May 6, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New Giants general manger Jerry Reese (back left), corner back Eli Apple (28), wide receiver Sterling Shepard (87), safety Darian Thompson (27), head coach Ben MaCadoo (back right), linebacker B.J. Goodson (93), running back Paul Perkins (39) and tight end Jerrell Adams (89) during rookie minicamp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Mandatory Credit: William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New York Giants spent a lot of money during free agency, and had a solid draft. That work landed them on NFL.com’s list of the 10 most talented rosters in the NFL.

The New York Giants are looking to improve upon a very disappointing 2015 season when they finished 6-10. It was the fourth consecutive season that the Giants missed the postseason, and it led to Tom Coughlin leaving the team. Ben McAdoo was named the next head coach, and he is looking at a roster that, on paper, has more talent than the ones given to Coughlin in recent years.

Facing a make-or-break season, general manager Jerry Reese was aggressive in free agency. Armed with a ton of money to spend, Reese went on a spending spree early in free agency. He landed Olivier Vernon from the Miami Dolphins, Damon Harrison from the New York Jets and Janoris Jenkins from the St. Louis Rams.

In addition to the big named acquisitions, the Giants added depth at linebacker with Keenan Robinson and Kelvin Sheppard. They also re-signed Jason Pierre-Paul, giving the Giants arguably the most talented defensive line in the NFL.

They did not stop there, as the Giants also had a very strong draft. Despite the consensus being that they may have reached for Eli Apple with the 10th overall pick, their draft as a whole was strong. They hit on a number of needs and added value with every pick after their first selection.

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Despite the infusion of talent, there are still some people that are skeptical. The analytic driven people are not as high on the Giants, as Football Outsiders has the Giants projected to finish 2016 with a 6-10 record again. But there is one person that is high on the Giants, as they were ranked as one of the 10 most talented rosters in the NFL.

Over at NFL.com, analyst Bucky Brooks revealed his list of the 10 most talented rosters in the NFL currently, and the Giants came in at ninth on that list. Here is what he had to say about the team.

"Despite all of the criticism general manager Jerry Reese has received for failing to add a host of premier players in recent drafts, the Giants sufficiently filled the voids on their roster through aggressive free-agent additions. The acquisitions of Harrison, Vernon and Jenkins immediately upgrade the playmaking potential of the defense. With Pierre-Paul poised to bounce back from a subpar season following his self-inflicted hand injury and Rodgers-Cromartie regarded as a premier cover corner, the Big Blue defense could return to the ranks of the elite this season. Offensively, the combination of Manning and Beckham strikes fear in the hearts of defensive coordinators around the NFL. If the Giants get any contributions from Victor Cruz and/or Sterling Shepard opposite OBJ, this offense will be a problem for opponents down the stretch."

The Giants have added a ton of talent on defense, as there is potential for the unit to go from one of the worst in the NFL to one of the best. In a league that is becoming more and more vertical, the Giants now have three guys in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Jenkins and Apple that have the tools to be a No.1 corner. They still need to find a slot defender, but the outside should be covered.

In the trenches the Giants struggled last season, but with Vernon and Harrison in the fold that shouldn’t be a problem anymore. Those two, with Pierre-Paul and Johnathan Hankins, should give the Giants an advantage in the trenches more often than not.

Next: New York Giants 2016 NFL Draft Grades

The Giants still have some issues, as they need to find a safety to play next to Landon Collins and the offensive line wasn’t addressed. But, the Giants are undoubtedly improved this season from a talent standpoint over last season, and things are certainly looking up.

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