New York Giants: The young trio nobody is talking about
By Jason Frank
The running back
Nobody needs any convincing about Saquon Barkley, as his talent speaks for itself. He was banged up for a good portion of 2019 which limited him to only 13 games but still rushed for over 1,000 yards. Every year the NFL has a shiny new toy while other guys kind of get lost in the shuffle. It’s almost impossible to believe someone of Barkley’s caliber could get lost in the shuffle, but Lamar Jackson‘s breakout year took over the NFL from start to finish.
Heading into next season with a healthy Saquon Barkley will do wonders for the Big Blue offense. It’ll be interesting to see what Jason Garrett, (yes that Jason Garrett) comes up with. The former Cowboys head coach will now take over the Giants offense. He’ll throw a bunch of varied looks with different personnel packages at opposing defenses. Garrett had success running the football throughout his tenure in Dallas, so expect him to use the former Penn State star in a multitude of ways.
The receiver
Having played against him in the NFC East last year, Garrett must be looking forward to getting to work with Darius Slayton. The Giants already have Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram as weapons on offense, but Slayton separated himself with a stellar rookie campaign, catching 48 passes for 740 yards and eight touchdowns. For a fifth-round pick, that’s an exceptional value.
There are two things that stood out when watching Slayton play: His ability to get open deep and his instincts at the line of scrimmage. The Auburn alum quickly earned the trust of Daniel Jones and the two connected on several big plays throughout the season. Slayton has a real knack for finding the football and his route running was very impressive. The Giants should be excited about him moving forward.