New York Giants 2023 offseason outlook

The New York Giants shocked the football world in 2022, posting a 9-7-1 record and earning their franchise's first postseason berth since the 2015 season.

To cap their stunning season, the Giants defeated the 13-4 Minnesota Vikings in the wild-card round of the playoffs -- a win that served as a QB Daniel Jones' coming-out party. 

The Giants' 2022 season was an overwhelming success, but the 38-7 divisional-round loss to their rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, served as a reminder that the roster needs a lot of work. 

Armed with at least nine draft picks, (the NFL is expected to award the Giants two additional compensatory draft picks), and just under $54 million in cap space, according to Spotrac, the Giants have the necessary resources to rapidly improve their roster.

Before the improvement can begin, Giants general manager Joe Schoen has key questions to answer. 

Is  Jones a franchise quarterback? If so, how much is he worth? Should the team re-sign RB Saquon Barkley or use the resources elsewhere? How do they solve their linebacker and wide receiver woes?

Schoen will also must decide which players to bring back for the 2023 season. Not only do the Giants have a long list of important free agents, but they also have players on their current roster, such as wide receiver Kenny Golladay, who could be cut to gain additional cap space.

Jones, Barkley, RB Matt Breida, WR Sterling Shepard, WR Richie James, WR Darius Slayton, G Nick Gates, C Jon Feliciano, DE Jihad Ward, CB Fabian Moreau and S Julian Love played key roles on the 2022 Giants, but all will enter free agency in March.

After deciding who to re-sign from that list, Schoen must fix holes on the roster. The Giants must remake their inside linebacker and wide receiver rooms while adding additional depth to their cornerback and interior offensive lineman groups.  

Schoen has repeatedly stated that he is going to build the Giants through the draft, with the goal to draft players who will be re-signed at the end of their rookie contracts, while supplementing their roster with free-agent signings. 

There are many intriguing options on the free-agent market who would upgrade the roster. At wide receiver, the Giants could look to sign JuJu Smith-Schuster, Allen Lazard or Jarvis Landry.

To help improve their inside linebacking group, the Giants could sign Tremaine Edmunds, the Bills standout linebacker whom Schoen and Brian Daboll know well from their time in Buffalo. Lavonte David is another name that would make a lot of sense.

At cornerback, the Giants could sign old friend James Bradberry or Marcus Peters, and could look to add interior offensive linemen such as ex-Giant Justin Pugh, Bradley Bozeman, Isaac Seumalo or Garrett Bradbury.

When it comes to the draft, the Giants will likely select a wide receiver or linebacker in the first round. Wide receivers Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Ohio State), Quentin Johnson (TCU), and Jordan Addison (USC) would be home-run additions to the offense. 

The Giants have not drafted a linebacker in the first round of the NFL draft since 1984, but inside linebackers Clemson's Trenton Simpson and Arkansas' Drew Sanders seem like logical candidates who could end that Giants streak at 39 years.

TheGiants' offseason could swerve in many directions, but one thing is certain: The pressure is on Schoen to make the Giants a Super Bowl contender.