Do the New York Giants Really Have a Bottom Five Roster?

Although the Giants quarterback room looks much better on paper than it did a year ago, thanks in part to the promise of rookie Jaxson Dart, there are still concerns about projected starter Russell Wilson and backup Jameis Winston.

“The problem is that Dart isn't viewed as a pro-ready prospect, and the veteran quarterback duo of Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson leaves plenty to be desired,” Knox said. 

“Winston remains turnover-prone, while Wilson floundered down the stretch for the Pittsburgh Steelers last season.”

No, Dart isn’t a pro-ready quarterback right now, nor should he be expected to perform like one just a couple of weeks after being drafted to sit behind Wilson and Winston. 

Although the Giants haven’t formally outlined their quarterback plan, the thought is that Dart will sit for a while, if not the entire season, so he can fully immerse himself in the offense and be ready to hit the ground running once he’s demonstrated that he’s mastered the system.

I don’t think many people will argue about Winston's point. He’s been turnover-prone his entire NFL career and has enough experience to say he is just who he is as a quarterback. Still, Winston, who, like Dart, was a first-round draft pick, brings value to the young rookie’s development.  

I don’t fully understand or agree with Knox’s point about Wilson. While I don’t think he played exceptional football by any stretch of the word, I strongly disagree with saying that he “floundered.”

Wilson played average football for most of the season when he was available in 2024, outside of one game against the Cincinnati Bengals. 

The game against the Chiefs wasn’t pretty, but he operated under constant duress in the backfield and performed well for a quarterback who is expected to be average.

Wilson’s stats weren’t gaudy, maybe leading people to believe that Wilson was struggling more down the stretch.

Context also matters. The Steelers had a bottom-ten offensive line and a run game that was happy if it walked away with 4.0 yards per carry in a game. Their top four pass-catchers were a tight end, a wide receiver, and two running backs.

As someone who has been very critical of the Giants in recent years, I think the addition of Wilson helps elevate the floor because it finally gives the Giants average quarterback play.

Even outside of the quarterback questions, the Giants' roster is no longer a bottom-five roster in the NFL due to the upgrades this team has made over the aforementioned back-to-back strong offseasons.

The Giants' offensive line will be average to above-average if the starting five stays healthy, especially if some of the moves on the interior work out.

In the pass-catching group, the Giants have a guy in Malik Nabers who is coming off a 1,200-yard season despite abysmal quarterback play. They also have a complementary outside receiver in Darius Slayton, a chain-mover in the slot in Wan’Dale Robinson, and a promising rookie tight end in Theo Johnson.

Defensively, there’s a strong argument to be made that the Giants might just have the best pass rush in the NFL. The defensive front has been heavily invested in and should dominate the line of scrimmage in 2025.

Defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence II is the best nose tackle on the planet, and he’ll have rookie Darius Alexander next to him full time at some point. The Giants also have an elite edge group, including Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and rookie Abdul Carter.

The secondary is a bit of a wild card regarding how new additions like cornerback Paulson Adebo and safety Jevon Holland will mesh with the rest of the unit. Still, in an “on paper” conversation, that’s a strong secondary that should be considered a potential top-ten secondary.

That said, the Giants need to continue to add depth in some areas, and the roster still has valid question marks that will hopefully be answered throughout the spring and summer. But to suggest it’s a bottom-five roster? That’s about as obvious a stretch as you’ll find.

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