Giants rookies have been X-factor in 5-1 start

After missing the first two games of the season due to a sprained knee, Thibodeaux is beginning to show why he was the fifth pick in the draft. Although he didn’t register his first sack until Sunday, he has provided consistent pressure off the edge and helped his teammates such as Dexter Lawrence come away with sacks.

Thibodeaux’s had at least three tackles in each of the last three games, and he’ll only improve as his knee gets better. Do not be surprised if he has a strong second half of the season and becomes the dominant pass rusher that "Big Blue" has desperately been looking for.

Evan Neal: 7th overall pick

Neal had a rough start to the season especially in Week 3 against the Dallas Cowboys when he was overwhelmed by DeMarcus Lawrence who finished the game with three sacks.

Since then we’ve seldom heard Neal’s name being called. In the case of an offensive lineman that’s a good thing because he’s not giving up a sack or being called for a penalty. Due to Neal’s improved play, Daniel Jones has had the most time to throw in his career. The seventh overall pick along with Andrew Thomas has given New York the best offensive line they’ve had in a long time.

Wan’Dale Robinson: 43^rd overall pick

Robinson’s stat line in the game against Baltimore was mentioned earlier, but it doesn’t fully demonstrate the impact he had on the game. The Giants’ offense was forced to punt on their first two drives of the game but was finally to find a rhythm once Robinson was inserted into the game on the third drive.

He caught a 15-yard pass on a third and 12 on the drive and three plays later he found the end zone. With Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney being ineffective and injured Robinson’s snap count will increase. It wouldn’t be surprising if the 5-foot-8, 185-pound talent is New York’s leading receiver at the end of the season.

Daniel Bellinger: 112^th overall pick

It was unknown how much the 6-foot-5, 253-pound rookie would contribute to the passing game. But due to injuries to the receiving core, Bellinger’s number has been called more than expected.

For the season he has 15 receptions for 139 yards with two receiving touchdowns and also has a rushing touchdown on the season. These aren’t gaudy numbers by any means since New York’s offense goes through Saquon Barkley, but the tight end has shown he is a reliable pass catcher. He caught all five of his targets on Sunday and has shown improvement as a blocker. The future is definitely bright for this 22-year-old rookie.

Although these were the four rookies we’ve highlighted, the entire rookie class has made the most of their opportunity when they’ve been on the field.  Third-round pick Joshua Ezeudu has stepped in and performed admirably when there’s been an injury to the offensive line. Cornerback Cordale Flott (81^st overall pick) and safety Dan Belton (114^th overall pick) are valuable members of Wink Martindale’s defense, which hasn’t allowed a team to score more than 23 points all season.

Players tend to make the biggest strides in their careers from year one to year two. With how well the 2022 draft class is playing this gives a clear indication what New York is doing this season is not a fluke, and that bigger and better things are on the horizon.