Analyst explains how Giants offense will be different with Russell Wilson as starting QB

The opening days of the New York Giants' organized team activities confirmed that veteran Russell Wilson is serving as the club's starting quarterback over Jameis Winston, rookie Jaxson Dart and Tommy DeVito until further notice. 

For an article published on Thursday, ESPN's Bill Barnwell shared what about the Giants offense will change with Wilson instead of Daniel Jones in the lineup. 

"Jones ranked last in the league in air yards per pass attempt during his career-best 2022 campaign," Barnwell explained. "...[The Giants] ranked 24th in deep pass rate last season and were 26th in QBR on the deep throws they attempted. They rank 30th in deep pass rate over the past three seasons."

"Over the past three years, Russell Wilson has thrown 13.4% of his passes 20 or more yards downfield, the fourth-highest rate in football. Jameis Winston is just behind in sixth."

Winston's stats are noteworthy regarding deep pass rates because Wilson suffered what became a lingering calf injury last summer that ultimately sidelined him through the first six weeks of the regular season. The Giants seemingly are serious about sitting Dart for as long as possible, meaning Winston is on track to serve as Big Blue's QB1 in the event that Wilson gets hurt or plays poorly. 

Former Pittsburgh Steelers No. 1 wide receiver George Pickens recorded 33 receptions for 537 yards and three touchdowns across eight games when Wilson was in the lineup last season. To compare, Pickens caught 26 passes for 363 yards and no scores when Justin Fields was Pittsburgh's starter for six contests. 

While New York's Malik Nabers already showed during his rookie season that he can produce superstar numbers regardless of who is under center, the Giants may be hoping that speedster Jalin Hyatt will benefit the most from catching "moon balls" thrown by Wilson. Hyatt finished last season with just eight catches on 19 targets for 62 yards over 16 games. The 2023 third-round draft pick has yet to notch a regular-season receiving touchdown, and some think he may not be with the Giants in September if he fails to click with those inside the team's quarterback room over the next couple of months. 

ESPN stats show that the Giants were ranked 31st in the league last season with an average of 16.1 points scored per game. In short, head coach Brian Daboll will likely have little to lose in letting either Wilson or Winston air it out early and often this coming fall.