ESPN throws some cold water on Giants buzz
There is a slight lull in parade planning at the moment, but the Giants hype machine will undoubtedly crank up again once training camp kicks off.
The worldwide leader is offering at least one reason to pump the brakes, though. ESPN has ranked Big Blue’s offensive weapons at No. 31 in the 32-team NFL.
The Giants would rank higher if not for the serious injuries suffered by their young talent in 2025. It’s unclear whether Malik Nabers will be healthy enough to return from his knee injury to begin the season, a concerning piece of news for a player who is nearly a full year removed from the injury. Even when Nabers does return, it’s fair to wonder whether he’ll be anything close to 100%. And while Cam Skattebo’s return from a gruesome ankle injuryappears to be closer to completion, the RB was already below average by metrics such as yards per carry, success rate and explosive play rate as a rookie before the injury.
The Nabers situation is what it is. The point on Skattebo is much more pertinent — sure, he may be ready to go in Week 1. But what happens if he’s even a fraction of a second slower than he was?
And it’s not like the Giants have much else. The odds are Odell Beckham Jr. will max out as a camp body who sells a lot of jerseys, Malachi Fields is a rookie and Isaiah Likely feels like a potential overpay.
This is yet another reason why no one should expect John Harbaugh to work a miracle in Year 1 — and should reconsider the idea that Jaxson Dart will take some massive leap.
James Kratch is a veteran sports reporter and editor. He currently reports on the youth sports industry for Buying Sandlot and was previously ESNY's managing editor. Before that he spent a decade at NJ Advance Media (The Star-Ledger and NJ.com), where he covered high school sports, the Giants and Rutgers.
