Was having a discussion with a co-worker and while talented this seems to be one of the weirder rosters I can think of in recent memory.
There are a lot of players that if they were to miss extended time their unit would be completely depleted and it would become one of the worst units in football.
1) OBJ. Obviously no team can replace a guy like OBJ but without a credible third WR on the roster the Giants would immediately have the worst WR in the NFL.
2) Solder. Again, most teams cant replace their starting LT but with the rest of our line we would be back to plaing Ereck Flowers and god knows who at tackle. The line would go back to being about as bad as it can be.
3) Saquon Barkley. Same as above, hard to replace these guys but with Gallman and Stewart the only other "name" backs on the roster they would have the worst RBS in the NFL again.
4) Jenkins. Already a questionable unit with him the giants would immediately have a bottom feeder unit without him.
5) Collins. See above.
6) Vernon. Even with him our pass rush is a major question mark. We would be a team without one pass rusher capable of threatening double digits sacks.
This is as fragile a roster as I can remember. A lot of top tier talent but the depth is scary as hell.
Otherwise each choice is valid and true.
Most teams (except for BB and NE) seem to have the same issue
I think (hoping that) a surprise pass rusher may emerge from some of the new guys.
The cowboys can lose Zach Martin and not have the worst offensive line in football. The broncos can lose braldy chubb and they still have other pass rushers, namely the best player one in the NFL. I can go on and on. The giants have multiple positions/units where if they lose 1 player they have a bottom of the barrel unit.
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still be competitive. How many teams have top tier players on the bench?
The cowboys can lose Zach Martin and not have the worst offensive line in football. The broncos can lose braldy chubb and they still have other pass rushers, namely the best player one in the NFL. I can go on and on. The giants have multiple positions/units where if they lose 1 player they have a bottom of the barrel unit.
okay, thats TWO units in all of the NFL. the cowboys lose zeke, there is a clear drop off, they lose sean lee, clear drop off, etc. there arent many teams that have incredibly strong depth....
2) OBJ
3) Jenkins
4) Snacks
5) Collins
Barkley is first because with him every game is much different for defensive coordinators and the Giants offense. Not only does he represent the threat of the run, he represents a home run threat of the run, a player that must be accounted for, and he doesn't need a well-thrown ball to be a factor, and defenses must provide box help, impacting every facet of the passing game. For the Giants offense, not having him means much more freedom for how a defense defends the Giants, effecting every aspect of the passing game. He also allows the Giants to have the ability to control the clock and close out games, something that has been missing in this offense.
OBJ is second because while a game changer, he doesn't provide the ball-control ability that Barkley does, and doesn't have as large an impact on a defense as Barkley does, although his impact is very significant. However, the passing game is able to damage an opponent far more with OBJ than without him, and he is able to take it to the house anytime he gets his hands on the ball.
Jenkins is third because you simply have to defend the pass in the modern NFL, and nearly every team has a WR that can hurt you, so you need that #1 cover guy to slow down that WR. If you don't have an effective secondary, you really don't have a chance. Scheme can help to a degree, but without the players to match up athletically and skillfully, it's very difficult to prevent touchdowns against you. Jenkins at his best makes the defense a lot better, because he has the ability to take away the opponent's best receiving weapon, thereby shrinking the field. Behind him there is only unproven or untested talent, and it's a scary proposition if he were to go down.
Next is Snacks, and I could easily swap him with Jenkins. He's the best run-stopping DT in the game. Someone once told me that you have to stop the run in the NFL to win. Nobody is more crucial in that endeavor than Snacks Harrison. He is the anchor of the defense, without him, the Giants will be trying to plug their fingers in the dike.
Lastly, I have Collins, because he has established himself as the leader of the defense, and because of his skill in defending both the run and the pass. His versatility and the emotional leadership and swagger he brings to the defense is hard to replace. When he went down last year, it was like the defense lost its heart. His ability to change the game with big plays is a necessary part of any great defense as well.
In terms of Eli, he's been a below average performer the last couple of seasons, so even with relative unknowns behind him, you can't say he's at the top of the list in terms of replace-ability. I do think this can be a renaissance year for him, but until we see it, it's fair to treat him with a little skepticism.
With regard to the pass rush, I am far less worried about it than many are. There are new pieces on this defense, we have one of the most creative defensive coordinators in bringing pressure, and I fully expect that Dalvin Tomlinson is going to surprise people this year with the amount of pass rush he is going to bring out of the 3-4 end spot. And that's another reason Snacks is so important...he is a automatic double team for most offenses, allowing Tomlinson greater freedom with one-on-ones. And several other players may emerge out of this defensive unit in providing unexpected pass-rush, including Avery Moss or Lorenzo Carter. They don't necessarily NEED to for the Giants pass-rush to be effective, but it certainly would be an extra boost for them if it happens.
Ogletree is vital because there's basically nothing behind him on the depth chart.
If Tomlinson progresses the way most of us are hoping, he might be on the list by November.
Otherwise each choice is valid and true.
Most teams (except for BB and NE) seem to have the same issue
The team would be much better off without Eli. He's the anchor dragging us down. I read somewhere that Eli's contract-to-performance value is the worst in the league.
Eli
Solder
OBJ
Saquon
Enram
Top 5 defense
Vernon
Snacks
Jackrabbit
Ogletree
Collins
Eli (1a is Eli, 1b is Webb)
Solder (leader, slightly above average starting LT)
OBJ (draws double teams for Saquon to have running space)
Saquon (runs, catches, blocks and creates mismatches)
Engram (4.4 speed, moves around, mismatches)
Shepard (Top Slot guy, will play #2 wideout more this year)
Hernandez (need a top road grader next to Solder)
Flowers (I think he "matures" this year at RT)
All 8 must stay healthy for a good year, IMHO.
Top 7 defense
Vernon (only true pass rusher)
Snacks (best NT in the league)
Jackrabbit (must return to 2016 form)
Ogletree (leader, smart, slightly better than average)
Collins (tops against run, blitz and passes in front of him)
Apple (has physical talent, sounds grown up)
Tomlinson (after Snacks, our best run DL)
I think the other positions don't have tremendous dropoffs in talent (BJ Hill to Mauro; Martin, Thompson, etc.).
After that the next most impt is every single one of those OLinemen. If Eli doesn't have time the passing game becomes less effective which means the running game can be keyed on.
Then after that it comes don to the pass rush. Vernon. Without a pass rush the secondary will get exposed.