The 2023 season was anything but kind to the New York Giants. Following their 40-0 beatdown in Week 1 from the rival Cowboys, that set the tone for how the rest of the year would follow.
Sure enough, the Giants limped to a 6-11 season, which prompted general manager Joe Schoen to conduct a major overhaul of the roster from top to bottom, with newcomers on the offensive line, edge Brian Burns, and receive Malik Nabers.
However, Schoen's changes haven’t inspired confidence in The Athletic’s Austin Mock, who, in his NFL win forecast, has the Giants’ 2024 win total at 6.7.
Notes Mock of his forecast, “The Giants don’t have much hope as they prepare to ride with [quarterback] Daniel Jones one more time. … There’s a decent chance the Giants, who have the fifth-lowest projected win total in the NFL, could end up with the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft."
A lot of things would have to go wrong for the Giants to end up with the first overall pick in next year's draft. While much isn't expected of them heading into this year based on last season's output, why Moc is so down on the Giants is something of a headscratcher.
The Giants, despite their walls crumbling around them last year, pulled out six wins last year with multiple quarterbacks, offensive line combinations, and kickers.
Projecting the same number of wins in 2024 seems unfair unless Mock has a crystal ball that’s forecasting another rash of injuries to key players.
We believe that, given the Giants’ improvements on offense combined with key additions on defense, this team should top the projected 6.7 win total by seven to nine games.
Another large aspect to consider is the coaching staff changes made by head coach Brian Daboll. Despite whatever strife that developed last year, Daboll, the 2022 NFL Coach of the Year, still managed to keep the team competitive en route to six wins.
The third-year head coach's additions, combined with the changes made to training camp to ensure the team is ready out of the gate, are hoped to produce better results.
The Giants' schedule isn't favorable, as they're tied for the sixth-hardest set of games in 2024. Despite this, the Giants need to show they can at least compete with elite teams such as the Browns, Cowboys, Bengals, Ravens, and Eagles.
Getting off to a fast start is also key, as they see the Vikings and Commanders over the first two weeks. When all’s said and done, there is no reason at this juncture as to why the Giants won’t have a better win total than they did last year.
