The New York Giants’ franchise-worst 14 losses last year were a major downer for a fan base that has had very little to cheer about for most of the last decade. But what little hope they did inspire mainly came from two notable talents who were recognized for being among the top 101 players to take the gridiron in 2024.
Sixth-year defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II and rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers enjoyed stellar seasons, ensuring that Big Blue had at least one game-changer on both sides of the ball.
Beyond standing out on the Giants, which is not difficult to do now, their efforts earned widespread recognition.
Pro Football Focus assembled the list with Lawrence at No. 53 and Nabers at No. 59.
Although the team requires more help in the secondary and on the interior defensive line, head coach Brian Daboll knows he can trust Lawrence to make a sizable impact weekly.
The No. 17 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft trailed just Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs and Cameron Heyward of the Pittsburgh Steelers as the top-ranked interior defensive linemen in that position group. He recorded a team-high nine sacks with 44 combined tackles, eight tackles for loss, 16 quarterback hits, and one forced fumble in 12 games.
Although Lawrence missed the final five games of the regular season with a dislocated elbow, the NFL Players Association voted him a First-Team All-Pro for the third straight year. The 27-year-old commands respect throughout the league. It is safe to say that Giants fans feel the same way.
While the Campbell's Chunky Soup spokesperson did his best to stabilize the defense, Nabers gave fans a glimpse of what the offense could look like with better and more consistent quarterback play.
He cannot do that without an adequate starting quarterback, but once a viable candidate arrives, the 21-year-old speedster will ideally serve as the centerpiece of a competitive passing attack.
As it went last year, Nabers did well with lackluster quarterback play. He hauled in 109 catches for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns on passes thrown by Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, Tommy DeVito, and Tim Boyle.
The stats might not significantly improve, considering they are already quite impressive, but the former LSU star can polish his skill set ahead of the 2025-26 season. Nabers' electricity will only be magnified if he can clean up the drops. He has a great opportunity to climb PFF's player rankings next year.
The Giants have several tasks to complete on their offseason agenda, but Dexter Lawrence and Malik Nabers figure to play significant roles in any potential franchise resurgence.
