New York Giants offense outlook for the 2022 NFL season

The New York Giants are in desperate need of a winning season.

The Giants only have one playoff appearance since their Super Bowl victory against the New England Patriots in 2011. Since that playoff appearance and loss to the Green Bay Packers in 2016, the Giants have had five consecutive losing seasons.

Last season, the Giants' offense ranked second to last in points per game with 15.2. The team compiled an average of 287.3 yards per game, ranking them second to last. One would think that the Giants can only go up from where they finished statistically last season.

The Giants finished 4-13 and were last in the NFC East. When the NFL season begins this September, Big Blue will look to change its disastrous fortunes over the last couple of years.

An NFL offense is highly regarded in a sport where touchdowns score the majority of points. Let's look at where the Giants' offense stands before the football season commences.

Big Blue's offense will be led by quarterback Daniel Jones, their 2019 first-round pick with only twelve career wins under his belt out of the thirty-seven games he has started. Jones is entering the last year of his rookie contract. The Giants declined Jones' fifth-year option a few months ago, meaning he will be eligible for free agency after this season. However, Jones could stay with New York under a new contract if he plays well in 2022 and proves to the Giants that he is the team's franchise quarterback.

After firing head coach Joe Judge this offseason, the Giants hired former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll to replace him. They also brought in former NFL quarterback Mike Kafka to become their new offensive coordinator. Daboll helped turn Josh Allen into a star quarterback for the Bills, while Kafka was the Chiefs quarterbacks coach when Patrick Mahomes won the 2018 NFL MVP. Jones will learn under two offensive minds in Daboll and Kafka this season.

If New York's offense wants to stay on the field for long periods of time, Jones will need to be better at holding on to the football. He has sixty-five total turnovers through his career (twenty-nine interceptions and thirty-six fumbles).

Jones has shown sparks of something great in the air and on the ground. This is his biggest season yet and it will be up to him to take advantage of the opportunity.

Saquon Barkley had been a premier name for running backs in the NFL since his rookie season when he won the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. However, injuries have set him back the last two seasons. Now fully healthy, Barkley will enter this year hungry to show the league that he is still great. Barkley is also entering the final year of his contract after New York took on his fifth-year option and, like Jones, will have to prove to the Giants that he is a future franchise player.

His ability to shed tackles and coast past defenders is something Giants fans miss dearly. With the ACL and ankle injuries that Barkley has suffered in the seasons prior not bothering him anymore, it is expected that the former Penn State running back will look more like himself when he takes his first snap this year.

Barkley is, in many ways, the heart of the Giants' offense. If he is doing well, the Giants will be a better team.

In front of Jones and Barkley is the Giants' offensive line, led by left tackle Andrew Thomas. Jones' turnovers will decrease if he is protected in the pocket and given time to throw. Barkley will be able to gain more yardage if his offensive line can block and open up holes for him.

The Giants' receivers going into the 2022 season include wideouts Sterling Shepard, Kadarius Toney, Kenny Golladay, Darius Slayton, and rookie Wan'Dale Robinson, as well as rookie tight end Daniel Bellinger.

Sterling Shepard is a versatile wide receiver who can play his position in the slot or on the outside perimeter. He has a 90.1 NFL rating when quarterbacks target him and will look to continue to be a trustworthy and reliable playmaker in the Giants' offense.

Kadarius Toney raised eyebrows when he started getting more playing time for the Giants in the back half of last season. Toney's shiftiness and ability to break ankles immediately put the whole league on notice. The second-year wideout has star potential and will look to showcase that this season.

Kenny Golladay was one of the Giants' biggest signings in the 2021 offseason. Initially drafted by the Detroit Lions, Golladay was known for his big hands and incredible catching ability. However, many of his elite skills were not prevalent during last season. Golladay was plagued by drops, did not receive as many targets as fans had hoped, and failed to score any touchdowns. Golladay will hope to vastly improve this season and prove to the Giants and Jones that he is still that big, talented receiver he was in Detroit.

Darius Slayton has been known to make big plays for the Giants since they drafted him in 2019. He will be primarily used as a deep threat on the outside for Jones and will be a long-yardage threat.

New York also added two more rookies to their offense that they believe will make an immediate impact.

In the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Giants selected wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson out of Kentucky. Robinson broke out for 1,334 yards and seven touchdowns in his senior season with the Wildcats. He stands at 5-foot-8 and projects to be a dynamic talent and excellent route runner that the Giants can use anywhere on the field. Don't be surprised to see Robinson utilized in the backfield.

In the fourth round of April's draft, the Giants selected Daniel Bellinger, a tight end out of San Diego State, to replace Evan Engram. Bellinger is most known for his pass protection and run blocking but will also serve as a red zone threat for Jones.

Injuries plagued the Giants last season. With a new head coach and a healthy offense, 2022 could be much brighter for Big Blue.

The Giants will face off against the Tennessee Titans when the 2022 NFL season begins on Sept. 11. Their home opener against the Carolina Panthers at MetLife Stadium is scheduled for the following week.