To date, the biggest splash the Giants have made this offseason came when they gave Daniel Jones a new contract that will pay him $40 million per year.
The four-year, $160 million extension (with another $35 million attainable in incentives) raised some eyebrows considering both Jones’ credentials entering 2022 — a 12-25 won-loss record as a starter before a playoff season — and the fact that he threw just 15 touchdown passes last season.
At first glance, $40 million a year is a lot to pay for 15 touchdown passes.
There is, of course, more to all this, beginning with the fact that 2022 was Brian Daboll’s first year with Jones.
The Giants wouldn’t have invested that money in Jones if Daboll didn’t think he could make him worth the money.
The Giants head coach, who enters his second season after a 9-7-1 record and a playoff berth, believes he can do more with Jones than he did last season.
And that process starts with whom Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen surround Jones with, beginning with this week’s NFL draft and Thursday night’s first round.
Jones at times played with one hand tied behind his back last season with an already thin and unproven receiving corps ravaged by injuries that left the fifth-year quarterback throwing passes to B-level pass catchers and guys the team signed off the street.
The Giants’ first pick in Thursday’s first round isn’t until 25th overall — unless they trade up. There will be receivers with whom they’ve visited in the pre-draft process available at that spot. It is not, however, viewed by the draft analysts as a super-strong receiver draft, so the Giants will be careful not to reach for a need.
Should they trade up — a maneuver they’re in good position to do with the draft capital of 10 picks — that player will surely be someone Daboll and Schoen believe can be a game-changer.
In a perfect world, Daboll would love to find Jones his very own Stefon Diggs the way Daboll’s Bills quarterback, Josh Allen, has had Diggs, who’s averaged 112 receptions the past three seasons and caught 29 TD passes in that span.
That kind of find at 25th overall is likely a long shot, but Jones needs more receiving talent to throw to if he’s going to produce more than 15 touchdown passes, which he must to win consistently in the pass-first league. He really needs a WR1, which he’s never truly had.
Among the potential DJ helpers the team has met with in the pre-draft process include Boston College’s Zay Flowers, Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba, TCU’s Quentin Johnston and USC’s Jordan Addison.
“It’s a good group of receivers at the top of the draft,’’ Schoen said. “[We have to] identify what’s going to separate those guys from the pack and what makes them great. Every year, I think there’s 20-plus receivers that are drafted, and how many truly go on to have success? That’s what we’re trying to figure out. Everybody’s got different strengths and weaknesses.’’
The problem for the Giants last season was that there were more weaknesses than strengths among their receiving corps.
Darius Slayton, who was on the bubble to even make the final roster coming out of training camp, caught 46 passes for 724 yards, a 15.7-yard average and scored two TDs.
Richie James, who was on the roster more for his kick-returning ability, led all Giants receivers with 57 catches for 569 yards and had four TDs.
And he’s not even on the team anymore, having signed with the Chiefs this offseason.
Isaiah Hodgins, a former Bills backup/castoff, caught 33 passes for 351 yards and four TDs.
Wan’Dale Robinson, who had his rookie season shaved to just six games because of a torn ACL, caught 23 passes for 227 yards and a TD.
Veteran Sterling Shepard was gone after just three games after blowing out a knee and finished with 13 catches for 154 yards and a TD.
Daniel Bellinger was the top pass-catching tight end with 30 receptions for 268 yards and two TDs.
Collectively, similar production in 2023 isn’t going to be good enough, and it’s certainly not going to justify giving Jones that $160 million.
The acquisition of tight end Darren Waller might turn out to be a big one if he can stay healthy. Waller caught 90 passes in 2019 and 107 in 2020 — the two seasons in his seven-year career in which he played all 16 games.
A healthy Waller makes Jones better.
But there remains a glaring need for a big-play receiver or two out of this draft who’ll contribute immediately.