With a new regime coming in, the New York Giants have several players who will be looking to impress during the 2020 season. Some were already here when Joe Judge and his coaching staff arrived. Some were brought along after they were hired.
The last three seasons haven’t been all that kind to Big Blue. After that 11-5 season in 2016, they have gone a combined 12-36. The hope is the new coaching staff can change the team’s fortunes, but it will also come with players performing under pressure.
Here are five Giants who are under the most pressure in 2020:
QB Daniel Jones
This comes as no surprise. The second-year quarterback faces a ton of pressure leading the offense. Jones had a promising rookie campaign, enough to build on in hopes he can be under center for years to come.
Outside of his 24 total turnovers, Jones showed he can lead an offense downfield. He has the arm talent, the mobility and the intelligence to be a successful quarterback in the league. But his second season has to prove he can continue building on the success he had.
There are few players under more pressure than the quarterback, regardless of the situation. But Jones is facing a Year 2 that will be crucial for his development down the road.
CB James Bradberry
The big free agency signing under the new regime. The Giants brought in the former Panthers cornerback on a three-year deal worth $43.5 million in an attempt to address one of their biggest needs on the roster.
Bradberry has the tools to be a successful cornerback in the league, even if he hasn’t shown he can consistently be a No. 1 in a system. That said, he’s certainly an upgrade over the rest of the room and will now be looked upon as a leader in the secondary.
As the first big signing of the new coaching staff and as the now CB1 in the secondary, the pressure is on for the Samford product.
LT Nate Solder
Though it is unlikely the Giants will actually move away from the veteran in Solder, the left tackle faces immense pressure to return to form in 2020. Entering the third year of a four-year deal that is worth $62 million, Solder will be watched closely at training camp and throughout the season.
The Giants weren’t messing around this offseason when it came to upgrading the offensive line. They used the No. 4 overall pick on offensive tackle Andrew Thomas and the No. 99 overall pick on Matt Peart. Both players have high upside to be starters on the edge. They also brought in Cam Fleming on a one-year prove-it deal.
Solder’s 56 allowed pressures were the most among offensive linemen in 2019, per Pro Football Focus, while his 11 sacks allowed were the second-most among tackles. Nothing is a guarantee for the veteran left tackle.
TE Evan Engram
From a pure talent standpoint, Engram is one of the best tight ends in the NFL. His ability to separate consistently and be a mismatch for opposing defenses is why he was selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
However, injuries have slowed his progression and have become a serious concern for his future. He has yet to play a full 16-game season in the league and has been limited to just 17 games over the last two campaigns.
Even though Kaden Smith isn’t on the same level as Engram, the Giants clearly like him. Engram has to stay healthy in Year 4 if there are aspirations of a contract extension in his future.
K Aldrick Rosas
What a wild ride it has been for Rosas. In 2018, he was arguably the best kicker in the league. He missed just one field goal attempt out of 33 during that season en route to his first Pro Bowl nod. Then 2019 hit.
The “generational leg” hit a snag in his progression. He converted just 70.7% of his field-goal attempts while missing four extra-point attempts. It was a brutal campaign for the Southern Oregon product. And now, he could face disciplinary action for an alleged hit-and-run.
The life of a kicker in the NFL isn’t easy, and Rosas faces immense pressure to turn things around.
