The Giants.com crew is presented with four statements and must decide whether they are Fact or Fiction.
Malik Nabers will have at least 89 catches, his SEC-leading total from his final season at LSU.
John Schmeelk: Fiction - There were only 16 players that finished with at least 89 catches last season. The only player in his first two seasons to finish in that group was Puka Nacua. Asking a rookie to catch that many passes is a big ask. I think it is more likely he finishes with 1000 yards or even 8 touchdowns on a lower volume of catches given his big play ability and explosiveness. The Giants also have a lot of other wide receivers to get the ball to. Wan'Dale Robinson should be a high-volume target, with Darius Slayton and Jalin Hyatt getting their share of looks outside and down the field.
Dan Salomone: Fact – There's no reason the highest drafted receiver in team history can't take a run at the franchise's rookie records, which are held by another former LSU star. Reduced to a 12-game season in 2014, Odell Beckham Jr. caught 91 passes for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns, all franchise rookie records (Saquon Barkley tied the receptions record in 2018).
Matt Citak: Fiction – Nabers is going to get his NFL career started with a strong rookie campaign, but 89+ receptions might be setting the bar a bit too high. The last time the Giants had any wide receiver reach that number was 2016, when Odell Beckham Jr. caught 101 passes for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns. Now the No. 6 pick could come close to 89 catches this season, but with Wan'Dale Robinson emerging as a potential breakout player and Jalin Hyatt and Darius Slayton rounding out the WR room, I believe the rookie wideout will fall just short of this number. I see him ending the year closer to the 75-80 catch mark.
Continuity on the offensive line will be the biggest factor to success for the Giants this season.
John Schmeelk: Fact - I will cheat and say continuity and more consistent play up and down the line. Continuity will help the team's ability to achieve that play-to-play consistency, but it does not guarantee it. The individual players at the position, specifically the younger ones like Evan Neal and John Michael Schmitz, must perform at an NFL starter level. If they can, even just an average offensive line will help the offense reach a level of consistency that escaped it in 2023.
Dan Salomone: Fact – Last season, the first time the Giants started the same five offensive linemen at the same five positions from the previous game wasn't until Week 11 at Washington. And guess what? They won that game, the next game, and the one after – all while starting the same line.
Matt Citak: Fact – The Giants spent big on the offensive line this offseason with the additions of Jon Runyan Jr. and Jermaine Eluemunor, among others. The veterans will likely man the two guard spots on the line, with the rest of the unit consisting of Andrew Thomas at left tackle, John Michael Schmitz at center and Evan Neal at right tackle. If these five players start a majority of the games this season, that should mean good things for the offense, which should lead to good things for the team as a whole.
View photos of the New York Giants' 2024 active roster as it currently stands.
ILB Matthew Adams
CB Deonte Banks
TE Daniel Bellinger
S Dane Belton
QB Tim Boyle
OLB Brian Burns
DL Elijah Chatman
QB Tommy DeVito
TE Greg Dulcich
DT Cory Durden
OT Jermaine Eluemunor
OL Joshua Ezeudu
CB Cor'Dale Flott
OLB Tomon Fox
WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton
K Graham Gano
DL Elijah Garcia
P Jamie Gillan (6)
RB Eric Gray
CB Art Green
OT Chris Hubbard
WR Jalin Hyatt
CB Adoree' Jackson
S Anthony Johnson Jr.
ILB Dyontae Johnson
LS Casey Kreiter
G Jake Kubas
QB Drew Lock
TE Chris Manhertz
LB Micah McFadden
ILB Darius Muasau
WR Malik Nabers
T Evan Neal
DL Rakeem Nuñez-Roches
CB Dru Phillips
S Jason Pinnock
DL Jordon Riley
WR Wan'Dale Robinson
C Austin Schlottmann
C John Michael Schmitz Jr.
S/LB Isaiah Simmons
RB Devin Singletary
WR Darius Slayton
WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette
G Aaron Stinnie
CB Greg Stroman
LB Ty Summers
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux
RB Tyrone Tracy
G Greg Van Roten
DL Armon Watts
DB Dee Williams
CB Divaad Wilson
The Giants will have more than two players with at least 300 rushing yards.
John Schmeelk: Fact - Unless there is an injury to Devin Singletary, I don't think the Giants will go to a three-man running back committee to get three players to 300 yards. I could see Tyrone Tracy Jr. get to 300 yards rushing along with Singletary, but right now I doubt anyone else will. But wait! This doesn't say running back. Daniel Jones, if he stays health enough, will easily surpass 300 yards rushing. Jones looked as mobile and explosive as ever running around at the end of minicamp, so I don't expect his running to be curtailed at all.
Dan Salomone: Fact – All signs point to a full-go Daniel Jones this season, which gets you one-third of the way to "fact" here. In his two seasons under Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka, Jones averages 7.3 carries for 41.5 yards per game. In his three seasons prior, he averaged 4.6 and 26.9 as a starter, respectively.
Matt Citak: Fact – Barring injury, there's a good chance that both Devin Singletary and Daniel Jones will reach 300 yards on the ground this season. The question of who could be the third 300-yard rusher is where things get interesting, but I believe Tyrone Tracy Jr. will be able to hit that mark. Tracy's abilities as a pass-catcher should earn him some playing time early on, and once he's given an opportunity, the rookie will take advantage. Tracy, who averaged 6.6 yards per carry on his 130 rush attempts at Purdue over the last two seasons, brings both explosiveness and elusiveness that should help him succeed at the next level.
Jalin Hyatt will lead the Giants in yards per reception this season.
John Schmeelk: Fact - Darius Slayton has consistently averaged over 15 yards per catch during his career, so he might be the safer pick here. Malik Nabers has the dynamic, physical ability to make explosive plays and pump up his yard per catch average. However, I think the Giants will try to get the ball to him enough in space on short passes to depress his average. Can Jalin Hyatt reach 16 yards per catch like he did last season? I think the answer is yes. Even though I expect Hyatt to run a more nuanced and complete route tree, I still expect him to be targeted mostly on downfield throws. Hyatt might finish 4th in receptions on the team, but he will lead them in yards per catch.
Dan Salomone: Fact – While Malik Nabers is a big play waiting to happen, the volume of catches could bring down his average. On the other hand, Hyatt had just 23 catches as a rookie last year, but six went for 25 yards or more.
Matt Citak: Fact – This one was close between Hyatt and Darius Slayton, but I'm going with the second-year wideout here. Hyatt beat out Slayton last year in this category by 0.8 yards per reception, albeit on 27 less receptions. However, the 22-year-old was used sparingly as a rookie, playing just 51 percent of the team's offensive snaps. I expect that number to increase this year, and with Malik Nabers and Wan'Dale Robinson likely running more of the shallow and over-the-middle routes, Hyatt should get plenty of chances to come up with big catches downfield.
View photos from 'Giants 100: A Night with Legends' presented by Verizon as we celebrate 100 seasons of Giants Football.
Tom Coughlin, Eli Manning
Bob Papa, Phil McConkey, Joe Morris, Mark Bavaro, Jason Sehorn, Amani Toomer, Tiki Barber, Chris Snee, Victor Cruz, Justin Tuck, Eli Manning, Shaun O'Hara, Phil Simms, Harry Carson, Brian Kelley, George Martin, Lawrence Taylor, Ottis Anderson, Carl Banks, Michael Strahan
Phil Simms
Bill Parcells, Tom Coughlin, Phil Simms, Eli Manning, Michael Stratan, Harry Carson
Bill Parcells, Eli Manning
ILB Bobby Okereke (58), OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5), Shaun O'Hara, Peter Schrager
Bob Papa, Phil McConkey, Joe Morris, Mark Bavaro, Jason Sehorn, Amani Toomer, Tiki Barber, Chris Snee, Victor Cruz, Justin Tuck, Eli Manning, Shaun O'Hara, Phil Simms, Harry Carson, Brian Kelley, George Martin, Lawrence Taylor, Ottis Anderson, Carl Banks, Michael Strahan
Bob Papa, John K. Mara, Esq. President and Chief Executive Officer, Board Director
Bob Papa, Joe Schoen Senior Vice President and General Manager, Brian Daboll Head Coach, Shaun O'hara
Justin Tuck, Bill Parcells
Bob Papa, Shaun O'Hara, Phil Simms, Harry Carson, Brian Kelley, George Martin, Lawrence Taylor
Bob Papa, Shaun O'Hara, Peter Schrager
Bob Papa, Shaun O'Hara, Peter Schrager, Pete Gogolak
Peter Schrager, Brian Daboll Head Coach
Shaun O'Hara, Peter Schrager
Peter Schrager
Peter Schrager, Joe Schoen Senior Vice President and General Manager
Joe Schoen Senior Vice President and General Manager, Brian Daboll Head Coach, Shaun O'Hara
ILB Bobby Okereke (58)
ILB Bobby Okereke (58), OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5)
Bob Papa, Shaun O'Hara, Peter Schrager, Pete Gogolak
ILB Bobby Okereke (58)
Bill Parcells, Tom Coughlin
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5)
Bob Papa, Bill Parcells
Tom Coughlin
Bob Papa, Bill Parcells
Bob Papa, ILB Bobby Okereke (58), OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5), Shaun O'Hara
Bob Papa, Phil Simms
Eli Manning
Bill Parcells, Tom Coughlin, Phil Simms, Eli Manning
Eli Manning
Lawrence Taylor
Michael Strahan
Lawrence Taylor
Mark Bavaro
George Martin
Shaun O'Hara, Ottis Anderson
Bob Papa
Bob Papa
Amani Toomer
Bob Papa, Phil McConkey, Joe Morris, Mark Bavaro, Jason Sehorn, Amani Toomer, Tiki Barber, Shaun O'Hara, Phil Simms, Harry Carson, Brian Kelley, George Martin, Lawrence Taylor, Ottis Anderson, Carl Banks, Michael Strahan
Bob Papa
Bob Papa, John K. Mara, Esq. President and Chief Executive Officer, Board Director
Brian Kelley, Bobby Okereke
Bill Parcells, Eli Manning
Kayvon Thibodeaux
Kayvon Thibodeaux
Bill Parcells, Eli Manning
Kayvon Thibodeaux
George Martin
Phil Simms
Bobby Okereke, John K. Mara, Esq. President and Chief Executive Officer, Board Director
Phil McConkey, Michael Strahan, Tiki Barber, George Martin, Eli Manning, Justin Tuck, Amani Toomer
Phil SImms
Lawrence Taylor
Bob Papa, Phil McConkey, Joe Morris, Mark Bavaro, Jason Sehorn, Amani Toomer, Tiki Barber, Chris Snee, Victor Cruz, Justin Tuck, Eli Manning, Shaun O'Hara, Phil Simms, Harry Carson, Brian Kelley, George Martin, Lawrence Taylor, Ottis Anderson, Carl Banks, Michael Strahan
Tiki Barber
Victor Cruz
Carl Banks
Lawrence Taylor
Michael Strahan, Tom Coughlin, Brian Daboll, Bill Parcells, Lawrence Taylor, Brian Daboll Head Coach, George Martin
Phil Simms
Michael Strahan, Tom Coughlin, Brian Daboll, Bill Parcells, Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Taylor
Bill Parcells, Tom Coughlin, Phil Simms, Eli Manning, Michael Strahan, Harry Carson, Lawrence Taylor
Bill Parcells, Tom Coughlin, Phil Simms, Eli Manning, Michael Strahan, Harry Carson, Lawrence Taylor
Bill Parcells, Tom Coughlin, Phil Simms, Eli Manning, Michael Strahan
Eli Manning
Michael Strahan
Harry Carson, Lawrence Taylor
Bob Papa, Phil McConkey, Joe Morris, Mark Bavaro, Jason Sehorn, Amani Toomer, Tiki Barber, Chris Snee, Victor Cruz, Justin Tuck, Eli Manning, Shaun O'Hara, Phil Simms, Harry Carson, Brian Kelley, George Martin, Lawrence Taylor, Ottis Anderson, Carl Banks, Michael Strahan
Bob Papa, Phil McConkey, Joe Morris, Mark Bavaro, Jason Sehorn, Amani Toomer, Tiki Barber, Chris Snee, Victor Cruz, Justin Tuck, Eli Manning, Shaun O'Hara, Phil Simms, Harry Carson, Brian Kelley, George Martin, Lawrence Taylor, Ottis Anderson, Carl Banks, Michael Strahan, David Tyree
Bob Papa, Phil McConkey, Joe Morris, Mark Bavaro, Jason Sehorn, Amani Toomer, Tiki Barber, Chris Snee, Victor Cruz, Justin Tuck, Eli Manning, Shaun O'Hara, Phil Simms, Harry Carson, Brian Kelley, George Martin, Lawrence Taylor, Ottis Anderson, Carl Banks, Michael Strahan
Harry Carson, Lawrence Taylor
Michael Strahan
Bill Parcells, Tom Coughlin, Phil Simms, Eli Manning, Michael Strahan, Harry Carson, Lawrence Taylor
Harry Carson, Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Taylor, George Martin
Lawrence Taylor
Carl Banks
Carl Banks
Mark Bavaro
Ottis Anderson
Carl Banks
Phil Simms
Ottis Anderson
Carl Banks
Tiki Barber
Lawrence Taylor
Phil Simms
Shaun O'Hara, Phil Simms, Harry Carson
Phil Simms, Harry Carson
Jason Sehorn
Amani Toomer
TIki Barber
Tiki Barber
Jason Sehorn
TIki Barber
Phil McConkey
Eli Manning, David Tyree
Eli Manning, David Tyree
Chris Snee
Phil Simms
Victor Cruz
Bob Papa, Phil McConkey, Joe Morris, Mark Bavaro, Jason Sehorn, Amani Toomer, Tiki Barber, Chris Snee, Victor Cruz, Justin Tuck, Eli Manning, Shaun O'Hara, Phil Simms, Harry Carson, Brian Kelley, George Martin, Lawrence Taylor, Ottis Anderson, Carl Banks, Michael Strahan
Michael Strahan
Brian Daboll Head Coach
Peter Schrager, Phil Simms, Lawrence Taylor
Tom Coughlin, Shaun O'Hara
Jason Biggs
Phil McConkey
Chazz Palminteri
Eli Manning
Peter Schrager, Phil Simms, Lawrence Taylor
Justin Tuck
Carl Banks
Bobby Okereke
Chris Snee
Shaun O'Hara
Kayvon Thibodeaux
Jason Sehorn, Phil Simms
Bob Papa
Jason Sehorn
Tom Coughlin
David Tyree
Jason Biggs
Lawrence Taylor, Phil Simms
Amani Toomer
Mark Bavaro
Bill Parcells
Phil Simms
Phil Simms, George Martin
Lawrence Taylor
Brian Kelley
Victor Cruz
Phil McConkey
Joe Schoen Senior Vice President and General Manager
Harry Carson
Pete Gogolak
Ottis Anderson
Joe Morris
Tiki Barber
Eli Manning, Michael Strahan, Harry Carson, Lawrence Taylor
Carl Banks
Bill Parcells, Tom Coughlin
Bob Papa
Ottis Anderson
Phil McConkey
Tiki Barber
Phil Simms, Eli Manning, Michael Strahan
Michael Strahan, Harry Carson, Lawrence Taylor
Brian Kelley, George Martin, Lawrence Taylor, Ottis Anderson, Carl Banks
Brian Kelley, George Matin, Lawrence Taylor
Tom Coughlin, Phil Simms, Eli Manning
Harry Carson
Lawrence Taylor
Michael Strahan
Justin Tuck
Bob Papa, Bill Parcells, Tom Coughlin, Phil Simms, Eli Manning, Michael Strahan, Harry Carson, Lawrence Taylor
Victor Cruz
Bob Papa, Bobby Okereke, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Shaun O'Hara
Eli Manning
"A Night With Legends" One-Hour Special airs 6/27 at 7 PM on MSG
Re-live the celebration with the "Giants 100: A Night With Legends" One-Hour Special. Premieres Thursday, June 27th at 7PM on
MSG Networks, Giants.com, GiantsTV, Giants App, and YouTube
