Giants’ 7 biggest surprises from the 2024 season​on January 11, 2025 at 11:08 am

Didn’t expect to see kicker Greg Joseph’s name here? That’s kind of why it’s a surprise.

It’s not uncommon for a kicker to lead a team in scoring but considering Joseph appeared in just six games for the Giants, it’s strange to see his name at the top of the team’s scoring list.

Joseph edged out wide receiver Malik Nabers (44) with 45 points — an average of 7.5 points per game. And considering the Giants averaged just 16.1 points per game, that’s a notable mark.

Not every surprise is a good one.

Defensive back Isaiah Simmons was expected to play a significant role in Shane Bowen’s defense, as we all saw during “Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants.”

For one reason or another, that never came to fruition. Simmons was on the field for just 181 defensive snaps and really didn’t factor in at all. His main contribution this season came on special teams when he blocked a field goal against the Seattle Seahawks that was returned for a touchdown and secured one of the team’s three wins.

Speaking of unfortunate surprises, it’s beginning to look like wide receiver Jalin Hyatt might be a bust or at the very least, not a fit for the Giants.

In his second season, Hyatt’s role was nearly nonexistent. Although he took 346 offensive snaps, he was targeted just 19 times, recording eight receptions for 62 yards.

In his final meeting with reporters at the end of the season, Hyatt expressed unhappiness with his role and seemed to imply that a trade request could be coming.

The Giants have struggled in the draft for the better part of a decade but general manager Joe Schoen did a solid job in 2024.

Every single member of the class produced and will likely have a significant role in the future. Wide receiver Malik Nabers is a superstar and running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. has a chance for the same kind of stardom.

Safety Tyler Nubin and cornerback Andru Phillips are starting quality, tight end Theo Johnson is full of potential, and linebacker Darius Muasau is a solid player more likely destined for a reserve role and special teams.

The surprise is that all six are considered hits.

The Giants re-signed cornerback Adoree’ Jackson just ahead of Week 1 in a move of desperation. Many believed the two sides wouldn’t reunite after an ugly 2023 campaign but needs changed for both he and the team.

Jackson had his effort questioned a year ago and posted a career-worst season, which nearly resulted in the end of his NFL career. But with that realization, he stepped in and selflessly did whatever the Giants asked of him.

Was Jackson a world-beater? Absolutely not, but he played well above expectations in 2024. He was the fifth-highest-graded defender (69.0) on the team and ended the season with the second-highest coverage grade (64.5) in the secondary.

Every year, there’s an undrafted rookie free agent who makes a splash in training camp or during the preseason. This year, that honor belonged to defensive tackle Elijah Chatman.

But Chatman didn’t just flash; he made the final 53-man roster and became a rotational player that made an impact.

Chatman appeared in all 17 games, taking 423 defensive snaps while recording 21 tackles, one fumble recovery, and one sack.

After stripping Mike Kafka of play-calling duties multiple times throughout the 2023 regular season, head coach Brian Daboll seized them outright in 2024. Considered a quarterback whisperer and offensive mastermind, certainly that meant improvement was on the horizon, right?

Wrong.

With Daboll in control of the play-calling, the Giants actually regressed this past season, finishing 31st overall in scoring and 30th overall in yards. Those numbers would have looked even worse if not for a 38-point offensive outburst in Week 17 against the Indianapolis Colts.

Things were so bad that Daboll admitted after the season that he would consider relinquishing the play-calling duties in 2025 — something co-owner John Mara would like to see.