Daniel Stephen Jones III.

The ingredients necessary for the New York Giants to realize expectations this fall aren’t much of a secret; the weight sits heavily on the shoulders of the former No. 6 overall selection.

The foundation has been laid in New York and optimism is accordingly high as the Giants eye their first division title in a decade. A franchise one tethered near the basement of the NFC East is a unit garnering little attention as we approach training camp. Although the club has been overshadowed by the reckless, and at times, doltish actions of general manager Dave Gettleman, New York finds itself in an awfully good spot with key pieces returning to lead the charge in a potential make-or-break campaign for Jones.

As a whole, the historically above-average NFC East enjoyed an outlier season in which its division winner (Washington) finished below .500 with just seven wins.

That won’t be the case this campaign.

With as much that went wrong in 2020 in Joe Judge’s first season as head coach, you can’t help but take notice of the elite talent in town who look to be buying into Judge’s system—which should, in turn, result in victories. The Giants’ offseason, although it consisted of some splash, has been one of the most productive, under-the-radar cycles in all of football if we’re going by my book. Gone are Dalvin Tomlinson, Kevin Zeitler, Kyler Fackrell, and Golden Tate, but the pros drastically outweigh the cons of the talent the oft-criticized Gettleman signed in return to boost a Giants roster on the fringe of not just competing, but making waves within a weakening conference outside of Tampa and Green Bay.

Back this fall will be the welcomed return of do-it-all ball-carrier Saquon Barkley and left tackle Nate Solder, who’ll be tasked with serving as the anchor of a weary line in charge of keeping the turnover-prone Jones in a clean pocket. Barkley, one of the league’s most gifted athletes regardless of position, is in line for an even larger workload than normal if things go haywire under center. While it’s a blessing to have a talent in the former No. 2 overall selection in your backfield, overworking your bell-cow back coming off a brutal ACL tear is entirely possible, no matter the potential return on investment whenever you place the rock in Barkley’s hands.

On the outside, the Giants have puzzled together an exciting corps of pass-catching talent headlined by Kenny Golladay, who will now serve as the de facto WR1 in a crowded room for targets. Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, free-agent signee John Ross, tight end Evan Engram, and No. 20 overall selection Kadarius Toney round out the group, placing Jones in a spot with zero room for excuses.

Defense is where the Giants hang their hat, however. A group littered with explosive talent and ball-hawking athletes, New York added to a group that finished top 10 in total passing/rushing touchdowns allowed and total points allowed.

Highlighted by one of the top corners in football in James Bradberry and a dynamic, versatile front three in Leonard Williams, Dexter Lawrence, and 1-technique Danny Shelton, those players lead the way for a talented group of linebackers that now includes Azeez Ojulari, a quick-twitched edge rusher who is line to surprise many after his slip into the middle of the second round.

As you can see, the canvas has been placed for Jones to succeed. Within a league constantly reminiscent of a revolving door, Gettleman, Judge, and the Giants are desperate to see Jones progress into the player they envisioned he’d be when Gettleman took him No. 6 overall a tick over two years ago. If Jones is able to take care of the football, progress in his reads, and deliver the football on time and at an accurate clip, a division title is surely an optimal outcome for New York. And although Giants faithful is desperate to return to the stage in February, a successful season from Jones would put skeptics to bed and could inch the Giants that much closer to competing for a title.