NFL free agency: 5 players the Giants could target
Patriots guard Mike Onwenu looks to block against Kansas City during an NFL game at Gillette Stadium on Dec. 17, 2023 in Foxborough, Mass. Credit: AP/Winslow Townson
With NFL free agency kicking off this week, here are five players the Giants could target.
Mike Onwenu, OL
An offensive lineman for the New England Patriots the last four seasons, Onwenu could be a good fit for the Giants. Considered an above-average tackle and an elite guard, the 26-year-old has position flexibility that could be particularly helpful depending on how Evan Neal does, or doesn’t, continue to develop. During the 2023 season, Onwenu allowed three sacks and was called for four penalties on 850 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. The 6-3, 350-pound lineman out of Michigan also previously worked with Carmen Bricillo, the Giants' new offensive line coach formerly with New England.
Jonah Jackson, OL
A third-round pick by the Lions in 2020, the left guard was drafted out of Ohio State by the previous regime. The 6-4, 311-pound lineman has outperformed his draft stock, making the Pro Bowl in 2021 and being a mainstay on one of the best offensive lines in football that helped Detroit make the NFC Championship Game for the first time since the 1991 season. Jackson, 27, gave up two sacks in 2023 and has yielded a total of 11 in his four seasons.
Bryce Huff, DE
The Giants may not have to look too far to find someone to bookend with Kayvon Thibodeaux on the defensive line. At 25, Huff has a world of potential, and he showed that whenever he was on the field for a Jets team that had an abundance of talent and depth on the defensive line. Huff was mostly used as a situational pass rusher with the Jets, but there's no denying his production. The 6-3, 255-pound fourth-year player out of Memphis led the team with 10 sacks last season and had 67 pressures. His pass rush win rate of 22.7% is remarkable. He had two sacks in each of his first two seasons, then 3.5 before his breakout season in 2023.
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Gabe Davis (13) runs with the ball past Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. (3) during an NFL football game, Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong) Credit: AP/Kyusung Gong
Gabe Davis, WR
He is well-versed in the offense the Giants run and has great familiarity with coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen from their time in Buffalo. With Davis' time up in Buffalo, it would not be a surprise for the Giants to inquire, at the least. He’s a 6-2 target who is still 24 and developed into one of Josh Allen's favorite downfield targets after being drafted out of the University of Central Florida in the fourth round of the 2020 draft. Davis' touchdown catches in his four seasons with Buffalo: 7, 6, 7 and 7. He caught 45 passes for 746 yards last season. His career average for yards per reception is 16.7, which would provide the Giants with a much-needed deep threat.
Mike Gesicki, TE
He could be insurance at the position if Darren Waller decides to retire after an underwhelming first season with the Giants. Gesicki, a 28-year-old New Jersey native, spent his first five seasons with the Dolphins after they took him in the second round of the 2018 draft. He played with the Patriots last season and had 29 catches for 244 yards and two touchdowns. In five years with Miami, he totaled 231 catches for 2,617 yards and 18 TD catches.
Kimberly Jones covers the Giants for Newsday, a beat she first worked in the early 2000s before joining the YES Network to cover the Yankees. She worked for the NFL Network for more than a decade and has been heard semi-regularly on WFAN.
