Will The Giants Or The Jets Be The Better Team In Five Years?

Will The Giants Or The Jets Be The Better Team In Five Years?

For the first time in a while, things are looking up for BOTH the Giants and the Jets. Big Blue took the race for the NFC East into Week 17 and was a Jalen Hurts benching away from making the playoffs, while the Jets finally parted ways with Adam Gase and brought in Robert Saleh, a significant upgrade by the Green Gang. Both teams had solid drafts as well, with the Jets adding quarterback Zach Wilson and his protection and the Giants stockpiling future picks while drafting Swiss Army Knife receiver Kadarius Toney out of Florida. Which team has a brighter future?

In The Short Term

Unsurprisingly, the Giants should be the better team in the 2021 season. The Jets will improve on their 2-win mark from last season, but Joe Judge wants his Giants squad in contention, and the team added big names in the draft and free agency to do so. Along with Toney, the Giants addressed their need at edge rusher with Georgia’s Azeez Ojulari. The addition of Kelvin Benjamin added even more ability to the Giants’ already-stacked skill positions, so Daniel Jones will have no shortage of weapons heading into his third season. Big Blue’s success this season could hinge on whether Jones is able to make a leap with the new talent around him. In addition, there is no consensus on whether or not Wilson’s game will translate to the NFL. The 2021 second overall pick has massive expectations hanging over his head, and remaining focused will not get easier for Wilson any time soon, as his mother made headlines recently. However, the Jets also ambitiously traded up to select USC’s Alijah Vera-Tucker with the 14th pick, and Saleh and the Jets envision him protecting Wilson at guard for years to come. The Giants and the Jets are in very different spots in 2021. One team feels giddy about competing for a division title, while the other is in a full development year in a very crowded division.

In The Long Term

The next five years are more of a toss-up. If Wilson does develop into a top quarterback like Jets fans are hoping, Saleh and GM Joe Douglas need only rebuild the defense for the Green Gang to fly high once again. However, the Giants defense has already established itself as one of the best in the league, with many placing Big Blue in their top 10. It seems like the Giants are truly a consistent quarterback away from contending in the NFC, and with a couple of big-name quarterbacks reportedly upset in their current situations (Hi Aaron Rodgers, Russel Wilson, and Deshaun Watson!), Gettleman may end up making a few phone calls to find out who is available. However, the NFL is unpredictable, and nobody can truly know what will happen with the Giants or the Jets until it does.