QB Russell Wilson has been the most impressive offensive veteran this summer.
John Schmeelk: Fiction – I am going to go with Jermaine Eluemunor. No one has consistently faced as many difficult matchups during camp this year than the right tackle, yet somehow he has also been the most consistent player on the field for the offense. He has stood up well against Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux in both 1-on-1 and team drills. For the first time in his career, Eluemunor has been able to focus on just one position and it looks like it has paid off. I have full confidence he is going to be a high-level starter for the Giants this season and, if he plays like he did in August, will have a chance to make the Pro Bowl for the first time.
Dan Salomone: Fact – There has been a lot of talk about leadership and intangibles with Wilson and other veteran additions, but let's not overlook that they need to produce results. And there's no reason to think Wilson won't do that while elevating everyone around him.
Matt Citak: Fact – Wilson has been fantastic for the Giants since arriving in East Rutherford, both on and off the field. On the field, Wilson instantly raised the floor of the offense with his arm strength and accuracy. He's connected on countless moonballs in practice, and we have begun to see them show up in games. Off the field, every single one of his teammates has raved about the veteran's leadership. Wilson is making a tremendous impact on everyone in the locker room, regardless of their position. Wilson is the easy choice here.
OLB Brian Burns has been the most impressive defensive veteran.
John Schmeelk: Fact – Everything Brian Burns has done on the field and from a leadership standpoint this offseason makes me feel like this could be his breakout season. Few players have been more consistent than Burns, who has had between 7.5 and nine sacks in five of his six NFL seasons. He did finish with 12.5 sacks in 2022. I anticipate 12 sacks to be the minimum he will get this year, with a chance to be closer to 15. He has talked about working with Dexter Lawrence to utilize his length and power more, and with teams having to pay attention to everyone else too, Burns should see fewer double teams. Perhaps the biggest factor in Burns' success will come down to the offense, which I believe will be more productive and generate more leads. It should then allow the pass rush to go to work late in games.
Dan Salomone: Fact – He might have been the most impressive player, period. If you want your defense to have an edge (in a positive way), Burns is the prime example. Coach Brian Daboll shows a couple of clips of Burns "almost every day of what he's doing at practice and the standard that he's creating for not just his position room, for the entire team to see."
Matt Citak: Fact – While Wilson might be the clear choice on the offensive side of the ball, Burns deserves that honor for the defense. The outside linebacker is on a mission to take his game to another level, as he told the media last week. Well, if you were to watch him at practice every day, you would see that he's taking that mission very seriously. Burns is practicing at 100 percent each and every day. The veteran is leading by example, which is significant with the presence of rookie Abdul Carter in the outside linebacker room. Burns could be well on his way to his second career double-digit sack campaign this year.