New York Giants: 3 Vital statistics for 2019 season

PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 25: Head coach Pat Shurmur of the New York Giants and wide receiver Sterling Shepard #87 of the New York Giants are seen prior to taking on the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on November 25, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

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LANDOVER, MD – DECEMBER 09:Quarterback Josh Johnson #8 of the Washington Redskins is sacked by linebacker Lorenzo Carter #59 and defensive end Kerry Wynn #72 of the New York Giants in the fourth quarter at FedExField on December 9, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

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When New York Giants’ general manager Dave Gettleman opted for Duke University quarterback Daniel Jones with the sixth overall pick a little over four months ago, there was certainly plenty of criticism.

Some of it was based on the fact that those who look at the prospects may not have felt that the former Blue Devil was worthy of a selection that high. Many felt that Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins was the top quarterback prospect on the board after Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray, who was the focus of the Arizona Cardinals (who had the first overall pick in April) for months.

Nevertheless, one of the other issues when it came to the Giants’ selection was the fact that the team passed on a pass rusher such as University of Kentucky prospect Josh Allen. In 2018, Pat Shurmur’s club was tied for next-to-last in the league with 30 sacks. And when the club opted to deal Olivier Vernon to the Cleveland Browns this offseason, the Giants were parting ways with their top sack artist this past season.

So who will be putting the heat on opposing quarterbacks come from in ‘19? Can second-year pros B.J. Hill (5.5) and Lorenzo Carter (4) — who finished second and third on the team in quarterback traps, respectively — build off their rookie seasons? Can first-round defensive end Dexter Lawrence make a big impact here? Can free-agent addition Markus Golden (Cardinals) stay healthy and return to his previous standout form?

There are still a lot of questions when it comes to this issue.

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