#Daniel Jones is just one part of this crucial Giants’ leap

They need more than three players in 2020 to take a quantum leap forward. After all, they won three, five and four games the past three seasons, a horrid stretch that can be attributed to many deficiencies, including a dearth of talent and not nearly enough tangible improvement from the players they selected in the NFL Draft.

It is not too much to ask. The roster first-year coach Joe Judge is putting together is populated with youth, which is a good thing. Inexperience leads to mistakes but also offers the possibility of growth. There are so many Giants with barely-filled resumes; their careers can go in any of a number of directions.

When a team is in such disrepair, it is preferable to have an unproven group. In that case at least the inhabitants of the group are possibly on the way up, as opposed to a bunch with some measure of pedigree but likely on the way down.

Here are the three Giants most ready and needed to produce a break-out season:

Oshane Ximines, outside linebacker

Ximines understands his name will always be linked to the Odell Beckham Jr. trade, as his 2019 draft slot (No. 95 overall) in the third round was shipped from the Browns to the Giants in that mega-deal. Affable, serious-minded and willing to work, it seems as if Ximines can handle this extra ingredient (or impediment) that will carry through his NFL career.

Michael Strahan (one), Osi Umenyiora (one) and Justin Tuck (one), had a combined TOTAL of three sacks in their rookie seasons. Does this mean guaranteed stardom for Ximines, who had 4.5 sacks in his NFL debut? Of course not. What this does mean is there is bona fide potential lurking around the corner. Ximines needed to continue to learn the NFL ropes, coming from a non-Power Five college program (Old Dominion). He improved steadily and, with added experience and strength, there is every reason to think the youngster called X-Man can develop into a serious pass-rusher. How serious? We shall see.

Julian Love, defensive back

Note that there is no designation of safety or cornerback with Love. This, potentially, is the beauty of what he brings to the Giants. He was primarily a cornerback at Notre Dame and transitioned to safety as an NFL rookie. Love’s coverage skills and ability to tackle should meld into the formation of an interesting prospect. If he continues to grow, there is little doubt this new coaching staff will figure out a way to get Love on the field with the two presumptive starting safeties, Jabrill Peppers and rookie Xavier McKinney.

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It took too long to get Love reps on defense last season. In the last six weeks, he was finally given the opportunity to show what he could do, up in the box and also in the slot. He graded out at the ninth-best safety in the box, according to Pro Football Focus, and allowed only 19 yards in 80 coverage snaps in the slot. Given the history of this new coaching staff — Judge and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham worked together with the Patriots — figure Love’s versatility will be a big selling point.

Daniel Jones, quarterback

Ask any guy who plays the most important position on the field when his greatest improvement came and many will say in year No. 2. Eli Manning went from a rookie in 2004 who often looked unready for the NFL to a legitimate starter in 2005, capable of leading his team into the playoffs. Jones had a much more impressive first season than Manning did 17 years ago — twice as many touchdown passes (24) than interceptions (12). Still, there is a whole lot of developing Jones can and probably will display in 2020.

It is true Jones faces unique challenges. He has a new offense to learn and that process in the spring and early summer was undertaken remotely amid the global coronavirus pandemic. Jones was able to gather his teammates for two weeks of throwing and catching in Austin, Texas. He is a sharp guy and understands what it means to be Manning’s successor. He learned the hard way the repercussions of having shaky ball security. His offensive line should provide more protection. He will never be accused of shirking his responsibilities and has bulked up, approaching 230 pounds to better withstand the rigors of the job. Watch Jones’ numbers rise this season.