Ranking LA Rams McVay among NFL head coaches (32-28)

29th-ranked Joe Judge, New York Giants

Head Coaching Record: __-__

Joe Judge is the new head coach for the New York Giants, arriving from the New England Patriots where he was their special team’s coordinator and wide receivers coach. The hire blends a solid mix of NFL pedigree and experience with youthful energy, innovation, and technology. He worked on the coaching staff of both Nick Saban and Bill Belichick and was part of five championship seasons. During that period of time, he was a virtual sponge, learning and recording all the tricks of the trade for the day that he would be entrusted to run his own NFL team as a head coach.

That day is now, and he has said the right things. He intends to mold the team around player strengths, rather than set a rigid format and attempt to find the player who fits team specifications. He also cited holding players accountable. And to do so, he is the old-school mentality of going back-to-basics with players. Not flash. No glitz. Just good ole blocking, running tackling, passing, catching, and covering. In 2020? That sounds like the right way to go.

Skillset pieces in place

He arrives at a ready-made offense. The Giants had already committed to young quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley. That left the offense in need of offensive linemen and the defense in need of talent upgrade heading into the 2020 NFL Draft. The Giants certainly committed to offensive linemen, using three of their first five picks on that area. The remaining seven picks focused on defensive backs and linebackers.

Like the Panthers, the Giants move to Judge as head coach will not pay immediate dividends. With so little opportunity for face-to-face time, Judge will be fortunate to tread water in 2020. But sometimes progress starts with a bit of a retreat and retrenching. Judge is a no-flash coach in a flashy city of New York. He could be just what that team needs.