Then they started 1-5 and skidded to a 6-11 finish in a disappointing 2023.

It is critical that the Giants start fast in 2024, their franchise’s 100th season, despite high turnover on the coaching staff and roster. And the schedule that became official on Wednesday night provides them the opportunity to do that.

But they have to capitalize and not let key games slip through their fingers like they did a year ago.

Here are all 17 of the Giants’ games and the Daily News’ predictions for the season. All game times are Eastern Standard.

Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 8 vs. Minnesota Vikings (1 p.m., FOX)

The Giants open with a daytime matchup of projected last-place finishers after last year’s 40-0 prime time, blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Both teams boast former star LSU wide receivers in Justin Jefferson and Malik Nabers. Minnesota arrives with former Giants head coaching candidate Brian Flores as defensive coordinator and two familiar names in the quarterback room: former Jet Sam Darnold and rookie J.J. McCarthy. It’s hard to call a Week 1 game a must win. But this is a game the Giants have to win if they want to be taken seriously.

Prediction: Vikings 25, Giants 13 (0-1)

Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 15 at Washington Commanders (1 p.m., FOX)

It could be advantageous to face Washington early, before rookie QB Jayden Daniels and new head coach Dan Quinn get comfortable, established and experienced in their positions. College teammates Daniels and Nabers called off their $10,000 Rookie of the Year bet, but bragging rights and important NFC East positioning is still on the line.

Prediction: Commanders 31, Giants 16 (0-2)

Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 22 at Cleveland Browns (1 p.m., FOX)

Daboll’s new offensive line will have its work cut out against superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett and a stout Browns defense led by Jim Schwartz. The timing of this game certainly is better than having to travel to Cleveland in December. But that won’t make it any easier for the Giants’ offense to move the ball and score

Prediction: Browns 20, Giants 0 (0-3)

Week 4: Thursday, Sept. 26 vs. Dallas Cowboys (Thursday Night Football, 8:15 p.m., Prime Video)

Daboll and Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy both are coaching for their jobs this fall, which ratchets up the pressure. Schoen and Daboll are 0-4 against the Cowboys in two seasons, getting outscored 140-53. And the Giants have lost six straight to Dallas overall. It’s impossible to pick New York in this rivalry until they win one again.

Prediction: Cowboys 28, Giants 10 (0-4)

Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 6 at Seattle Seahawks (4:25 p.m., CBS)

Will this be a Drew Lock revenge game? A potential snoozer could turn into an intriguing cross-country trip if the former Seahawks backup starts against his old team. Geno Smith’s squad has beaten the Giants twice in the last two years by a combined score of 51-16. But rookie head coach Mike McDonald is now running the Seahawks instead of longtime boss Pete Carroll. Maybe the desperate Giants can steal one as Seattle still grasps for its new identity.

Prediction: Giants 23, Seahawks 20, OT (1-4)

Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 13 vs. Cincinnati Bengals (Sunday Night Football, 8:20 p.m., NBC)

Joe Burrow is healthy. So Brian Burns and the Giants’ pass rushers need to pressure the Bengals’ quarterback, or this will be a long night in New Jersey. Cincy defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is also one of the best in the league. This seems like a strange Sunday Night pick by the NFL, frankly, and it very well could get flexed out. The league is allowed to flex up to two Sunday Night Football games between Weeks 5 and 10.

Prediction: Bengals 30, Giants 7 (1-5)

Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 20 vs. Philadelphia Eagles (1 p.m., FOX)

Saquon Barkley makes his highly-anticipated return to what promises to be a hostile MetLife Stadium. The Giants have lost five of their last six against the Eagles. Daboll is 1-4, outscored 151-97, but beat the slumping Eagles, 27-10, in last season’s finale. The NFL could flex this into Sunday Night Football, but the fact that the league didn’t put this matchup in prime time says a lot.

Prediction: Eagles 40, Giants 22 (1-6)

Week 8: Monday, Oct. 28 at Pittsburgh Steelers (Monday Night Football, 8:15 p.m., ESPN)

Russell Wilson visited the Giants in free agency before signing with the Steelers. Mike Tomlin’s team is not unbeatable, but they are tough, and they will be better offensively with Arthur Smith as their coordinator. This could be a nailbiter, but Daboll has struggled managing close games. This game is not eligible to be flexed.

Prediction: Steelers 16, Giants 13, OT (1-7)

Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 3 vs. Washington Commanders (1 p.m., FOX)

The Giants manage to get at least one win — or tie — against Washington every season, even when they’re getting swept by their other NFC East rivals. Daniels’ explosiveness at quarterback running Kliff Kingsbury’s offense is a scary proposition. But the Giants have invested a lot in their pass rush with Burns, Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Thibodeaux. And Washington’s O-line will be improved but still vulnerable at times. A defensive TD saves the home team.

Prediction: Giants 21, Commanders 19 (2-7)

Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 10 at Carolina Panthers in Germany (9:30 a.m., NFL Network)

It’s exciting that the Giants are playing in Munich. It’s not thrilling that this might end up being a battle between two bottom-feeding teams that are vying for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Burns will be motivated to play a monster game against his former team, and the Giants are 3-0 internationally as a franchise all-time. But Derrick Brown and Carolina’s pass rush will be difficult to stop for four quarters at Allianz Arena playing for rookie head coach Dave Canales.

Prediction: Panthers 17, Giants 9 (2-8)

Week 11: Bye week

Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 24 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 p.m., CBS)

Todd Bowles’ playoff team has three former first-round picks on the defensive line, led by tackle Vita Vea. And they hung with the Detroit Lions in last year’s divisional round. Liam Coen is in as offensive coordinator with Canales’ departure to Carolina, so Baker Mayfield is not guaranteed to have the same success. But this is a difficult, physical opponent to take on out of the bye.

Prediction: Bucs 27, Giants 17 (2-9)

Week 13: Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 28 at Dallas Cowboys (4:30 p.m., FOX)

The Giants clearly deliver TV ratings for the NFL, because there is no other explanation for why they are back in this slot given last season’s disaster in Arlington, Tex., and the Giants’ low-scoring effort in their Thanksgiving loss at Dallas in 2022. Dak Prescott is a pending free agent, and the Giants are expected to search for a new quarterback again in 2025. So that will be the most interesting conversation point during the second half of this laugher.

Prediction: Cowboys 47, Giants 20 (2-10)

Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 8 vs. New Orleans Saints

The Saints embarrassed the Giants last season, 24-6, but that game was at the Superdome with Tommy DeVito at quarterback. New York will have a better chance at home with a better QB. New Orleans was 4-5 on the road last year. While Daboll may only be playing out the string here, he can still beat Dennis Allen. A Shane Bowen defense that has floundered most of the season at least shuts down Derek Carr.

Prediction: Giants 16, Saints 13 (3-10)

Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 15 vs. Baltimore Ravens

The Giants might have the pass rush to present some problems for John Harbaugh’s seemingly offensive line. But even if they affect the passing game, New York’s defense still won’t be able to hold down two-time MVP Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry on the ground.

Prediction: Ravens 31, Giants 7 (3-11)

Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 22 at Atlanta Falcons

New Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, and either Kirk Cousins or Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback, are going to make the Giants sorry that they traveled south to their dome.

Prediction: Falcons 26, Giants 16 (3-12)

Week 17: Sat. Dec. 28 or Sun. Dec. 29 vs. Indianapolis Colts (TBD)

Trying to stop Jonathan Taylor is a scary proposition for a Giants run defense that has struggled for years on end, but Giants middle linebacker Bobby Okereke wills the hopeless Giants to a late-season upset at home nevertheless.

Prediction: Giants 14, Colts 10 (4-12)

Week 18: Sat. Jan 4 or Sun. Jan. 5 at Philadelphia Eagles (TBD)

With the Eagles and Cowboys in a race to the finish for the NFC East crown, Barkley and the Birds bury the Giants to enter the postseason on a high note and cost some of the running back’s former bosses their jobs.

Prediction: Eagles 38, Giants 13 (4-13)

Final record: 4-13

He’s OK with that.

A three-time Pro Bowler with the Giants, the 31-year-old wide receiver said during his introductory press conference Wednesday in Miami that he’s at peace as he enters his 11th year in the NFL.

“I haven’t been the No. 1 in a minute,” Beckham said. “You can go look at targets. You can go look at anything. That’s not really where I’ve been at, so just understanding your role, and how can you be the very best at that role?”

Beckham this month signed a one-year contract with Miami, joining a high-powered offense engineered by coach Mike McDaniel and headlined by speedy star wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

Hill, 30, led the NFL with 1,799 receiving yards and 13 receiving touchdowns last year, while Waddle, 25, recorded his third consecutive season with more than 1,000 yards to begin his career.

Beckham, meanwhile, missed the entire 2022 season as he recovered from his second torn ACL in his left knee. He spent 2023 with the Baltimore Ravens, recording 35 receptions on 64 targets for 565 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games.

Accepting a complementary role is not difficult for Beckham at this stage in his career, he said Wednesday.

“It gives you a huge sense of peace,” Beckham said. “I feel like I used to carry a lot of anger or resentment or whatever it was, and now I just feel at peace. You’re just able to train. You’re able to play the game that you love again. You kind of get past all of the business side or whatever could be holding you back. A part of me feels like this is an opportunity for it to be just [about] football.”

Beckham exploded onto the NFL scene with the Giants, hauling in 91 receptions for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2014 en route to Rookie of the Year honors. His jaw-dropping one-handed touchdown catch against the Dallas Cowboys on “Sunday Night Football” that season ingratiated Beckham to a national audience.

Beckham recorded at least 90 catches, 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns in each of his first three seasons. He eclipsed 1,000 yards in four of his five seasons with the Giants.

Then-Giants general manager Dave Gettleman signed the explosive Beckham to a five-year, $95 million extension before the 2018 season, then traded him to the Cleveland Browns less than a year later.

Beckham’s tumultuous Browns tenure included one 1,000-yard season, his first ACL tear and, ultimately, his release in November 2021. He signed with the Los Angeles Rams later that month and caught a touchdown during their Super Bowl victory in February 2022 but tore his ACL again in that game.

After one season with the NFL-best Ravens, Beckham hopes to help another contender in the Dolphins. Beckham said Wednesday he was “very close” to committing to the University of Miami before choosing to follow close friend and fellow wide receiver Jarvis Landry to LSU in 2011.

“I think my favorite thing, speaking on myself, is about resiliency,” Beckham said Wednesday. “Give me the best of the best in the world and put them through what I’ve been through at the highest level, and let me see them rebound and still be here to this day. … Let’s have a great ending to the story.”

HBO, NFL Films, Skydance Sports and the Giants are collaborating on a five-part original series that will debut on Tuesday, July 2 at 9 p.m. on HBO. New episodes will debut each Tuesday through July 30, and the series will be available to stream on Max.

Nilay Shah, the Giants’ senior VP of marketing and brand strategy, said Wednesday that the Giants gave NFL Films “unprecedented” access “beginning the moment the previous season ended.” So it will be interesting to see how the network portrays the ugly autopsy and repercussions of the 2023 season, if they are mentioned at all.

It will also be fascinating if the NFL world gets an inside look at Schoen’s attempts to trade up for North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye before staying at No. 6 overall and selecting LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers.

HBO’s announcement on Wednesday specified that “camera crews will chronicle the team’s every move as general manager Joe Schoen and other members of the team’s front office and staff navigate the critical offseason period from January to July 2024, from the NFL Scouting Combine to free agency, to the NFL Draft, and team minicamps.”

This will provide an inside look at the Giants during the lead-up to the franchise’s 100th season and also to a pivotal, pressure-packed Year Three for the Schoen and Brian Daboll regime.

It will be interesting to see how other NFL teams react if this Giants series allows the organization to avoid having cameras in their training camp, though, like the Jets had with their Hard Knocks run last summer.

The NFL announced Wednesday that the Giants will be the visiting team in a Nov. 10 game against the Carolina Panthers at Munich’s Allianz Arena. This was expected after the league granted the Giants international marketing rights in Germany this spring.

The Giants (over/under 6.5 wins) and Panthers (o/u 5.5 wins) are projected to be two of the worst teams in the NFL this season by Vegas sportsbooks. So the announcement was not met with universal fervor.

“Germany deserved a better game,” ESPN personality Pat McAfee tweeted.

There are also some people in the Panthers organization who are glad that new Giants pass rusher Brian Burns, who Carolina traded away to New York, doesn’t have a revenge game opportunity in Charlotte.

Still, the Giants have a 3-0 record as a franchise in Europe, winning all three of their games in London in 2007, 2016 and 2022. And they have gone to playoffs in each season that they had played overseas, including a Super Bowl victory in 2007.

This year’s trip to Munich will be the Giants’ second-ever game in Germany, their first in 30 years and their first-ever regular season game in the country. They defeated the San Diego Chargers in a preseason game at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, 28-20, on Aug. 13, 1994.

Interestingly, the Giants’ player photo announcing the game did not feature a picture of Daniel Jones or any of the team’s other quarterbacks. It pictured Dexter Lawrence, Kayvon Thibodeaux and wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson.

It will be the NFL’s fourth regular-season game in Germany, and second in Munich, all in the last three years.

On Nov. 13, 2022, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Seattle Seahawks, 21-16, in front of 69,811 fans in Allianz Arena, the only previous NFL game played in Munich.

Last year, the NFL played games on consecutive Sundays in Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt.

The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Miami Dolphins, 21-14, on Nov. 5, and the Indianapolis Colts topped the New England Patriots, 10-6, on Nov. 12. Each game drew slightly more than 50,000 fans.

This will be the second time in three years that Brian Daboll has coached the Giants in an international game.

His Giants defeated the Green Bay Packers, 27-22, at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Oct. 9, 2022. The Giants’ defense, coached by now-former defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, did not allow a point in the second half of the comeback win.

On Oct. 28, 2007, the Giants won the first NFL regular-season game played outside of North America when they defeated the Miami Dolphins, 13-10, before a crowd of 81,176 in Wembley Stadium. The Giants next played in London on Oct. 23, 2016, and beat the L.A. Rams, 17-10, in the first NFL game played in Twickenham Stadium.

He still looks like he could suit up for the Giants in short yardage, even, although he’s not confident he’d be able to avoid rampant fines if he played under the NFL’s modern rules.

“I would be broke if I played today,” Jacobs, 41, said Monday with a laugh on the “Talkin’ Ball with Pat Leonard” podcast.

Jacobs is one of many Giants legends gearing up for Saturday’s Dexter Lawrence Celebrity Softball Game at Clover Stadium in Pomona, N.Y., where droves of Giants fans will connect with their favorite players of the present and past.

The event organized by Giants superfan Joe “License Plate Guy” Ruback raised more than $40,000 for charity in previous years with Landon Collins’ name on the marquee through 2019. Now they’re on track to surpass the $50,000 mark in 2024.

“There is going to be an incredible turnout for this year’s game,” Ruback said. “We’re on track to raise more money than ever. Giants fans love to support their favorite players and great causes, and these Giants legends love to give back to their fans.”

What connects players like Jacobs to Giants fans forever isn’t just the championships, though. It’s the way he played. It’s the tone he set, the standard of toughness and Giant football that Tom Coughlin’s teams created and maintained.

“You cannot coach mentality. You either have it or you don’t,” Jacobs said. “And simply, each one of our guys had that mentality from the offensive line to the defensive line. We were gonna push you around, beat you up. Even when we lost the battle, we were coming back up to try to bully you again.”

Jacobs learned Coughlin’s standard on the first day of training camp as a rookie fourth-round pick in 2005.

“For us, our first day in pads in training camp, we stretched, and we went to ‘goal line,’” Jacobs said, his eyes lighting up. “Right away. Live. Let’s go. And we did it. We jumped in there.

“I didn’t even know I was the goal line back at the time,” he recalled. “[They said] ‘Goal line, get in there, Jacobs!’ I’m like, ‘Huh?’ That was the way we practiced twice a day. We had full pads and then helmet and shoulder pads, ‘uppers.’ And we did that for three weeks in Albany.”

Jacobs said that grind conditioned Coughlin’s Giants to power through pain.

“When we were hurt during those practices, we practiced,” he said. “So when we were hurt during the game, we played.”

Jacobs, obviously, was no one’s favorite player to face in practice, as former teammate Mathias Kiwanuka reminded Jacobs recently.

“Well, we changed practice on account of that,” Jacobs said. “My teammates — and I just learned this from Kiwanuka the other day — they were like, ‘We gotta tackle him every day at practice, and we’re going full speed. And that’s just not something we care to do every day.’”

Jacobs will use Saturday’s softball game as an opportunity to reunite and laugh with some of those old friends. But he also views it as a fact-finding mission on the 2024 Giants team.

“You’ve got a chance to mingle and talk with the current guys, see what’s on their minds and kind of give us an idea of what type of season we’re gonna have by seeing the way they conduct themselves,” he said.

“The team is fairly young,” he added. “So [you look at] the maturity, seeing how they talk, what their goals are, how they handle one another as teammates. Like let’s say Dexter Lawrence had this game and only 10 guys [from the current team] showed up. Well we’re gonna know right away that this team is about to get [blown] out every game next [season] because they’re not together, they don’t support one another.”

Jacobs added: “I don’t know how many guys Dexter has, but I’m thinking he should have a good bit of them. Landon used to get a lot of guys to come out. This is our first year doing it with Dexter.”

The former standout Giants running back also provided plenty of insight about Saquon Barkley, Malik Nabers, Daniel Jones and the Giants’ 2024 outlook. The full interview is available on the @PLonNFL YouTube channel.

On Barkley signing with the Eagles: “I loved it. The guy gave the Giants a lot from the time he was drafted. He did everything they asked him to do. He wanted to be in New York. he wanted to play with the Giants. He didn’t want to leave. That’s just what it is. So he ended up having an opportunity to get $12.5 million [per year] from our rival right down the street. I mean it sucks, but I’m happy for him. Because he deserved to make every dollar he could possibly make, because he’s put the hard work and dedication in to be able to do that.”

On switching Nabers in for Barkley as Giants’ top weapon: “I definitely have some reservations about that plan, and I love Malik Nabers. A guy who can catch the ball in space, run the hitch, [has a] big, strong body and has acceleration, can make a player miss, break tackles. He’s gonna be everything he needs to be for the New York Giants. However, you cannot compare him to a guy like Saquon Barkley who’s done it, who’s put up yards and really productive when healthy. I don’t think that’s an even change. I think it’s gonna be a year or two before Malik Nabers can — because Saquon Barkley is touching the ball 15-20 times a game. He’s gonna have more of an impact on the game than the wide receiver who potentially catches the ball four or five times a game.”

On Jones and the Giants’ outlook in 2024: “I still trust and believe in Daniel Jones. He’s got a great threat in Malik Nabers out there. He’s got a highly-talented receivers room now. What happens as far as the offensive line is concerned, that’s another thing. But I’m also tired of placing the blame on the offensive line. Every year we’re talking about the offensive line and how much better they gotta get in order for us to be successful. Well absolutely, we know that. However, this is who we have, and we can’t continue to point the finger at them every single time. I think our defense is pretty good. If we can stay out of the way of that injury bug, I think we’ll be OK.”

Go to sexydexygame.com to get more information on the celebrity softball game, buy merchandise or donate. 100% of sales will be donated to St. Christopher’s Inc., a non-profit in Westchester and Orange counties whose mission for over 140 years has been to service adolescents with special needs and unlock their potential.

Co-owner John Mara said in March that “a priority going into this offseason was to get the offensive line fixed.”

But PFF was not impressed by how the signings of Packers guard Jon Runyan, Raiders tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, Bucs guard Aaron Stinnie, Vikings backup center Austin Schlottmann and Lions backup tackle Matt Nelson will impact the Giants’ bottom line.

Schoen did not select a lineman with any of his six NFL Draft picks.

“Even after earning the worst offensive line grade of any team in 2023, the Giants did very little to improve their unit this offseason,” the site commented, calling the Detroit Lions the league’s ‘strongest’ O-line. “The group recorded a 44.6 PFF grade last year and will hope a fully healthy Andrew Thomas and the additions of guard Jon Runyan (56.5 PFF grade in 2023) and tackle Jermaine Eluemunor (68.7) can provide a boost.”

PFF grades are subjective, obviously. And the Giants have added offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo, assistant O-line coach James Ferentz and senior scout Chris Snee to beef up their personnel evaluation and development of that position group.

Still, the Giants’ 2023 line ranked as PFF’s dead-last, No. 32 pass-blocking unit (43.4) and the NFL’s No. 30 run-blocking group (41.1). They allowed 85 sacks, the second most all-time by any team, a statistic that ballooned especially when third-string QB Tommy DeVito was playing.

Schoen has noted frequently that injuries, led by Thomas’ extended absence at left tackle, devastated the Giants’ front last season.

“Fortunately, I’ve never run into a situation like that before where we’ve been decimated at the offensive line,” Schoen said in March. “You’ve seen a lot of the signings that we’ve had, a lot of guys that have played in the league and have started games and have versatility. That’s always going to be a priority.”

The Giants are responsible for how they prepare their players’ bodies for game action, however. And last season’s depth plan of Matt Peart and Josh Ezeudu at tackle was ill-conceived.

So was the three-man guard competition in camp before kicking Ezeudu outside to protect Daniel Jones’ blindside. Not to mention the biggest issue:

Schoen’s 2022 No. 7 overall pick Evan Neal so far hasn’t figured it out. And a misdiagnosed ankle injury prevented Neal from getting back on the field late last season to find a rhythm. He had surgery to repair the fracture.

“Let’s face it: for a while we couldn’t block anybody,” Mara said. “And Daniel was getting hit all the time.”

The Giants’ 2024 starting five projects as Thomas at left tackle, Stinnie at left guard, 2023 second-round pick John Michael Schmitz at center, Runyan Jr. at right guard and either Neal or Eluemunor at right tackle.

Offseason workouts and training camp will settle that. Eluemunor did get paid starter money.

Bricillo is the Giants’ eighth offensive line coach in 10 seasons. That is a staggering statistic, but it’s also reflective of how consistently bad the Giants have been at assembling a capable front.

“You’re right, it’s ridiculous,” Mara said at the March NFL Owners meetings. “And it’s a continuing source of frustration for me. It’s time to get it fixed.

“We invested a couple No. 1 draft picks in the offensive tackles, got a No. 2 draft pick playing center. Now we spent some money in free agency, a new offensive line coach. I expect us to be a hell of a lot better.”

In May, at least, PFF doesn’t see much improvement.

HAPPY 100TH

The Giants unveiled their plans to celebrate the franchise’s 100th season on Monday, including a special logo and clothing line, a planned ‘Top 100 Players’ in Giants history rollout and more. The organization will be hosting an event called “Giants 100: A Night With Legends” on June 20 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden to celebrate with fans.

The evening will include panel discussions about the team’s history, a 2024 season preview with current players and staff, artifacts from the Pro Football Hall of Fame and 100th season merchandise. More than 20 legends are expected to participate, including Eli Manning, Harry Carson, Tiki Barber, George Martin, Jason Sehorn, Bill Parcells and Tom Coughlin.

Tickets will be available to season ticket holders starting Tuesday at 10 a.m. E.T. Then a limited supply will be made available to the general public on Thursday at 10 a.m. E.T. on Ticketmaster.

No one wins games in May. And that optimism often is not validated, since plenty highly drafted quarterbacks never pan out as elite or respectable starters.

But the sights of Chicago’s Caleb Williams, Washington’s Jayden Daniels, New England’s Drake Maye, Atlanta’s Michael Penix Jr. and Minnesota’s J.J. McCarthy slinging the ball at their respective rookie minicamps injected some hope and excitement into their situations.

That went especially for Williams, the draft’s top pick; Daniels, who is literally shepherding the Commanders into a new era; and Penix Jr., who is in a strange situation behind Kirk Cousins but nevertheless was throwing rockets to the Falcons’ rookie receivers.

There was no such feeling on Friday and Saturday in East Rutherford, N.J., however. The Giants had only three rookie tryout QBs on the field and no one in a red, non-contact jersey standing out as the promising future face of this landmark franchise.

The image of head coach Brian Daboll sending the offensive plays into the huddle during a 7-on-7 period received a lot less attention because it wasn’t a first-round quarterback like Maye receiving the call.

That reality shifted the focus of this minicamp, instead, away from any abstract future promise to the urgency of the Giants’ present:

Can No. 6 overall pick Malik Nabers mature as a pro and player quickly enough to be a Year 1 game-changer?

Is Daniel Jones going to be able to take 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 reps with Nabers any time before the start of training camp in July?

How much pressure is there on other rookies to help the Giants immediately in 2024?

What does waiver claim Nathan Rourke mean for the quarterback room and Tommy DeVito?

Is Drew Lock ultimately going to be the QB that Nabers builds more chemistry with during May and June?

Even veteran receiver Allen Robinson II’s signing provided a subtle reminder that the Giants are focused on the now.

It was similar to the signings of guys like safety Jalen Mills, defensive tackle Jordan Phillips, guard Aaron Stinnie and wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie: an effort to plug a hole on a leaky roster affordably with an undervalued veteran.

Along with GM Joe Schoen’s expensive and desperately aggressive trade and signing of pass rusher Brian Burns, the Giants’ actions reinforce the pressure this regime is under to get this back on track in the fall.

And without a first-round quarterback in the building being groomed for a brand new day, it’s difficult to focus any hope on the happy unknowns of the distant future.

There is promise, though, in some of the Giants’ other rookies.

Fourth-round tight end Theo Johnson, for example, is going to play on this team as a rookie.

The 6-6, 259-pound Penn State product was an angry blocker during his first practices as a Giant. Doing that capably in a game would provide an upgrade over incumbent Daniel Bellinger, Schoen’s 2022 fourth-round pick.

“I do enjoy it,” Johnson said of blocking. “It’s something I take a lot of pride in. It can be coached, but some people just have that switch that you can’t coach or teach.”

Second-round safety Tyler Nubin said he will not shy away from trying to lead his teammates as a rookie, demonstrating encouraging maturity and motivation for a projected starter.

“Everybody can be a leader on a football team no matter who you are,” he said.

Third-round slot corner Dru Phillips is eager to hit.

“I don’t want to shy away from anything and that’s from anybody or any circumstance,” he said.

Fifth-round running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. said the NFL’s kickoff rule change “added a little bit more value to me” as a prospect. He knows he can use his explosiveness there to help the team.

“I was pretty happy to say the least,” he said with a smile.

Still, there is only so much a team can realistically expect from its rookies. It is not easy to earn playing time in the first year, let alone make a major impact on any game, let alone make a consistent difference throughout a season.

When Daboll said he’s got “a lot of confidence” in veteran Cor’Dale Flott as a starting outside corner, for example, it indicated the Giants’ initial plan for their secondary may include Phillips starting in Week 1 — unless the versatile Mills serves as an early stop-gap.

That would be an exciting opportunity for Phillips. But that solution also invites more questions than answers about how the Giants will be able to defend players like the Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb, the Ravens’ Zay Flowers, the Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba and others this fall.

A rookie first-round quarterback, at least, would allow the Giants to dream about building something brighter and definable in the future no matter how 2024 played out. Without one, the focus is much more clearly on how Schoen and Daboll can build a team that simply gets them to 2025.

The Giants’ first-round wide receiver arrived at the team’s facility in East Rutherford, N.J., on Friday for rookie minicamp and promptly walked back his $10,000 Rookie of the Year cash bet with Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels.

“I’m educated — now that I got here — about sports betting and gambling. We’re calling the bet off,” Nabers said of a wager he had publicized himself on The Pivot podcast. “There is no bet now. It was just another brother pushing another brother to try to get to success. That’s all it was.”

Daniels had confirmed the bet recently on Keyshawn Johnson’s “All Facts No Brakes” podcast, lamenting that Nabers had revealed it.

“Man, he wasn’t supposed to tell nobody,” Daniels said. “We got a little something going on.”

Both players then did the only thing they could do: backed off.

“Obviously we don’t want to get in trouble,” Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick in April’s draft, told reporters on Friday.

Nabers, 20, is the face of the Giants now. He plays in a league that hands out indefinite suspensions for the type of bet he and Daniels made.

This is, literally, the big leagues. And Nabers needs to learn how to carry himself that way quickly. Because this fall in games, Giants coach Brian Daboll will need Nabers to make the kind of play he made in Friday’s practice:

Undrafted rookie quarterback Liam Thompson threw a slant route to his right above and behind Nabers. And Nabers reached back and snatched the ball down with both hands, barely breaking stride upfield.

Nabers is so confident that he doesn’t impress himself. He views plays like that as routine.

He said it was “hard” for him, in fact, to have a dialed-back workload on the first day of minicamp, playing soft toss with wide receivers coach Mike Groh at certain points when other rookie tryouts were competing on the field.

“Coach Groh told me I wasn’t going to be participating in everything, and I told him, ‘why?’” said Nabers, whose long white sleeves and red gloves made him stand out on the field. “That competitiveness in me is always going to show… The level that I see myself playing, you know, as a player and as a competitive person, I’m always going to want to go fast.

“Coach Daboll tells me … ‘With this offense, you’ve got to slow it down and take it step by step. For you to be where you want to be, you’ve got to know what you’ve got to do,’” Nabers added. “For me to play at 100 miles per hour, I’ve still got to know what I got to do.”

Daboll has to strike a balance, however. Because while he doesn’t want to overload Nabers, he also needs to give him a crash course that has him prepared for Week 1 — both as a player and as a professional.

Nabers still hasn’t caught any passes from Daniel Jones or Drew Lock, but he has communicated with Daboll remotely while training to acclimate to the playbook. And Daboll said they’ll continue to feed Nabers more at a steady pace.

“What you don’t want is you don’t want players to give them so much where they’re not able to use their full athletic ability,” Daboll said. “I don’t mind players [whether they] are humble [or] confident, as long as they’re putting in the work to learn. That’s our job, is to help them learn. Ultimately, it’s their job to go ahead and learn it. The faster he can learn it, the more he can use his athletic ability to help us.”

Third-round pick Dru Phillips, a slot corner from Kentucky, said Nabers “just got here” on Friday, and they met for the first time. It turns out Nabers just bought his mom her first-ever house a week ago, fulfilling a lifelong dream, before signing his Giants’ rookie contract on Friday.

“That was the most important thing in my life, I would say,” Nabers said. “Having her have her own house and feel comfortable and not having to worry about bills to pay — and know that her little boy did it for her.”

Now it’s time for Nabers to learn his new role in north Jersey quickly and give the Giants something they haven’t had since Odell Beckham Jr.: a game-changing, score-at-any-moment star receiver.

As he found out already with his bet against Daniels, though, saying and doing the right things off the field can be just as steep a learning curve — and just as critical.

NUMBERS GAME

Nabers wore jersey No. 9 on Friday. He said it’s “just a temporary number for right now,” so fans shouldn’t rush to buy it just yet. He did admit, though, that he’ll watch himself in No. 9 on film “to see if I really want to keep it or not.” So stay tuned.

DABOLL DEFLECTS ON JONES

Daboll would not provide any clarity on whether Jones will participate in spring OTA practices.

“He’s been going through phase two. We’ll see where we are at in phase three,” Daboll said, referring in generalities to the NFL’s offseason program rules.

Quarterback Nathan Rourke, claimed recently off waivers, is not participating in rookie minicamp. That clearly demonstrates Rourke is here to play and compete with the full team in some capacity in the spring.

UDFAs SIGN, VETS TRY OUT

The Giants signed eight undrafted rookie free agents, including an exempt/international player: kicker Jude McAtamney of Northern Ireland, who played locally at Rutgers in college.

The other seven are offensive tackle Marcellus Johnson (Missouri) and guard Jake Kubas (North Dakota State), wide receivers John Jiles (West Florida) and Ayir Asante (Wyoming), defensive lineman Casey Rogers (Oregon), defensive back Alex Johnson (UCLA) and defensive end Ovie Oghoufo (LSU).

The Giants also waived/injured running back Deon Jackson after claiming Rourke and signing wide receiver Allen Robinson II this week. Jackson, 25, was a high school teammate of Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas and a college teammate of Jones.

His best opportunity so far came in 2022 with the Indianapolis Colts, when he had 68 carries for 236 yards and a touchdown, and 30 receptions for 209 yards and another score.

Meanwhile, there were three veteran tryouts on the field Friday: OLBs Shaka Toney and Myjai Sanders and WR Jared Bernhardt. The three quarterbacks on Friday were Thompson, Ben Bryant (Northwestern) and Blake Stenstrom (Princeton).

Fifth-round pick Tyrone Tracy Jr. (Purdue) signed his rookie contract this week, as well.

SNEE A ‘SENIOR’ SCOUT

Chris Snee, who was officially hired as a “senior scout,” walked out onto the practice field shoulder to shoulder with GM Joe Schoen. Then Snee immediately made his way over to the offensive linemen, where he observed their drills up close.

The team said Snee will be involved in both college and pro scouting. It will be interesting to track the impact of the two-time Super Bowl winning right guard on the Giants’ annual problem of constructing a serviceable line.

“I’m super excited about it,” Snee said. “I’m a Giant, and I always have been, despite having worn Jaguars clothes for four years when I scouted down there. Everyone knows my heart has always been here. This is where I feel like I belong and where I want to be, and I’m going to come in and work my tail off.”

Robinson, 30, started all 17 games for the Pittsburgh Steelers last season and caught 34 passes for 280 yards and no touchdowns. The Giants are his fourth team in four years, including the Chicago Bears (2021), L.A. Rams (2022) and Steelers.

But he brings real pedigree.

The 11th-year vet has 7,028 career receiving yards, 43 touchdowns and a Pro Bowl appearance in 127 games. That includes three career 1,000-yard seasons: one for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2015) and back-to-back for the Bears in 2019-20.

Robinson also is a respected veteran whom the Giants might not mind seeing in a mentor role to No. 6 overall pick Malik Nabers, 20, a talented but extremely young player whose off-field scouting reports weren’t without concerns.

The combination of Robinson’s ability and leadership is the best explanation for his addition at this juncture to the Giants’ receiving room.

His veteran presence might be necessary especially given the uncertain future of Darius Slayton, who has been absent in the early spring due to his contract situation.

The Giants also lost a ton of key leaders from last season’s team and are in need of steady veteran voices to step up alongside incumbents such as middle linebacker Bobby Okereke.

The Giants now have Nabers, Slayton, 2022 second-round slot receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, 2023 third-round speedster Jalin Hyatt, Robinson and Isaiah Hodgins, among others in their receiving room.

Robinson was a salary cap casualty in Pittsburgh. He played more snaps in the slot (496) than outside (267) for the Steelers, per Pro Football Focus, but was versatile enough to play both.

But there are other, less obvious players who must take a big step during this offseason program to set Brian Daboll’s team up for success in the fall.

Here are the Daily News’ top five Giants position players who need to assert themselves during OTA practices and minicamp to set a strong foundation for training camp and the season:

5. Tyler Nubin, safety

Nubin’s second-round selection appeared to send a clear message that the Giants intend to start him, and not Dane Belton, alongside Jason Pinnock. Veteran free agent signing Jalen Mills can serve as the early stop-gap if necessary or an experienced third safety with corner flex.

Nubin, 22, was a four-year starter with 13 interceptions and consistent tackling production in 55 games and 43 starts for Minnesota. It will be important for him to demonstrate that same steadiness early and learn the playbook in new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen’s system.

4. Jalin Hyatt, wide receiver

Hyatt, 22, showed flashes of explosiveness in his rookie season, including a five-catch, 109-yard game in a late-season win over the New England Patriots. But he only had one game with more than three catches. He didn’t have a touchdown catch. And he had a total of six catches for 43 yards, combined, in the Giants’ final five games.

No one’s stats on Daboll’s 2022 offense were acceptable, but with Nabers on the field and a year of experience under Hyatt’s belt, Schoen’s third-round pick from 2022 needs to assert himself as a down-in, down-out threat in Year 2. This is especially important given the unknowns surrounding Darius Slayton’s contract and future with the team.

Putting on some healthy weight and continuing to hone his route tree are two ways Hyatt can elevate his game in the spring.

3. Cor’Dale Flott, corner

The best version of the Giants’ secondary this fall would feature Flott, 22, on the field in a prominent role. So far, he has been the most encouragingly developed Schoen draft pick. The 2022 third-rounder from LSU stayed healthier last season, played 518 snaps to his 335 rookie load, and made his first interception along with five passes defended.

Whether Flott wins the outside corner battle against Nick McCloud or starts in the slot, the Giants need him to provide value at a young and thin corner position paced by 2023 first-round Deonte Banks on the outside. Third-round pick Dru Phillips from Kentucky is a slot corner the Giants like, too, but stepping immediately and capably into that position as a rookie is extremely difficult.

2. Kayvon Thibodeaux, edge

Thibodeaux was Schoen’s No. 5 overall pick and first-ever Giants draft pick as GM in 2022. He played a mostly solid all-around game as a rookie, highlighted by game-changing forced fumbles (and one touchdown) against Baltimore and Washington. But he only finished with four sacks and wasn’t much of a factor in the playoffs.

He improved his pass rush production in Year 2, racking up 11.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, 16 QB hits, three forced fumbles and one recovery. But he only managed one sack in his last six games. And although it wore on the defense that the Giants’ offense couldn’t score, Thibodeaux’s all-around game dipped a bit, including his edge-setting against the run.

Burns’ addition should help create more one-on-one pass rush opportunities for Thibodeaux. But the Burns trade and contract also sent a clear message that the Giants still felt they needed to shell out in a big way to acquire a high-end pass rusher.

Did Burns land the contract that was ticketed initially for Thibodeaux when Schoen picked him? Or will a rising tide lift all boats on the defensive line? Thibodeaux, 23, can have a big spring by blocking out the noise, getting in peak physical shape and adapting quickly to the new defense.

1. Evan Neal, right tackle

Neal, Schoen’s No. 7 overall pick in 2022, is coming off late-season surgery to address a left foot fracture that was initially misdiagnosed as a sprain. He never had a chance to get back on the field after his Week 9 injury, therefore, and played in only seven games. Nevertheless, he is entering a make-or-break training camp and season.

What the Giants ideally need is for Neal, 23, to beat out free agent signing Jermaine Eluemunor to remain the team’s starting right tackle. That would improve the team’s talent and depth at both tackle and guard on an O-line the organization annually struggles to get right.

If Neal can’t be a capable starting right tackle, it’s still possible he could provide value in a position switch to guard or as a swing tackle behind the two starters. Being a relative non-factor as such a premium asset, however, would damage the Giants’ bottom line.

All eyes are on Neal this spring to get healthy, grab this job with both hands and refuse to let go.

SCHEDULE RELEASE SET

The NFL’s full schedule is slated to be released next Wednesday, May 15 at 8 p.m., according to the Sports Business Journal. Teams were expecting the schedule to come out later this week, but the full announcement has been delayed.

The league still is expected to announce its international matchups and dates earlier, though. That news could impact the Giants. They are one of the potential opponents for the Carolina Panthers’ upcoming home game at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.