The Giants’ offensive and defensive coordinators will be head coaches at two of the highest profile pre-NFL Draft showcases of college football talent.
Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen will lead the West team at the East-West Shrine Bowl on Jan. 30 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex. And offensive coordinator Mike Kafka will be the head coach of the National team at the Senior Bowl on Feb. 1 in Mobile, Ala.
Being close to players before the draft doesn’t guarantee teams will accurately evaluate the talent.
Giants quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney worked as Bo Nix’s offensive coordinator at last year’s Senior Bowl, and the Giants still passed on the Oregon quarterback who just led the Denver Broncos to the playoffs as a rookie.
But these appointments are good for Bowen and Kafka to try to demonstrate their own abilities despite their involvement and association with arguably the worst team (3-14) in Giants history in 2024.
Out of 32 NFL teams, the Giants offense ranked 30th in points per game (16.1), 30th in yards (294.8), 28th in passing yards (189.9) and 23rd in rushing (104.9).
The Giants defense ranked 21st in points per game allowed (24.4), 24th in yards allowed (346.8), 27th in rushing yards allowing (136.2), eighth in passing yards allowed (210.6), 28th in takeaways (15) and 31st in interceptions (five).
Kafka at least did not call plays on offense this past season; head coach Brian Daboll did. Kafka also impressively has continued to get head coaching interviews despite being demoted in 2024 while having the optics-friendly ‘assistant head coach’ title tagged onto his bio.
Bowen’s first season on Daboll’s staff went poorly enough that co-owner John Mara lamented he is “tired of watching teams go up and down the field on us.”
Bowen has been considered a likely candidate to fill Mike Vrabel’s new defensive coordinator position in New England, but if he stays in New York, maybe his East-West experience will help inform Joe Schoen to pick better players to improve that side of the ball.
Giants running backs coach Joel Thomas, meanwhile, will be the offensive coordinator of the American team at the Senior Bowl, while linebackers coach John Egorugwu will serve as the West’s defensive coordinator under Bowen.
Former Giants outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins, who held the same position with the Patriots last season, will be the East team’s defensive coordinator opposite his former colleague Egorugwu.