The Giants.com crew is presented with four statements and must decide whether they are Fact or Fiction.

TE Theo Johnson is the Giants' X-factor on offense this season.

John Schmeelk: Fiction – I'm going to have to pick the low-hanging fruit here and go with Andrew Thomas. So much of the Giants' offensive success this year will depend on the play of the offensive line, whether it is getting the running game going on early downs or protecting Russell Wilson when he drops back to pass. Wilson was significantly better when he played in a clean pocket in Pittsburgh last year. The Giants added James Hudson III as their swing tackle to mitigate the potential loss of one of their offensive tackles. Thomas is still working his way back from his foot injury and we won't know until next Wednesday about his injury status. We also have to see if the injury might impact his ability to dominate every week. The offensive line has not had success in the past when Thomas was not on the field. Until we know what his health looks like, he is the ultimate X-factor.

Dan Salomone: Fact – When the Giants first signed Russell Wilson, one of the first names that followed was Theo Johnson and how they can utilize the tight ends downfield. The Giants need to generate explosive plays, and you could see how they keyed on the second-year tight end down the stretch this summer.

Matt Citak: Fiction – The real X-factor is the offensive line, but since it feels like cheating to choose five players, I'm going with Russell Wilson. The veteran quarterback has played well since the moment he took the field for spring practices, hitting on deep passes on a near-daily basis at practice while also showing accuracy on short and intermediate routes. If Wilson performs like he did in his final year with the Broncos, which as a reminder was only two seasons ago, then the offense has the potential to take a giant leap from where it was last season.

S Tyler Nubin is the Giants' X-factor on defense this season.

John Schmeelk: Fiction – I'm going to with Deonte Banks. This could also end up being Cor'Dale Flott if he ends up starting at the second cornerback spot opposite Paulson Adebo to begin the season. I have confidence in Tyler Nubin and Dru Phillips to play well in their second seasons, and veterans Jevon Holland and Paulson Adebo should hold up just fine at their spots. The second cornerback spot was an open competition all offseason that never came to a conclusion because Deonte Banks has been dealing with an injury since the first joint practice against the Jets. Both players have the talent to play the position at a high level, but teams will make them prove they can hold up. If they can, combined with the other pieces in the secondary and the pass rush, this defense can be great. I wanted to go with the run defense here, but I couldn't narrow that down to one player since it is such a team-oriented thing that depends on everyone on the defense doing their job.

Dan Salomone: Fact – The pash rush is great, but defensive coordinator Shane Bowen's major emphasis has been getting more takeaways. Heck, he even brought out a "takeaway chest" to drive home the point. The Giants need to be pirates and steal some possessions, which Nubin was known for when he was a Gopher.

Matt Citak: Fiction – Nubin showed enough as a rookie where I'm confident both he and Dru Phillips will take big steps in their development, which in turn will provide the secondary with a significant boost. In my eyes, the real defensive X-factor this season is Kayvon Thibodeaux. We've spoken at length about the pass rush ever since Abdul Carter was added to a front that already included Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, and Thibodeaux. Burns has spoken about how Thibodeaux flipped the switch after returning from injury last year, and how the fourth-year edge rusher has played like a man on a mission ever since. If Thibodeaux can look more like the 2023 version of himself (11.5 sacks), then this defensive front could truly be one of the elite units in the NFL this season.

The player who may not start but will still make a major impact on offense is RB Cam Skattebo.

John Schmeelk: Fact – The way the NFL works, there is going to be someone on offense over the course of the season that goes down with an injury and misses substantial time. Whoever the backup is that has to step in for that player will inevitably be the answer here, but there's no way to know who that is going to be. Given that, Skattebo is a logical choice. Due to how much time he missed in the summer, I would expect him to be brought along slowly as part of the running back rotation. Once the coaches and trainers deem him ready to go with a full workload, I expect him to be a big part of the offense. I still think Tyrone Tracy Jr. will get the majority of the backfield snaps, but Skattebo's strength, contact balance, short area quickness and excellent receiving skills should make him a weapon in short yardage and on passing down that could really help the offense.

Dan Salomone: Fiction – To Schmeelk's point in the first statement, the third tackle is one of the most important roles on the team. We've seen what happens when Thomas gets hurt. The game of musical chairs begins and things start to unravel. A silver lining to Thomas missing the offseason is that the unit practiced all spring and summer without him – in case they have to again in the fall. That's why the signing of James Hudson III was so important.

Matt Citak: Fact – It seems like some of the post-draft buzz surrounding Skattebo has died down a bit due to the injury that sidelined him for a big chunk of training camp. The rookie was able to get back on the field in time for the preseason finale, and while he only played a handful of snaps, the fact that he was healthy enough to take the field was a big step for the 23-year-old. Skattebo was right up there with Ashton Jeanty as the most explosive play-makers in all of college football last year. He showed some flashes of that dominance early in training camp, and I have a feeling that once the season begins, it won't take long for him to remind people just how good of a back he is.

The player who may not start but will still make a major impact on defense is DL Chauncey Golston.

John Schmeelk: Fact – I thought about really taking the cheap way out and selecting Abdul Carter here since he might not technically start on the first snap of every game, but he will play a starter's share of the snaps so I'll look elsewhere. I don't think I can select anyone besides Golston, whom the Giants brought over in free agency. The plan was for him to have a big role as the third edge player and part-time defensive lineman/pass rusher, but that was before Abdul Carter landed in the Giants' lap with the third overall pick. Golston has length, power and athleticism to be difficult for guards to block when he lines up inside as a pass rusher. The Giants will try to figure out very creative ways to get him on the field in different spots depending on the down and distance. I think we could see a lot of five-man pass rush situations with Brian Burns, Golston, Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Thibodeaux lining up with their hands in the dirt and Abdul Carter standing up in different spots as a fifth pass rusher on second and third and long. It would be a nightmare alignment for opposing offensive lines to have to block.

Dan Salomone: Fact – Defenses are at their best when they can send wave after wave of defensive linemen. Golston fits that role perfectly. He has the versatility to line up anywhere up front and the size to swat some passes at the line of scrimmage, which was another emphasis for the defense.

Matt Citak: Fiction – I do think Golston is being overlooked as a key contributor on the defense, but the non-starter that will make the biggest impact on the unit is Roy Robertson-Harris. The veteran defensive lineman is massive, coming in at 6-foot-7 and 300 pounds. While he's been in the league since 2016, he's never had the opportunity to play with as much talent as the Giants currently have on the defensive front. Early in training camp, defensive line coach Andre Patterson spoke about how Robertson-Harris still has untapped potential, despite going into Year 9. If there's one coach that can get the absolute best out of the lineman, it's Patterson. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if Robertson-Harris eventually earns the starting spot next to Dexter Lawrence.