Giants Earn Best Draft Grade Among NFC East in New Report Card

The New York Giants have been on a constant mission to chase down the rest of their division rivals in the NFC East over the past few seasons, and it’s safe to say that not very much has gone in their favor.

In fact, the Giants’ recent season showed that the wide gap between them and the other teams–the Cowboys, Eagles, and Commanders–was only getting bigger as the opponents made tangible roster improvements to different extents. New York went 0-6 against their division foes in 2024 and was held to below 20 points in all but one of those contests that weren’t as close as the scoreboard might suggest.

For more reasons than one, this offseason would be critical for general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll to prove they could start bridging the gap and set the franchise up for sustained success down the road. It began with a solid draft class last spring and needed to carry over to an improved roster this time.

After what many have deemed a 2025 draft, which they knocked out of the park, those two goals might be coming into focus for New York, and a new draft grades analysis by Gilbert Manzano and Matt Verderame of SI agrees.

More notably, the outlet gave the Giants the best grade in the NFC East division (A+), an immediate sign that things were starting to shift a little, as Schoen and Daboll finally put together a roster they can truly call their own.

“After a miserable 2024, the Giants could soon be headed in the right direction after delivering an impressive draft class featuring plenty of talent and filled needs,” they said.

New York Giants rookies Abdul Carter and Jaxson Dart — Apr 25, 2025; East Rutherford, NJ, US; New York Giants first round draft picks, Abdul Carter and Jaxson Dart pose for photos prior to the start of the press conference. | Thomas Salus-Imagn Images

Highlighting the team’s top two picks: “Carter, who drew comparisons to Micah Parsons and Von Miller, could be a future game wrecker playing next to Brian Burns and Dexter Lawrence II. Dart isn’t a surefire QB prospect, but he’ll now get to work with coach Brian Daboll, who has no interest in rushing his development after he announced Russell Wilson as the starter. “

Like the Giants, the Cowboys (B+) and Commanders (B) took a mixed approach to the draft, selecting players on both sides of the ball. Meanwhile, the Eagles (B), whom the whole division is chasing, continued to stockpile developmental players who can become new weapons on their defense and offensive line.

The Giants learned from Philadelphia’s run to the Super Bowl last season just how deadly a versatile pass rush can be to dominating opponents. To be fair, they didn’t need the reminder, as the same formula had helped them in their two runs to the Big Game in 2007 and 2011 when they rode the coattails of their defensive front.

Still, they selected Abdul Carter at No. 3 and now have a foursome with Kayvon Thibodeaux, Brian Burns, and Dexter Lawrence II in the interior. One can’t forget the new interior addition Darius Alexander out of Toledo, who can impact both the pass rush and run-stuffing game, as well as anybody from his draft class.

That will also be the Giants' identity this upcoming season. They will try to punish quarterbacks every down and keep games more competitive for the improved offense to hopefully catch up on their end of the bargain.

Whether the offense rebounds could depend on the durability of the offensive line, which collapsed due to injuries midseason. Left tackle Andrew Thomas is returning to hunker down the left side, but the guard spots and the right tackle position need more improvements in 2025.

The most exciting pick on the offensive end is running back Cam Skattebo. A prospect who many argued could have been the second-best rushing player in the class, the Giants took a gamble on a low-need position but big-value piece who can complement the backfield with tough, downfield running.

Skattebo can also mirror Tyrone Tracy with his ability to catch short dump-offs out of the backfield or in the flat but imagine him and Tracy as the second coming of the Brandon Jacobs-Ahmad Bradshaw pairing. That isn’t to say they are there already, but the familiarity is grabbing Giants fans' attention.

The results all look good on paper, and that’s a big reason why the Giants are graded as high as they’ve been since the draft concluded. Evidence still needs to be seen on the field, especially when the Giants were worlds apart from the rest of the league, let alone their division, behind a nearly unproductive offense and weary defense.

With an influx of veteran leadership, bolstered depth, and a win-now mentality driving their offseason, the Giants could finally get back on the right track. One hopes that a complete reset doesn’t mar the players they’ve invested substantial capital into, for Schoen and Daboll's sake.

After a reasonable roster-building period, step one of retooling for the present is complete, and now it’s about producing results and developing for the future.

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