3 Changes Giants Must Make to Become a 2026 Contender

The new head man for the New York Giants, John Harbaugh, has a lofty goal for this team in year one. He wants to return them to the playoffs.

It is no surprise that a coach who is used to being in the postseason would believe the postseason is the floor for his teams, but that will be a challenge to field a playoff-worthy squad and navigate a difficult NFC East.

In order for that to happen, there are a few things this team will need to improve on in 2026 to return to the postseason for the first time since 2022.

Become a credible run-stopping defense

Dec 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants inside linebacker Bobby Okereke (58) reacts with safety Tyler Nubin (27) after a defensive stop against the Minnesota Vikings during the first half at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

It is fair to say that the Giants were the worst run defense in the NFL in 2025. Despite all the additions in the front seven and the secondary, the run defense seemed to lack continuity and focus, even at times appearing to lack the desire to make the play.

Many times, it looked as if middle linebacker Bobby Okereke was the only player consistently trying to get to the football.

The Giants allowed 5.3 yards per carry, which was the worst in the NFL. They were 31st in yards per game, surrendering 145.3 yards per game.

The defense was 31st in total yards (2,470) and 28th in rushing touchdowns allowed (21).

When former defensive coordinator Shane Bowen was relieved of his post later in the season, the run defense actually improved, but not enough for people to believe that it could be an elite unit in 2025-2026.

Improvements can be made if players lock in on understanding their run fits, take better angles to the ball, be proactive rather than reactive, and operate with the desire and nastiness necessary to consistently get the ball carrier on the ground.

They were so bad in 2025. If their numbers improve to the middle of the pack, it could mean the difference between several wins and losses for this team.

Improve third down efficiency

If you look around the NFL, many of the better teams in the league are good on third downs. Most of that is because of their ability to be effective on first and second down, leaving themselves short yardage to gain on first down.

Nonetheless, they often convert on third down. It's not as if the Giants are bad on third downs; they're just not among the elites.

While being elite in third-down efficiency doesn't guarantee you an automatic trip to the championship, it does give you an opportunity to be in every game that you play.

During the 2025 season, the Giants' offense ranked 14th in third-down efficiency. They converted third downs 40.2% of the time. For every 10 third downs they faced, they converted four of them.

While that's a great number in baseball and would make you a Hall of Famer, it's not going to make you an elite-level football team. The top five in the NFL in 2025 all averaged 44% or more, with San Francisco leading the way at 50%.

Become more efficient on field goals from 40+ yards

Dec 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; New York Giants kicker Ben Sauls (30) kicks a field goal in the third quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Teams with elite-level kickers, especially those with big legs and accuracy, have made a mockery of the kickoff. Now, if they get the ball on the 35-yard line, they essentially only need two first downs in order to be in field goal position.

That is a level of weapon that the Giants have not enjoyed in quite some time. Even in Graham Gano's heyday, he made a lot of field goals, but they were short to intermediate.

Last season, when he wasn't available for most of the year, the Giants struggled to make field goals from 40 yards or more. In fact, during the season, they were 5-for-11 on field goals from 40+ yards. That was good enough to rank 23rd in the NFL.

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If the Giants truly want to become a playoff team and ascend to a level they have not experienced in a while, they have to become less concerned with how they make their money and more concerned with making more money.

That means that if they can get across the 50 and start thinking about field goals, it makes them infinitely more difficult to defend than if they have to wait until they get inside the 30 to be confident in a field goal.