5 Very Early 2026 Season Predictions for the NY Giants

Things are poised to look up for a Big Blue team that hasn't had much to smile about the last three years.

New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns (0) and New York Giants defensive end Chauncey Golston | Yannick Peterhans / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Once the pending signing of John Harbaugh as head coach is complete, the New York Giants have a lot to be hopeful about as the franchise sets its sights on the upcoming 2026 season.

The offense (if healthy) projects to be in line to have a massive breakthrough given its young core of quarterback Jaxson Dart, receiver Malik Nabers, tight end Theo Johnson, and running backs Tyrone Tracy Jr and Cam Skattebo.  

The defense also has a solid young core led by outside linebackers Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux, defensive linemen Dexter Lawrence and Darius Alexander, and defensive backs Jevon Holland and Paulson Adebo. 

So with things starting to take shape for the Giants, what might fans expect if everything continues to fall into place? Here are five very early bold predictions.

The Giants will have a top-10 offensive unit

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) is shown in the fourth quarter, Sunday, January 4, 2026, in East Rutherford. The Giants beat the Cowboys, 34-17. | Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

New York's offense showed flashes of brilliance during the final weeks of Brian Daboll's employment as the team's head coach. They had  of at least 33 points scored in the month of October, and ended the regular season with four games of at least 30 points with Jaxson Dart under center.

Assuming the team secures Todd Monken from the Ravens as its offensive coordinator, the offense could be poised for many more 30+-point scoring affairs.

During his time in Baltimore (2023-2025), Monken's offense in the top-five league-wide in points scored, top-six in yards per game. He also helped Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry post gaudy numbers.

While Dart and the duo of Tracy and Skattebo aren't Jackson and Henry, the Giants could morph into a more powerful unit.

In his first season as the Browns' offensive coordinator, Monken helped Cleveland quarterback Baker Mayfield achieve what was at the time a career-high in passing yards in the quarterback's second season in the NFL.

Monken also runs a power-run offense, which could help to balance out the attack and take some of the onus off Dart as he continues to develop.

Brian Burns and Abdul Carter each finish with double-digit sacks

Oct 19, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Giants linebacker Abdul Carter (51) reacts after a play during the second half against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

 Brian Burns's 2025 was an unforgettable one, as the 27-year-old finished second in the league in sacks (16.5) and third in tackles for loss (22), while ranking fourth in quarterback hits (31). 

On the opposite side, rookie Abdul Carter led the entire Giants team in quarterback pressures and completed the final month of his rookie season with 3.5 sacks and 6 tackles for loss.

Both players seem primed to break through in 2026 as one of the better edge rushing duos in the NFL.

While Burns projects to just be hitting his stride during the prime of his career, Carter seems ready to have the double-digit sack campaign that will put him on the map as one of the game's better young pass rushers.

Malik Nabers wins "Comeback Player of the Year"

Sep 28, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) is carted off the field following an injury during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at MetLife Stadium. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Nabers's second year ended four weeks into the season thanks to a torn ACL. While he recently declined to speculate when he'd be ready, at some point, he will be back in action, looking to pick up where he left off in his 1,000-yard rookie campaign.

He should be able to do so in what is anticipated to be a receiver-friendly offense. Again, if Monken comes over as the offensive coordinator, perhaps Nabers might expect a similar path to that of Ravens wideout Zay Flowers.

As the Ravens' top outside receiver, Flowers saw career upticks in targets and receiving yards during his first three seasons, developing into a 1,200-yard receiver.

Health permitting, Nabers could see his usual dosage of at least 100 targets in an offense that would maximize his downfield threat ability and his yards after catch creation on short/intermediate routes.

Ben Sauls will be the kicker

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

The Giants had themselves a kicking conundrum last season, starting with Graham Gano landing on IR twice. That set up a revolving door of kickers, beginning with Jude McAtamney, followed by the return of Gano, the addition of Younghoe Koo, and, finally, the rookie Ben Sauls.

Although Saults finished on a positive note, there will more than likely be a kicking competition this summer. Depending on who is brought in, Sauls should have the advantage. 

In the team's final three games, he converted all eight of his field goal attempts and all seven PATs. If he can show the Giants something on kickoffs and continue with his scoring consistency, the Giants might have finally solved their kicker situation.

Giants post a winning record

Dec 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) greets fans after the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

New York will inherit a winning foundation with the hiring of John Harbaugh, who has more than enough experience building a successful program. In  __ seasons, Harbaugh’s Ravens teams finished at or under .500 in the won-loss column in five of them, winning the AFC North title six times (most recently in 2024), and taking the franchise to the postseason 12 times with one Super Bowl victory (2012).

Couple that pedigree with the Giants’ 2026 schedule, which, with a 0.498 winning percentage among opponents, ranks 17th league-wide as the hardest, and you have the start of what could be even more reason to be optimistic.

Toss in the pending returns of Nabers and Skattebo from their respective season-ending injuries. If the Giants add to that solid young core of players, there is even more optimism that the Giants can have a much better season than they’ve had in the last three campaigns.  

A key for the Giants will be succeeding in the NFC East. The last time the Giants finished with a winning record in the division was in 2020 when they went 4-2, though they just missed the postseason that year thanks to tiebreakers that didn’t favor them. 

Since the 2020 season, the best the Giants have done is to go 3-3 in the division, which they did in 2023; otherwise, they are  7-22-1.

Winning the division, while not necessarily a prerequisite to a postseason berth, certainly makes the path a little easier in that it assures the team of at least one home game in the first round of the postseason tournament.

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