Giants Free Agency: What They Got Right — and What They Missed So Far

The bulk of the New York Giants' free agency activity is done for now, Big Blue having filled needs across the board.

What did they get right and what did they whiff on based on the moves made or not made? Let’s take a look at the major ones from this offseason.

Right: Upgrading Inside Linebacker Spot

After cutting Bobby Okereke this offseason, the Giants knew they needed to replace him in free agency before waiting for the draft.

When Edmunds became available, it was an easy decision for the Giants to make, and best of all, they didn’t have to trade assets to get him because they were patient.

In eight NFL seasons, Edmunds has recorded over 100 tackles in each of them, and he remains one of the high-level linebackers in the league. He is also an every-down linebacker who offers a potential upgrade in coverage over that of Okereke.

The Giants need a player who can lead the defense, and Edmunds has the leadership qualities to take the Giants where they need to go.

Missed: Re-signing Unproven "Project" Players

New York Giants offensive lineman Evan Neal | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

With all of the teardown from the previous regime, it's a bit of a surprise to see offensive lineman Evan Neal back with the Giants. Neal was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft out of Alabama, but he did not play like that in his first four NFL seasons.

Last year, Neal, who played in only two of the three preseason games, never made it onto the field during the regular season, eventually landing on injured reserve, where he remained despite his 21-day window being opened later in the year.

That said, head coach John Harbaugh apparently wants a bigger sample size on Neal, who, in converting to guard last season, only played 44 snaps.

And who knows? Perhaps Neal is being seen as a reclamation project that Harbaugh is optimistic about. Still, with the Giants likely to draft an interior offensive lineman next month and given the rocky road Neal’s NFL career has taken, the move to bring him back is still a bit of a headscratcher.

Right: Signing a Big Slot Receiving Target

Tight end Isaiah Likely | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The Giants were expected to add players from Harbaugh's previous team, the Baltimore Ravens, to help bridge the gap between old and new. Likely will be able to do that as one of the top tight ends in the league.

Harbaugh has been a huge fan of Likely ever since the Ravens selected him in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft. He now has the opportunity to break out that he wasn't afforded with the Ravens because he was sitting behind Mark Andrews in the depth chart.

Although Likely's role hasn’t been announced by Harbaugh, it’s believed that he will provide the Giants with a bigger, more physical target in the slot.

Missed: Not Adding a Starting Guard

New York Giants guard Greg Van Roten (74) | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Giants reportedly tried to land guard Alijah Vera-Tucker from the Jets, only to lose out on him to the Patriots over money. There is also no known movement to possibly bring back Greg Van Roten, who has filled the right guard spot for the last two seasons.

In short, the Giants have not added an established guard to fill the right guard opening and appear to have pivoted toward the draft to fill that hole, with a prospect offering upside.

While the logic is not necessarily flawed, given the importance of continuing quarterback Jaxson Dart’s development, one would have thought that Big Blue might have pivoted to another established guard as a fallback plan just in case Evan Neal, Joshua Ezeudu, and Aaron Stinnie–all of whom returned on one-year deals– prove not to be the answer.

Right: Upgrading the Punter Spot

Punter Jordan Stout | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

When we talk about the Giants’ areas that lacked the last year or two, one area that didn’t get enough mention, but should have, was the punting unit.

Last season, the Giants punted 59 times, 18th most in the league (55 of those by Gillan, who missed one game due to a knee injury).

They recorded four touchbacks (tied for 14th), but ranked 30th in net yards per punt (36.9 yards), 29th in punts placed inside the 20-yard line (28.8%), and 29th in punts placed inside the 10-yard line (8.5%).

Former punter Jamie Gillan was a mixed bag in that you never knew what he was going to produce on any given punt. Harbaugh, upon seeing this, turned to Jordan Stout, his Ravens punter, to revamp the Giants' punting team, hoping to turn it from a weakness into a strength.

Missed: Not Adding Another X-receiver

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Perhaps the Giants are planning to add an X-receiver via the draft, or maybe they believe that from among Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III, they have their X-receiver in place for the coming year.

Still, if you look at what the Giants have at receiver, they have a lot of guys who have primarily been Z-receivers in their careers.

There is cautious optimism that Malik Nabers is going to make a full recovery, but what they can’t yet determine is when he’ll get the full green light to return and if he will look the same as he did prior to his ACL injury.

If the focus is on building around quarterback Jaxson Dart, as it should be, not having added another legitimate X-receiver for the long term is a head-scratcher unless, again, they are planning to do so via the draft.

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