NY Giants Must Neutralizing Lions' Newest Pass Protector in Season Matchup

With the 2026 NFL schedule release event less than two months away, we’re going to take a look each day at one newcomer on each of the New York Giants’ opponents whose presence could potentially create the biggest headache for Big Blue.

The New York Giants will have a difficult matchup against the Detroit Lions at some point during the 2026 season.

The Lions may have finished 9-8 last season, but they are less than two years removed from reaching the NFC Championship, where they lost to the San Francisco 49ers. After struggling last season, the Lions hope to bounce back, and they will have a chance to do so with a new center in Cade Mays.

Mays, who turns 27 this month, spent his first four seasons with the Carolina Panthers. He appeared in 52 games and made 27 starts, 12 of which came during the 2025 campaign. He also started in the Panthers' Wild Card game against the Los Angeles Rams.

Mays grew a lot this past season, and it's why he was one of the more highly sought-after free agent offensive linemen in the league. The Lions signed him to a three-year deal worth $25 million, and he is expected to anchor Detroit's offensive line for the upcoming season.

Mays Addition Makes Giants' Job Harder

Carolina Panthers center Cade Mays with offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

There's a reason why Mays went from being a career backup to one of the higher-paid free agents in the NFL.

He started off his career as a guard but eventually moved into the center spot when the Panthers needed someone at the position. Eventually, he got the hang of it, and it became very natural for him.

The Panthers' offense began to click a little bit more, and Mays was a big part of that. He also allowed zero sacks in the 2025 season, which will be something he looks to keep up in 2026 while protecting Jared Goff.

The Giants have a challenging defensive line assuming they’ll have Dexter Lawrence II leading the way up the middle, but Mays is capable of holding his own.

That matchup, again assuming Lawrence isn’t traded, will be key when the Giants and Lions face off at Ford Field at some point during the upcoming season.

If the Giants can figure out a way to rattle Mays a little bit, it could apply a lot of pressure on Goff and the Lions' offense, which could help the Giants move towards a path to victory in one of the more difficult road games for the year.

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