NY Giants' Biggest Position Need is This

The Giants can potentially solve their ongoing woes on run defense by addressing this unit.

Feb 28, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen speaks to the press at the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Many New York Giants fans believe the team is a reliable head coach away from competing for an NFC Wild Card spot next season. Still, even a Super Bowl champion like John Harbaugh could only do so much to fix some of the roster's fundamental problems.

Joe Schoen, who is controversially entering his fifth year as Giants general manager, must correct some of his ongoing mistakes. He will need to either retain or add players to key position groups like cornerback, offensive line, and wide receiver, but I believe the team's biggest need is actually linebacker.

Other positions are more important on their own, like the ones mentioned above, and Schoen will presumably use the fifth overall draft pick to address one of them. But the organization's top priority should be figuring out how to stop the run.

Although there are still questions surrounding the second defensive tackle spot -- Roy Robertson-Harris and Darius Alexander could potentially compete for that role this summer -- a logical way to make the Giants less susceptible to opposing running backs is by fortifying the LB room.

Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden have each served crucial roles on run defense in the past, but the former underachieved for much of the campaign, and the latter suffered what turned out to be a season-ending foot injury in Week 1. Furthermore, their future with the franchise is uncertain.

Okereke could be a cap casualty, and McFadden is an unrestricted free agent. Even if both men are in Giants blue next season, it seems extremely risky not to add reinforcements. The LB unit is simply too unpredictable and too thin as currently constructed.

How the Giants can address this need

Dec 14, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) runs with the ball against Washington Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner (54) at MetLife Stadium. | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

New York should dive into the free-agent pool and fish out a proven contributor like Bobby Wagner, Alex Singleton, or Alex Anzalone. Then they can grab another linebacker in the mid-rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Given the porous nature of Big Blue's run defense, Joe Schoen would be wise to search extensively for help. An experienced, accomplished, and motivated prospect like Texas Tech's Jacob Rodriguez could also breathe new life into the LB group.

The Giants may not find a solution until they exhaust all their options, and if that is the case, then so be it. It is long past time to upgrade run support. They have ranked in the bottom six in rushing yards allowed each of the last four years and were only above the Cincinnati Bengals this season (145.3 per game).

Additionally, the Giants surrendered 19 runs of 20-plus yards, tying the Bengals for the worst mark in the NFL. They allowed six runs of 40-plus yards, once again finishing in the bottom three for the entire league. Chunk plays continue to decimate the squad.

New York's putrid run defense is not merely an issue at this point. It is an epidemic. Schoen has been gifted the opportunity to finally end it. Pursuing inside linebackers is not flashy, but the right ones can turn the Giants' most glaring weakness into a visible strength.

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