6 Emerging Storylines to Watch as NY Giants Begin Offseason Program

Spring has arrived, and with it, the NFL offseason programs have begun, with teams such as the New York Giants getting a two-week head start thanks to hiring a new coaching staff led by John Harbaugh.

The offseason program, which is voluntary except for the one mandatory minicamp in June, will feature the usual three phases–strength and conditioning, onfield work with position coaches, and OTAs, the dates as follows:

First Day: April 7
Voluntary Minicamp: April 21-23
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 19-21, May 27-29, June 1-4
Mandatory Minicamp: June 8-10

For the Giants, it’s going to be about so much more than just business as usual when the players and coaches assemble on Tuesday morning for their first meeting with Harbaugh.

Here’s a look at the top offseason storylines we’ll be following as the Giants program gets underway and runs through the middle part of June.

The Harbaugh Way Takes Shape

Mar 30, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh during the 2026 NFL Annual League Meeting at the Arizona Biltmore. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Harbaugh has undoubtedly given a lot of thought to what he wants the Giants to look like, and to that end, he had the first floor of the team’s two-story headquarters redone, from the paint to the signage.

While every team’s identity tends to develop organically based on the character of the men brought into the locker room, a perpetual identity that Harbaugh has determined he wants not just for this team but for future teams is “Relentless Persistence.”

That is perfect for the entire team, but look for the offense and defense to develop their own identities as talent continues to be added through the draft and the back end of free agency.

The Road to Recovery

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers is among those working their way back from surgery. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Harbaugh has spoken frequently about receiver Malik Nabers and running back Cam Skattebo, two key offensive players who just so happen to be coming off significant season-ending injuries: Skattebo, an ankle injury, and Nabers, a torn ACL.

While Harbaugh has had a chance to see Skattebo in person–the two most recently caught up at Arizona State’s pro day before Harbaugh jetted off to the league meetings–the same isn’t believed to be the case with Nabers.

Harbaugh told reporters at the league meetings that while the team has kept in touch with Nabers, the receiver has been doing his training and rehab in Miami, leaving it unclear whether the two men have met in person yet.

General manager Joe Schoen has expressed cautious optimism twice that Nabers would be ready for on-field workouts by training camp, though he continued to hedge a bit, reminding people that Nabers must avoid setbacks to be ready.

Nabers himself, the last time he spoke with reporters, refused to put a deadline on his return to the field, saying that when his body felt right, he’d be out there.

Both players' statuses, as well as those of any other players who were known to undergo off-season procedures, are sure to be among the questions Harbaugh gets when he speaks to the media Tuesday via video call.

Jaxson Dart’s Year 2 Leap

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Giants lost receiver Wan’Dale Robinson in free agency to the Tennessee Titans, but they added tight end Isaiah Likely and receivers Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III to give their second-year quarterback some additional firepower.

Beyond that, the focus will be on helping Dart take the next step in his own game. New offensive coordinator Matt Nagy told Howard Eskin of WIP that he put together a reel of instances in which Dart, who in his short NFL career has developed a reputation as a fearless runner, could have avoided a big hit.

Besides that, there will probably be a focus on getting Dart to fine-tune his deep-throwing accuracy. Of the 36 quarterbacks who attempted a minimum of 20 passes (20+ yards), Dart’s 32% completion percentage on those pass attempts ranked 32nd.

Another thing to watch for is if the Giants have Dart work more under center this year. In his rookie campaign, Dart attempted 199 passes from the shotgun, achieving a 64.2% completion rate, but only 29 pass attempts when under center for a 58.6% completion rate.

Baltimore-to-Blue Integration

Several members--players and coaches and staff--from the Baltimore Ravens followed John Harbaugh to East Rutherford. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

In addition to several members of his past coaching staffs and adminstrative support personnel, Harbaugh brought with him several members of his past Ravens teams-Likely, safety Ar’Darius Washington, fullback Patrick Ricard, and punter Jordan Stout to help with creating the ideal culture within the locker room.

They will join former Browns/Jaguars cornerback Greg Newsome II and former Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, the latter who replaces Bobby Okereke as the “quarterback” of the defense.

With new faces mixing with those returning, it will be interesting to see who emerges as the team's new leaders.

Figure Edmunds will be among the newcomers who step into a leadership role. Also, figure that Dart will take on a much bigger leadership role on offense, not that he’s firmly entrenched as the starting quarterback.

Defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence will also likely be among the leaders, and it will be interesting to see if oft-injured (as of recent, at least) offensive tackle Andrew Thomas retains a leadership role.

It will still be months before the official team captains are voted on, but in the interim, it’s worth keeping an eye on who emerges as a leader, regardless of whether those players are voted team captains.

From Sieve to Stone?

The New York Giants need defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II to rebound from an off-year, particularly against the run. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Harbaugh has spoken repeatedly of the importance of stopping the run, most recently at the league meetings.

Rightfully so. The Giants have struggled to consistently stop the run, and in doing so, that puts a crimp on their ability to unleash the strength of their defense, the pass rush, more consistently.

New York gave up an average of 5.3 yards per rushing attempt, also the worst mark in the league. And what’s worse is that the poor run defense wasn’t necessarily a result of missed tackles so much as it was guys not filling holes, getting off blocks, or taking smart angles to the ball carriers.

Whether the Giants have actually made strides beyond what appears to be the case on paper won’t be known until the pads go on in August, but certainly that’s one of the top priorities from a defensive perspective that Harbaugh, defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, and the rest of the defensive coaches will be locked into.

Which Way will Draft Winds Blow?

The Giants have set themselves up to go in any number of directions in the draft thanks to their 2026 free agency haul.

That includes sitting still at No. 5 or exploring a trade scenario at some point to add more draft assets.

While no one is expecting Harbaugh, general manager Joe Schoen, or anyone within the organization who might be in the know about the team’s draft plans, what ultimately transpires later this month could yield clues about potential wrinkles that might be unveiled as the installation periods continue throughout the spring.

And speaking of the draft, it will be interesting to see who the Giants bring in and how they might affect the others on the roster at the corresponding positions.

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