NY Giants On SI's 2025 Season Award Winners

Despite having its third consecutive double-digit losing season, the New York Giants had several standout performers on the gridiron this season.

At their peak, the offense showed signs of explosiveness with rookies Jaxson Dart under center and Cam Skattebo in the backfield.

Defensively, Brian Burns posted one of the better pass-rushing seasons in the league, spearheading an inconsistent yet richly talented unit.

As we start our wind-down of the year that was, here is a look at our choices for team award winners across various areas.

MVP & Defensive Player of the Year: EDGE Brian Burns

New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns (0) celebrates after breaking up a pass during a week 9 game between New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025. | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In just his second season with the franchise, Brian Burns had a banner campaign with the Giants. The 27-year-old edge rusher finished with career-high numbers in sacks (16.5), tackles for loss (22), quarterback hits (31), and passes defended 7.

Burns’ sack totals left him just behind Myles Garrett for the NFL sack lead, but the performance was still good enough for Burns to earn his third Pro Bowl berth and second-team All-Pro honors.

On the Giants alone, he was the lone double-digit sack leader on the defense, with Abdul Carter, in second place, trailing Burns by 12.5 sacks.

In a season where New York's high-level performers had stretches of underwhelming play, Burns was the model of consistency. In 16 of his 17 starts, the eight-year veteran had at least a sack, quarterback hit, and/or tackle for loss against the opposing offenses he faced.

Offensive Player of the Year: WR Wan'Dale Robinson

Dec 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson (17) runs with the ball after a catch in the second quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

In a season marred with injuries to many of the Giants' key offensive playmakers, receiver Wan'Dale Robinson not only found a way to stay available during a contract season but also broke out as New York's primary pass-catching target.

In a career-high 16 starts, Robinson received the same amount of targets this season as last year (140), but substantially elevated his yardage production. He averaged a career-best 11.0 yards per reception while surpassing 1,000 yards receiving for the first time in his NFL career.

Thirty-nine of his 92 receptions went for first downs, with Robinson hauling in a career-high four touchdown receptions. The former second-round selection finished his fourth season with New York as the lone 2025 receiving target with at least 100 targets, 90 receptions, and over 1,000 yards.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: QB Jaxson Dart

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

Jaxson Dart was officially given the reins as the Giants' starting quarterback in Week 4, and ever since, he has been a promising force under center when available.

In 12 starts, the Giants’ first-round selection accumulated 24 total touchdowns (15 through the air and nine on the ground), throwing for 2,759 yards and rushing for 487.

Given his dual-threat ability, Dart has showcased top-level effectiveness in the Giants' offense. The Ole Miss product posted seven games with a rushing touchdown, two of which were two-touchdown rushing performances.

In his 12 starts, he had just one game, that against the Vikings, in which he didn’t throw for or rush for a score.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Edge Abdul Carter

Dec 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; New York Giants outside linebacker Abdul Carter (51) reacts in the second quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Much of Abdul Carter's rookie season was muddied with little sack production that was compounded by two benchings for having committed transgressions late in the season.

But once Carter decided to really apply himself and do all the little things he wasn’t necessarily doing earlier, things really took off for him.

From Week 13 onward, Carter collected 3.5 sacks, six tackles for loss, and 11 quarterback hits to solidify himself statistically as the Giants' second-best edge rusher this season.

According to NextGen Stats, Carter finished seventh in the league with 72 quarterback pressures and led the league with 25 quick pressures under 2.5 seconds, all of which wasn’t bad for a guy who did not have the sack-level production as some of his peers.

Comeback Player of the Year: LB Bobby Okereke

At the end of the 2024 season, questions arose about middle linebacker Bobby Okereke, who had his season cut short by a back injury.

After some early-season struggles, Okereke began to resemble the tackling machine that the Giants signed in the 2023 season.

Per Next Gen Stats, Okereke registered 143 tackles and 12 stops (both 12th in the league), and finished second in the league in hustle stops.

Thirty-two of his tackles came in Week 13 onward, when the Giants switched to Charlie Bullen as their defensive coordinator.

He was also back to flying around in coverage, with a 12.2% tight-window percentage ranking second amongst linebackers, just behind Patrick Queen (12.7%) of the Steelers.

With Okereke having been a potential salary cap casualty, his strong finish might very well have saved his roster spot in 2026.

Coach of the Year: Carmen Bricillo, O-line

New York Giants offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

At the start of the 2025 season, the Giants' offensive line was probably the team's top concern for a variety of reasons, most of all the uncertainty about when left tackle Andrew Thomas might finally be cleared to return to the lineup from a foot injury suffered the year prior.

By the end of 2025, the offensive line proved to be the least of the Giants’ problems, and that’s all due to the guidance of offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo.

Bricillo, in his second season with the Giants, not only jumped into PFF’s top five in pass blocking efficiency with an 86.6 mark, but the unit also allowed the sixth fewest quarterback pressures (140) league-wide.

Individually, Bricillo, with the assistance of assistant offensive line coach James Ferentz, helped right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor to his best season, a year in which he gave up 10 fewer pressures than he had the year prior.

Center John Michael Schmitz also cut his allowed pressures in half, posting a career low, which was a big step forward in his development.

And rookie tackle Marcus Mbow, in limited action, showed that the game wasn’t too big for him at left or right tackle.

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