New York Giants Roster Breakdown: Improvements & Regressions After Free Agency

The New York Giants were a cap-strapped organization when they were approaching the start of NFL free agency over a week ago. Yet, they found ways to manipulate and wisely spend their freshly created space to reshape their roster into a hopefully competitive one in 2026.

While exciting gains are typically made this time of year, there are also some tough departures and missed opportunities that could come back to haunt the same teams as they look to be more successful amongst the league's competition.

The Giants were no strangers to either of those situations, leaving their roster project unfinished as they shift their attention towards the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh in about a month, where they aim to add more underrated young talent for head coach John Harbaugh.

Certain position groups in Harbaugh's locker room are already molding into the type of product he envisions for his second coaching stint, but other areas will need to see more pieces come in before the following season arrives.

It's a perfect time to dissect which ones the Giants should be happy with and which they need to prioritize at some point in the rest of the offseason.

Quarterbacks: Same

New York Giants quarterbacks Jaxson Dart and Jameis Winston — Oct 9, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, left, and quarterback Jameis Winston, right, on the field before the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The only departure from the Giants' quarterbacks room was the veteran Russell Wilson, who became a free agent after his one-year contract and brief stint as the team's attempted bridge arm ended.

Wilson, who went 0-3 in his three starts with the Giants, was simply battling Father Time and an offense that was largely sputtering with him commanding the helm.

It became clear quickly that the organization needed to shift towards the hopeful franchise savior in rookie Jaxson Dart, a move that came in Week 4 and paid some early dividends as Dart had one of the finer seasons among first-year players despite the Giants' woeful 4-13 record.

In year two with Dart as the starter, the Giants are eager to see if he can grow as a pocket passer and take the next step under John Harbaugh and new offensive coordinator Matt Nagy's system. Jameis Winston remains his backup in the second year of a cheap deal after three starts in 2025.

Running Backs: Better

New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary — Jan 4, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants running back Devin Singletary (26) celebrates with New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29) after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

While the Giants didn't make any legitimate changes in their backfield, they did attract some eyeballs with their signing of former Ravens Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard as one of a few players reuniting with their old head coach in East Rutherford.

The Giants had a fairly impressive rushing attack in 2025, finishing fifth in total rushing yards and fourth in touchdowns, a stat that boosted Jaxson Dart's toughness and playmaking ability to carry the rock into the end zone on designed runs.

However, their power element was lost in the middle of the season when rookie Cam Skattebo suffered an ankle injury in Week 8. Skattebo has been diligently rehabbing to get back on the field next season, and now he'll have the benefit of hitting the lanes with another brawny figure who loves to run defenders over.

Ricard, who weighs in at 6-foot-3, 300 pounds, is a six-time Pro Bowler, a two-time All-Pro who will pave the way for an old-school Giants' ground game in 2026 and elevate that aspect of an offense that wants to be more explosive overall.

Wide Receivers: Better

Sep 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter at AT&T Stadium. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Among the bigger disappointments from the Giants' 2025 season was the lackluster production from the majority of their receiving corps.

Malik Nabers, the team's surefire No. 1 receiver who smashed long-held records in the 2024 rookie season, was lost fairly early to a torn ACL. The Giants were desperate for another pass catcher to pick up the slack and magically found the answer in slot receiver Wan'Dale Robinson, who overcame his lack of size to author his first 1,000-yard season.

Once Robinson earned his bag and left for Tennessee, the Giants' corps suddenly got weaker. None of their remaining receivers surpassed 600 receiving yards and one touchdown. Drops were once again an issue with New York finishing tied for 12th in the league with 19 total dropped passes.

Instead of overpaying on a slot threat to keep Robinson in the equation, the Giants made the tough yet wise decision to let their former second-round pick walk and salvage their extra funds for other important needs.

Their choices still yielded what would be two quality and versatile targets in Calvin Austin III and Darnell Mooney. Both players can impact the passing attack from numerous spots, run extended route trees with impressive speed, and will only further embolden Jaxson Dart to let it rip.

If you need more evidence of how the Giants got better for less at the receiving position, just look at the numbers between Robinson and Mooney, who figures to step into his empty role in the slot.

After his injury-plagued rookie year in 2022, Robinson took a few more seasons to finally burst through the 1,000-yard mark and become a main component of the Giants' aerial attack. He didn't average over 10 yards per catch or score more than a single touchdown until the 2024 season.

Meanwhile, Mooney, who has been in the league a couple of extra seasons, accomplished many of those same feats by his second campaign, including averaging over 12.3 yards per haul in each of the last five campaigns.

While Robinson earned a strong AAV of $17.5 million for a slot guy, the Giants got an amazing deal for a more productive Mooney, netting him a $3 million base salary next fall.

Tight Ends: Better

Nov 23, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson (84) reacts after the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

The Giants were a lot more reliant on their tight ends to produce in the passing game last season than some might have anticipated, and Theo Johnson was a big part of the equation. Johnson rebounded from an injury-shortened 2024 season, where he formed an early bond with the team's rotation of quarterbacks.

Johnson kept the close relationship going with rookie Jaxson Dart and produced a more impressive 2025 stat sheet of 45 catches for 528 and a team-leading five receiving touchdowns for the third-highest production within the Giants' arsenal.

Beyond Johnson, who was also a victim of his fair share of drops (7), the Giants' tight ends room was far from impactful. Daniel Bellinger struggled to get involved with fewer than 20 catches for the second straight season, and Chris Manhertz was established as a pure blocking tight end on heavy formations.

What the Giants ended up cashing in on during free agency was one of the best receiving players in the league in former Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely. Other than his ties to Harbaugh, Likely will be the best of both worlds in that he is versatile and can make big catches at all levels of the field.

Likely will instantly jump into the TE1 slot and join a more packed arsenal of pass catchers who can do damage with speedy and vertical abilities. Johnson will still be a frequent target as well, given he excels at running good seam and crossing routes to get open for intermediate yardage.

Offensive Line: Worse

New York Giants right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor — Nov 9, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Giants offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor | David Banks-Imagn Images

One might ask how we'd describe the Giants' offensive line getting worse after their impressive season and the re-signing of Jermaine Eluemunor, who has become a stalwart blocker at right tackle.

The key to this decision is the lack of depth that the Giants' unit has assembled in free agency so far. The right guard spot has been vacated by Greg Van Roten, who remains in free agency waiting for an offer from a team like the Giants.

No real answer for that hole has surfaced. The team hasn't made any indication about pushing Marcus Mbow into playing more guard full-time, and the re-signings of Aaron Stinnie and Evan Neal, the latter being one of the biggest surprises of the Giants' moves, are merely average to poor depth options.

Center also carries some concern, especially after Austin Schlottmann, who was the backup and one of the Giants' best-graded linemen in his limited workload, left to join the Tennessee Titans with a few of his fellow teammates. John Michael Schmitz's future is up in the air, and he has dealt with injury woes in the recent past.

Either by scouring what's left of the open market for proven pass protectors or recruiting a couple in April's draft, the Giants need to patch up their offensive line so that it doesn't revert back to the annual disaster it was before the 2025 season.

Interior Defensive Line: Worse

New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Giants were still a very poor defense at slowing the run, and blame could be placed at all three levels. Still, the defensive front, led by All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence, was unable to do their job enough to help the Giants avoid giving up the largest average per rush attempt in the NFL.

It's hard to place a ton of the blame on Lawrence, who was coming off a late-season elbow injury in 2024 and wasn't himself for most of the following season. He was also among the league's highest double-teamed interior defenders (71% of his snaps saw double blocks), making it hard for him to be as destructive as we saw he could be at his size, amidst a career-high 9 sacks in 2023.

Lawrence needs more help on either side of him. The Giants brought in Roy Robertson-Harris last offseason to be that extra veteran gap stuffer, but he only recorded three tackles for loss and missed 13.5% of his tackles.

One potential saving move could be to re-sign Rakeem Nunez-Roches, who has provided some semblance of pressure with 5 sacks over 3 years in blue. That reunion could come cheap, or else the Giants need to aim for another young piece to fortify the defensive trenches.

Edge: Same

New York Giants outside linebacker Brian Burns — New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns (0) and New York Giants defensive end Chauncey Golston (57) | Yannick Peterhans / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Giants went into the 2025 season expecting their core of edge rushers to be a dominant unit for them. It didn't happen right away, possibly because the scheme of ex-defensive coordinator Shane Bowen wasn't working out, but they saw flashes of the intended result as the year wore on.

Thus, the Giants are largely content with the talent they will have, sending the pressure again in 2026, and should expect it to be a strength once again. A lot of that will hinge on whether they can improve the back end of the defense to enable the front seven the proper time to get home to the quarterback.

One potential intriguing development remains the state of the Giants' bond with veteran defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, who has been the subject of trade gossip since before the season ended.

If Thibodeaux, who has fallen off a bit since his 11.5-sack effort in 2023, does find himself in a new city in exchange for draft capital, there could be a scenario where the Giants use a piece of their return on a young player to supply depth.

Inside Linebackers: Better

New York Giants inside linebacker Micah McFadden — Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) runs with the ball while being chased by New York Giants linebacker Micah McFadden (41). | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As soon as the Giants parted ways with veteran Bobby Okereke, whose final year they turned into a cap casualty to create some new cap space for free agency, the inside linebackers room became an instantly dire need for the defensive side.

Okereke had been an ironman and key leader within the Giants' locker room, but his ability to thrive in coverage and thwart the opposing run game was starting to wear off as he got older. The Giants needed a younger option and found a great one in former Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.

Edmunds, who earned an 81.3 run defense grade, the best on the Chicago defense, will help shore up those problems while bringing a stronger turnover element to the unit (10 forced turnovers over the last three seasons)

Re-signing Micah McFadden is a little risky after he missed nearly the entire 2025 campaign with a foot injury, but he has also been a tackling machine in his time with the Giants. He will be on a prove-it deal and allow the team to keep some familiarity within the position group.

What remains to be seen is if the Giants continue to strengthen the group by adding a premier prospect in this year's class. Ohio State's Sonny Styles has drawn a lot of attention and could turn out to be their No. 5 selection and undoubtedly make the inside linebackers even better.

Cornerbacks: Worse

Dec 1, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (9) catches a pass for a touchdown against New York Giants cornerback Cor'Dale Flott (28) during the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Losing Cor'Dale Flott to the Tennessee Titans, who surprisingly are paying him $3 million less annually than what the Giants were set to offer him, was a crushing blow for their defensive secondary.

Flott had just posted his best coverage resume in 2025, allowing receptions on 53.0% of targets for 440 yards, one touchdown, and a career-low 72.8 passer rating when targeted. He was one of the few pleasant surprises after winning the No. 2 cornerback job over Deonte Banks in training camp.

The Giants had to know such a season would bring in outside suitors for Flott in free agency, and he heard something that made him want to jump ship and sign with the Titans. It was going to be hard to find a replacement with as much length and savvy in disrupting passes and winning one-on-one matchups towards the endzone.

GM Joe Schoen made a couple of new additions with the one-year deals handed out to Greg Newsome II and Ar'Darius Washington, who follow John Harbaugh from Baltimore. Washington has an uphill climb to ascend the depth chart and could start off as more of a special-teams ace.

Newsome is an intriguing player who has enough experience and upside to fight for Flott's vacated spot this summer. His main competitor should be Deonte Banks, whose future with the organization looks bleaker than ever.

Expect the Giants to add more secondary help in the draft, but we might have to wait until the 2026 season begins to crown the team's work in that position group a success.

Safeties: Same

Dec 14, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants safety Jevon Holland (8) returns a punt during the second quarter against the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Giants did not pursue any immediate safety grabs after a disappointing season from their two main pieces in Jevon Holland and Tyler Nubin. The duo earned sub-60.0 PFF coverage grades and were responsible for four touchdowns allowed while missing seven combined contests.

Dane Belton was one of the Giants' free agent exits who could have been salvaged for a fair deal, especially since he was one of the franchise's most productive tacklers and an important contributor to special teams. He ended up switching New York uniforms and signing with the crosstown Jets for a chance to earn a larger role in their defense.

One way to change the narrative surrounding the safety room would be for the Giants to draft Ohio State prospect Caleb Downs at No. 5. Downs is an insane athlete who can impact a defense in numerous ways and would be a surefire starter for Harbaugh and Dennard Wilson, given his skill set and football intelligence.

Ar'Darius Washington, who was mentioned in the previous section, has some experience playing with the deep safeties, but he figures to be slotted in the depth chart and not a full-time solution for the position group.

Specialists: Better

Dec 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants kicker Ben Sauls (30) reacts against the Minnesota Vikings during the first half at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Very few parts of the Giants' roster have drawn more ire than special teams. Many efforts have been made over the past couple of offseasons to address the problem, but with only more negative results, on select occasions, that could have cost the franchise some shocking wins.

Late in the 2025 season, the Giants might have finally found something that works with undrafted kicker Ben Sauls. who came into the fold for the final four games and converted all of his field goal attempts and extra points.

The odd part is that the Giants aren't handing Sauls the reins to the full-time kicking job in 2026. They were expected to cut beleaguered veteran Graham Gano, whose stint has been marred by nagging injuries, as a cap casualty.

Instead, Gano is still on the roster, along with Sauls, and the team added former Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders in free agency. Surely the Giants don't intend to keep numerous kickers on their roster again, leaving fans to wonder whether there will be a competition come training camp.

As for punter, the Giants did move on from Jamie Gillan after four seasons, including a downward year in 2025, where he netted just 38.0 yards per punt attempt and landed only 30.17% of his boots inside the 20-yard line.

They upgraded at the role with former Ravens punter Jordan Stout, one of the league's best specialists and a strong connection to John Harbaugh from their time in Baltimore. Stout's leg earned him Pro Bowl honors for the first time last season, and the Giants should look forward to more of that in blue.

The only question mark that lingers is the long snapper position following Casey Kreiter's exit in free agency after he held the job for six seasons in New York before moving on to Arizona.

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