Reviewing NY Giants Position Units: Where are the Emerging Needs?

While the New York Giants' football season isn't officially over, it's never too early to dive into the specific positional needs the football team will have to address in the upcoming offseason.

This past spring, the Giants made it their mission to remodel the secondary, add a young franchise cornerstone at quarterback, and provide depth and versatility to their defensive line.

While each of these moves has had its own set of unique results, they were objectives nonetheless that the team went out and accomplished.

As we enter the second half of the season, New York has just two wins and a litany of questions across the roster about its foreseeable future. So let’s take a look at each position group and where the 2026 roster needs are starting to take shape.

Quarterback (Low Need)

Nov 2, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) turns the corner on San Francisco 49ers linebacker Tatum Bethune (48) during the second half at MetLife Stadium. | Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

Rookie Jaxson Dart became the Giants' starting quarterback in Week 4 and, through six starts, has shown he has what it takes to be the team's franchise quarterback.

He has ten touchdown passes and five rushing scores during that span while completing 62% of his passes for 1,175 yards and tossing just three interceptions.

The lone concern with Dart is his health, considering his tendency to abandon caution as a scrambler and rusher.

The Giants have two veteran reserve quarterbacks on the roster: Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. Wilson is on a one-year deal, while Winston is signed through next year, presumably to be Dart’s backup.

The Giants will probably add a third quarterback somewhere along the line, but overall, this position is a low need for next offseason.

Running Back (Medium Need)

Oct 26, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo (44) runs for a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles in the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Giants entered 2025 with a running back room of Cam Skattebo, Devin Singletary, and Tyrone Tracy Jr.

Skattebo established himself as the lead back by Week 3 and seemed destined to be the team's first 1,000-yard rusher in the post-Saquan Barkley era.

Unfortunately, Skattebo dislocated his ankle in the team's road loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. While he had successful surgery and is scheduled to return to camp in 2026, there's no guarantee he'll be physically ready for Week 1 next year2026.

Tracy is currently carrying the load the rest of the way as the starter, but come next year, Singletary could find himself among the cap casualties the Giants are likely to make.

New York has Dante Miller on the practice squad, and they also have Eric Gray sitting on the PUP list. Regardless, they probably would benefit from adding another guy to this group.

Wide Receiver (Extremely High Need)

Oct 6, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson (17) scores a touchdown against Seattle Seahawks safety Julian Love (20) during the second quarter at Lumen Field. | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Throughout the 2020s, the Giants invested draft capital in rounding out their wide receiver room. They spent first, second, and third round selections on Malik Nabers, WanDale Robinson, and Jalin Hyatt, respectively, and brought back Darius Slayton, who is now one of two longest tenured members of the team.

So far, each wideout has produced mixed results, and only two of them are under contract in 2026. Nabers, their only true playmaker, flashed in his inaugural NFL season with record-breaking numbers, but entered 2025 with a nagging foot injury before succumbing to a season-ending knee ACL injury in Week 4.

The most productive Giants receiver the past two seasons has been Robinson. As a prototypical slot wideout, Robinson is currently leading the team in targets (68, receptions (47), and receiving yards (540) on 11.5 yards per catch.

Robinson isn't under contract for next season, and the Giants may not want to allocate the necessary resources to keep him. With him slated not to return, the wide receiver room needs an infusion of high-upside young talent to provide a spark for next season.

Slayton returned to the Giants on a three-year, $36 million deal, but he’s had an up-and-down campaign this year in which he’s come up short in big moments. He’ll probably be back next year, but whether that’s as the WR2 is another story.

Hyatt, meanwhile, has been buried on the depth chart for reasons known only to the coaching staff. If the Giants bring in a new staff, perhaps he can get out of the doghouse and contribute, but thus far, his Giants career has been a disappointment.

The Giants' other receivers are mostly special teams and/or practice-squad guys. They desperately need another playmaker in the mold of Nabers to really make this offense hum in 2026. Look for that guy to come early in the 2026 draft.

Tight End (Low Need)

New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Giants added Theo Johnson in the draft last year, only to lose him early to a season-ending foot injury. In his second season, Johnson has been mediocre at best.

Although he has five touchdown scores, a benefit of the Giants going to more 12-personnel in the wake of Nabers’s season-ending injury, Johnson’s reception percentage is down from his rookie season (63.4% this year, 67.4% last year).

His average yards per reception is also way down, from 11.4 last year to 9.2 this year, despite an increase in his average depth of target (ADOT).

Also down is his contested catch rate, while his drops are just one away from the five he had in a shortened season last year. Altogether, there are questions as to whether Johnson is truly ready for the TE1 role.

Daniel Bellinger is set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2026. He’s seen an uptick in his pass targets since the Nabers' injury, with nine of the 12 targets he’s recorded coming from Week 5 onward.

Behind him are Chris Manhertz, a blocking tight end on a one-year deal, and rookie Thomas Fidone II, who is still something of an unknown given his infrequent deployment in the offense.

In short, those who are set to return next year to this position are serviceable. And if the Giants add another receiver, as is expected, that might lessen the need to seek a true TE1.

Offensive Line (medium need)

Oct 9, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants offensive tackle Andrew Thomas (78) blocks against Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jalyx Hunt (58) during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Giants' offensive line, believe it or not, has been a quiet strength of the Giants this season, largely due to the return of left tackle Andrew Thomas. Through nine weeks, the Giants' offensive line has the ninth-best pass-blocking efficiency rating (86.2) according to PFF, and is ranked in the middle of the pack (16th) in total quarterback pressures.

That said, it’s never a bad idea to keep adding talent to the unit. They have their young right tackle of the future in Marcus Mbow, though if they can re-sign Jermaine Eluemunor, perhaps they can move Mbow inside to right guard, where Greg Van Roten, Austin Schlottmann, and Evan Neal are all set to be free agents after this season.

The Giants could also use a backup center–perhaps Schlottmann returns in that role. And again, it doesn’t hurt to add to the interior of the offensive line, where the problems that have popped up with the unit exist.

Defensive Line (Medium Need)

New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence (97) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Giants drafted Darius Alexander to eventually pair with All-Pro Dexter Lawrence in the trenches' interior. Alexander, who comes from a smaller program and had his spring wiped out by injury, has had a bit of a longer injury curve, but he seems to be coming along.

The team also added Roy Robertson-Harris and Chauncey Golston in free agency. Golston has spent more time this season inactive due to injuries than he has on the field.

Robertson-Harris, meanwhile, has been a solid rotational player, while Lawrece, despite once again facing a high number of double teams, has struggled to replicate last season’s production.

DJ Davidon and Rakeem Nunez-Roches round out the current depth. Nunez-Roches and Davidson will both be unrestricted free agents after this season. Nunez-Roches most likely won’t be back, though we could see a scenario where Davidson returns on a cap-friendly deal.

That said, the defensive line, in our view, is much like the offensive line in that one can never have enough for the unit.

Inside Linebackers (High Need)

Oct 9, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) scrambles defended by New York Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke (58) during the third quarter of the game at MetLife Stadium. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Giants' inside linebacker unit was among the few that the team didn’t really address last offseason, other than to add special teams help. But this group, a key component of the run defense, is likely heading for a transformation in the offseason.

The Giants have been hurting big time without Micah McFadden, who was lost in Week 1 to a season-ending foot injury. Second-year player Darius Muasau has unfortunately not been consistent enough to fill the void alongside starter Bobby Okereke.

Chris Board is sitting on IR with a chest injury, and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles can’t stay healthy. Add to that Okereke’s $14.463 million cap hit (the final year of his contract) and McFadden’s pending free agency run, and this unit could look very different next year.

We would see if McFadden would be willing to return for a two-year deal, maybe at a reduced rate given the injury.

We would also see about adding a voidable year to Okereke’s deal to allow for some flexibility in reducing his cap hit (currently the third-highest on next year’s cap).

And without a doubt, we would add to this unit in the event of future injuries.

Outside Linebackers (Low Need)

New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns runs out of the tunnel during a Thursday Night Football game between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Oct. 9, 2025. | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Giants have a solid three-headed edge rusher group in Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Abdul Carter, making this unit the defense's strength at the moment.

While we don’t think they need to add another premium pass rusher to the mix–Thibodeaux will be playing on his option year, and after that, the Giants can franchise tag him two additional years if they choose–what they do need is a better defensive coordinator who can get more out of this trio than what they have shown thus far.

Cornerback (High Need)

New York Giants cornerback Cor'Dale Flott | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Giants embarked on a rehaul of their secondary a season ago, adding Paulson Adebo in free agency. But it's their former draft selection Cor’Dale Flott who has emerged as their best cover corner in 2025.

Across 39 targets, Flott has allowed just 21 catches for under 300 yards and zero touchdowns. He's also forced six pass breakups and holds a top-five PFF coverage grade of 79.6.

Adebo hasn't been as successful, surrendering 32 catches for over 300 yards and a touchdown. While he has half of Flott's PBUs and a career-low 51.1 coverage grade, he projects best as the team's number two corner on the outside.

Meanwhile, the Giants' depth at cornerback has since been exposed. Adebo has missed three games with a knee injury, and 2023 first-round draft pick Deonte Banks continues to look lost out there.

Flott is set to hit free agency in this, his contract year, and Phillips has had a rocky second season. Cornerback is one of those positions where a team never has enough.

While the Giants have quantity at this spot, they lack quality, which is a major reason we probably haven’t seen as many exotic blitzes from the current defensive coordinator.

Adding another top-shelf cornerback to this group should, without question, be a top priority in the offseason.

Safeties (Medium Need)

New York Giants safety Jevon Holland | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Giants' signing of Jevon Holland this offseason was perceived as a breath of fresh air for its backend, and through seven starts, he's flashed as a quality run defender and open-field tackler.

However, he's been lacking in coverage, and his current 56.7 PFF coverage grade would be his lowest of his NFL career.

Opposite him is second-year safety Tyler Nubin, who has been equally as underwhelming in coverage, allowing 22 receptions for nearly 300 yards and two touchdowns.

Dane Belton has been a solid contributor, but he’s heading to free agency. Perhaps the Giants find a way to bring him back, as he’s been the best of the Giants' safeties in coverage this season, and it hasn’t been close.

While adding another playmaker won’t hurt, the bigger challenge for the coaching staff will be trying to get Nubin, last year’s second-round pick, to play a lot better than he has this season.

Nubin has already topped last year’s missed tackles total by one; he has half the number of stops he had as a rookie; his receptions allowed percentage is currently 5.5% higher than it was last year; and he’s allowed two touchdowns in coverage after not allowing any last year.

Specialists (High Need-Kicker)

New York Giants kicker Graham Gano | Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For three seasons (2020-22), kicker Graham Gano was one of a few players the Giants never had to worry about doing his job at the highest levels.

Those days, however, are over. Gano has now been injured three straight seasons, each one featuring a stint on injured reserve that has seen him appear in just 23 games over that span.

This year, Gano was even permanently removed from kickoffs in favor of left-footed punter Jamie Gillan.

While injuries are not his fault, the bottom line is the team cannot afford to carry him beyond this season on what would be the final year of his three-year, $16.5 million extension signed in 2023.

Gano has a 2026 cap hit of $5.75 million, currently among kickers.

While some think he should have been let go before the start of this season, the Giants clearly went with what they knew rather than opting to saddle head coach Brian Daboll with a younger, less experienced kicker, a decision that clearly hasn’t worked out.

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