5 "What Ifs" That Could Have Derailed the Giants' 2026 Offseason — And Didn't

From landing John Harbaugh to Arvell Reese falling to No. 5, Big Blue's offseason hinged on a series of pivotal moments that all broke their way.

Jan 20, 2026; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach John Harbaugh pose after the press conference announcing Harbaughís hiring at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

Despite the best-laid plans, an NFL offseason doesn’t always go as planned. And sometimes that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

For the New York Giants, it’s probably fair to say that a lot of their “what if?” scenarios have played out to their favor, at least so far. Here, then, is our list of the top five biggest “what ifs” of the Giants’ 2026 offseason in no particular order:

What if the Giants hadn’t hired John Harbaugh as head coach?

New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh | Thomas Salus-Imagn Images

The Giants entered the 2026 head coaching cycle bound and determined to land former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, and with good reason. Harbaugh is actually cut from a similar cloth as Bill Parcells and Tom Coughlin, two of the most successful Giants head coaches in recent franchise history.

But what might have happened had Harbaugh not been available or if he had taken the Atlanta  job? There’s a good chance the Giants would have landed either Kevin Stefranski, who went to the Falcons, or Mike McCarthy, who went to the Steelers.

While neither move would necessarily have been a disaster, it is fair to wonder whether Giants ownership would have yielded the power to either of those two candidates that they gave to Harbaugh, who has in turn used it to improve some back-office operations.

What if the Giants hadn’t traded Dexter Lawrence?

Former Giants DL Dexter Lawrence | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Long-time Giants defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence clearly had enough of the Giants and their overall operations to the point where he, through his agency representation, wanted off the team despite still being under contract.

That became crystal clear after seeing what the Bengals, the team the Giants ultimately traded Lawrence to, gave the defensive tackle a one-year, $28 million contract extension, one that the Giants could have easily afforded.

But what if the Giants, who weren’t about to give away the three-time Pro Bowler for nothing, hadn’t traded Lawrence?

Odds are that Lawrence, who didn’t show up for the start of the voluntary offseason program, would have stayed away until his request for a trade was granted.

More importantly, had the trade not been made, the Giants wouldn’t have landed a second pick in the top 10 of the draft order, a pick they were able to use to shore up their offensive line thanks to the arrival of Francis Mauigoa, the former Miami Hurricane.

Mauigoa’s physical profile and playing style seem to be a perfect match for what Harbaugh typically prefers in his offensive linemen.

Although he’s transitioning from tackle to guard, his arrival brings a new degree of physicality to the Giants’ offensive line that’s looking to dominate in the trenches.

While the trading of Lawrence created a hole on the defensive line–you don’t just simply replace a player of Lawrence’s talents–what it also did was force the Giants to go to more of a rotation with versatile players rather than to lay everything on Lawrence and hope for a minimal drop-off.

What if the Giants had fired GM Joe Schoen?

General Manager Joe Schoen | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In retrospect, Schoen was in no real danger of losing his job, not after team ownership issued a statement following Brian Daboll's dismissal as head coach, praising Schoen for putting together “a good young nucleus of talent. 

Still, that didn’t stop speculation from floating around that Schoen’s days were numbered, particularly once Harbaugh was hired, as one popular opinion that was floating around was that Harbaugh would get through the offseason with Schoen, then in the final year of his contract, and then want to bring in his own guy after the draft.

Instead, Schoen, perhaps recognizing that having a veteran head coach with Harbaugh’s resume was a blessing in disguise, proved willing to swallow his pride and cede some power he previously held to the veteran head coach.

Schoen, who finally got a multiyear extension after the draft, not only was in on the courtship of Harbaugh early on, but he proved easy to work with, which did not go unnoticed by both ownership and Harbaugh. 

While it was ultimately ownership’s decision to extend Schoen, they consulted with Harbaugh to ensure their $20 million-a-year head coach was on board with the direction.

“I was happy. He's a good guy,” Harbaugh said of the move to extend Schoen. “Enjoy working with him and looking forward to what we all can do together.”

What if the Jets had selected Arvell Reese in the draft?

New York Giants linebacker Arvell Reese | Thomas Salus-Imagn Images

For several weeks leading up to the 2026 draft, mock drafts had the Jets, owners of the second overall pick, selecting Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese.

Instead, Gang Green went for Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey, leaving Reese, who was reportedly the top non-quarterback prospect on the Giants' board, to slide down to the Titans.

The Giants, who later admitted that Reese was their top prospect on their draft board and one whom they truly didn’t think would fall down to them at No. 5, held their breath and let out a huge sigh of relief when the Tennessee Titans snagged Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate with the fourth overall pick.

Big Blue wasted no time in airmailing their selection card to the commissioner, and now, with the addition of the versatile off-ball linebacker, the Giants have themselves one of the most promising pass rushing units in the league.

What if the Giants hadn’t been able to re-sign Jermaine Eluemunor?

New York Giants OL Jermaine Eluemunor | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Giants entered free agency with three big names who were bound to receive attention during the first wave of free agency: receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, cornerback Cor’Dale Flott, and right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor.

Eluemunor was the one free agent the Giants probably couldn’t have replaced as easily.

While the team could have had Marcus Mbow take on that role, Eluemunor worked his way into becoming one of the best offensive tackles last year, making him the perfect bookend to left tackle Andrew Thomas.

Eluemunor finished tied for PFF’s sixth-best pass-blocking offensive tackle, posting a very strong-looking 98.0 pass-blocking efficiency rating, his best mark since becoming a full-time starter dating back to 2022.  

Solid offensive tackles don’t grow on trees, and the Giants, who would have had to replace the entire right side of their offensive line had Eluemunor not re-signed, went all out to ensure the fan favorite Eluemunor will be in Giants blue for another three seasons. 

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