Two Giants Made ESPN's Top 100 Players List. One Notable Name Didn't.

The New York Giants are entering the John Harbaugh coaching era with the expectation of winning more games and turning around the long-term fate of the organization beyond the 2026 season.

However, the NFL is rarely a league where success comes down to a single coach or player. If the Giants want to accomplish their lofty goals, it’ll take positive contributions from a handful of key members in the locker room who can also elevate their teammates' play.

For Big Blue, two of those names are offensive tackle Andrew Thomas and veteran outside linebacker Brian Burns, two leaders who were each ranked among ESPN’s NFL Top 100 Players list for the upcoming season.

Two Giant Indispensables

New York Giants outside linebacker Brian Burns — New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns (0) speaks to members of the media after training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center, Aug 10, 2026, East Rutherford, NJ, USA. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Before we even read through the outlet’s rankings, it was obvious that Thomas and Burns would be making the cut.

Thomas, the Giants’ longest-tenured offensive lineman, has been the centerpiece of the unit at left tackle since he was drafted No. 4 overall in 2020. The healthier he remains in a given season, the better the rest of the offensive line, and by extension, the offense, performs.

After missing at least seven games in each of the previous two seasons with lower-body injuries, Thomas was able to partake in more than 10 contests for the first time since his rookie season.

He posted the best pass-blocking sheet of his career with one sack and 13 pressures allowed in 449 snaps, good for fifth-best among tackles in 2025.

Because of his greater presence, the Giants’ front knocked on the door of top-10 status in pass block win rate and afforded a rookie Jaxson Dart the time to acclimate to the pros and raise the offense into a top-15 huddle in just his first 12 starts.

Meanwhile, Burns, who was placed one spot ahead of Thomas in the rankings (No. 81), has become the head of the snake in the Giants’ new-look pass rush led by defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson.

Burns quickly gained praise as an offseason win for GM Joe Schoen, who authored the blockbuster trade that brought the three-time Pro Bowler to East Rutherford ahead of the 2024 season. Last season, Burns delivered a career-high 16.5 sacks and the 11th-highest pass rush win rate among edge defenders.

While some might think that the 28-year-old has hit his peak in that category, the Giants believe he is just getting started and have been working to build a Rolodex of edge rushing weapons around him that can just as easily take away the attention of the opposing offensive line.

Fellow outside linebacker Abdul Carter came into his own late last season to finish with five sacks and the most total pressures in his draft class (66) and is coming back with extra maturity in year two.

Kayvon Thibodeaux is also hoping for a bounceback campaign as the Giants’ third edge rusher. While the franchise has rookie linebacker Arvell Reese starting his career playing off the ball, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him utilized in certain packages to attack the quarterback.

Harbaugh’s Giants are more loaded with talent than they were before he arrived as head coach and began putting his touch on the roster. However, he’ll still need to look towards his pair of recognized players to carry their load if New York wants to make a serious push for the goal of the postseason.

Health is the only factor that really stands in the way of that— and it also appears to be what kept one other key Giant off the list of the league's best.

No Malik Nabers?

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers was snubbed from ESPN's list of the top 100 players — New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1), not suited up for the game, stands his his teammates during warm ups during a preseason opening game between the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

ESPN left out star wide receiver Malik Nabers in a move that took even some NFL executives they polled by surprise.

This comes a year after Nabers was slated No. 40 and was the only offensive player from Big Blue to make the preseason list.

The only answer for sliding completely off the list seems to point to the uncertainty regarding the No. 6 pick’s status as he comes back from rehabbing an ACL injury suffered in Week 4 last season.

Lest the football minds forget, Nabers was a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses before facing his first injury setback.

As a rookie, he ran laps around his competitors en route to breaking the Giants’ single-season record for receptions (109) and amassing 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns in the process.

Wherever he ran, the ball seemed to find Nabers as he became the quarterback's trusted target. Opponents tried to take him out of the game with heavy press coverage looks or double teams. Still, it rarely worked, as Nabers finished with the second-highest receiving grade against man coverage, hauling in nearly 60% of his targets when faced with that scheme.

Moreover, Nabers boasts some of the craftiest route-running of any pass catcher at the NFL level, and the respect he commands can make the Giants offense way more explosive as he looks to stretch the field and open up opportunities for his fellow receivers to do damage on the back end.

The Giants are hoping to get that same version of Nabers back in 2026 as the primary weapon for Dart, who only got 13 snaps with his teammate before the knee injury, and as the sparkplug for their aerial attack, which is set to feature new options and be more explosive.

There might be a slow start to his season if he doesn’t go full throttle in Week 1. Still, if his health catches up with his talent at some point during the season, Nabers will likely remind everyone why he belongs in the company of the best athletes in the entire sport, and the Giants offense can’t reach its peak without him.

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