NFL offseason power rankings: No. 25 New York Giants quit messing around at head coach with John Harbaugh hire
Other NFL team previews: 32. Dolphins | 31. Jets | 30. Cardinals | 29. Browns | 28. Titans | 27. Raiders | 26. Falcons | 25. Giants
For a franchise with a proud history, the New York Giants became quite unserious when it came to hiring a head coach in their post-Tom Coughlin world.
Ben McAdoo proved quickly he was in over his head. You might have completely forgotten Pat Shurmur led the Giants for two seasons. Joe Judge, like most Bill Belichick assistants, was absolutely unfit for the job of head coach. Brian Daboll had a solid start but that quickly faded as his behavior started rubbing people the wrong way, including a shameful moment yelling at medical personnel to get rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart back on the field even though he was in the medical tent being evaluated for a concussion.
Over and over, the Giants hired head coaches who couldn’t handle the job. That cycle ended Jan. 20.
Nobody will question John Harbaugh’s credentials. In 18 years as Baltimore Ravens head coach he had three losing seasons, and two barely missed at 8-9. Harbaugh has a 180-113 record, a Super Bowl championship and is likely going to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Giants, tired of repeatedly making the wrong hire at head coach, gave in to some of Harbaugh’s reported demands, like a five-year, $100 million deal and grabbing personnel control over general manager Joe Schoen. Getting a professional at head coach was worth whatever concessions the Giants made. For Harbaugh, the time with the Ravens didn’t end how he wanted but 18 years is a long time for any coach in one spot. Perhaps the message there went stale, but he’s still one of the NFL’s best coaches.
“Andy [Reid, Chiefs head coach] is a man of few words, and his four words to me were: ‘Change can be good,'” Harbaugh said, via the team’s site.
Harbaugh could have presumably chosen any of the 10 head-coaching openings around the league. One reason he picked the Giants is they have an exciting future that belies last season’s 4-13 record.
Even as losses piled up last season, a core of young players gave Giants fans hope. Dart needs to protect himself better to stay healthy, but he had some thrilling moments as a rookie last season. So did running back Cam Skattebo, who should also make his health a higher priority. Receiver Malik Nabers is already one of the NFL’s best at his position, though there are mounting questions about his health status as he returns from a torn ACL. Defensive end Abdul Carter didn’t pop off the stat sheet as a rookie, getting just four sacks, but his pressure stats were good and he was an elite prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft. This past draft brought two more top-10 picks: linebacker Arvell Reese and offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa.
The cupboard isn’t bare for the Giants. It’s possible that with an upgrade at coach, the Giants could have a dramatic improvement. And it should be a massive upgrade at coach. Hiring Harbaugh was an easy call. Even the Giants couldn’t screw that up.
Offseason grade
The Giants had a lot of action in the offseason as John Harbaugh started to reshape the roster. The biggest move was trading elite interior defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence II to the Cincinnati Bengals for the 10th pick of the draft. It was the first trade in which a top-10 pick was swapped for a veteran non-quarterback since the Raiders acquired Randy Moss in 2005. The Giants used that pick to take offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa, not long after linebacker Arvell Reese fell to New York with the fifth pick. Second-round cornerback Colton Hood should contribute right away too. Of course, with two top-10 picks the Giants’ draft got great grades. There was a cost involved as the Giants lose Lawrence, a fantastic player. But Lawrence was unhappy with his contract, and Harbaugh was put to the test when Lawrence requested a trade. It was a good return for the big man, who will turn 29 this season.
The Giants had a lot of movement in free agency too. They signed tight end Isaiah Likely, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and defensive tackle D.J. Reader, while re-signing right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor. The Giants lost three free agents making at least $8 million per season, all to the Titans: receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, cornerback Cor’Dale Flott and tight end Daniel Bellinger. The Giants added talent but also lost some good players. Overall it was a solid offseason. The pick of Reese, who has incredible athleticism and versatility and could have gone as high as second overall, helps the grade.
Grade: B
Quarterback report
Jaxson Dart couldn’t have reasonably been expected to play better as a rookie. He was put into the starting lineup early, in part because Brian Daboll had to try and save his job, and fared pretty well. He had 15 touchdowns to five interceptions with 2,272 yards for a solid 91.7 passer rating, and added 487 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.
But Dart’s rookie season story can’t be told without a discussion about how often he ended up in the medical tent. Dart took some massive hits and at times he wore it like a badge of honor. After a loss to the Patriots in which he took a wicked hit from linebacker Christian Elliss, Dart was asked if he would have done anything different.
“No. Look, like, I understand the question, but this is football,” Dart said, according to the team’s transcript. “Like, I’m going to get hit if I’m in the pocket or outside the pocket. I feel like I played this way my whole entire life. It shouldn’t be any shocker to anybody if you followed along with my career. We’re not playing soccer out here. You’re going to get hit. Things happen. It’s just part of the game.”
Dart has also acknowledged he needs to be available and will exercise some caution, but that remains to be seen. Dart’s talent is exciting. He has the look of a long-term starter. But his development won’t go far if he’s missing games.
Odds breakdown
From Yahoo’s Ben Fawkes: “Optimism abounds in East Rutherford, and it’s not hard to understand why. The Giants added two top-10 picks (Arvell Reese and Francis Mauigoa), a new head coach (John Harbaugh) and expect star WR Malik Nabers to be back Week 1 — or soon thereafter. Despite a 4-13 record last season, the Giants (9-8 ATS) were good to bettors. New York is favored in just five games, despite a win total of 7.5, though. New York should be improved, but it’s hard to trust Jaxson Dart to stay on the field.”
Yahoo’s fantasy take
From Yahoo’s Scott Pianowski: “Malik Nabers is commanding a top-30 pick in global ADP, and it’s a check I’m unlikely to write. He’s coming off an ACL tear and a meniscus tear, and he had an April procedure to remove scar tissue. The Giants are hopeful Nabers can return to work soon, but there’s no guarantee he’ll be 100% — or even available — by Week 1. It’s also going to take some time for Jaxson Dart and Nabers to develop chemistry; their reps last year had very little overlap.”
Stat to remember
The Giants weren’t a good team in nearly any category last season, but they were particularly awful in one. They could not stop the run. The Giants allowed 5.3 yards per carry, the worst mark in the NFL. And that was with Dexter Lawrence II in the middle. There are questions regarding how much Lawrence helped the run defense last season, but from 2022-24 his Pro Football Focus rush defense grades among interior defensive linemen ranked first, third and second in the NFL.
In free agency the Giants added D.J. Reader, a stout nose tackle whose specialty is stopping the run, and also signed lineman Shelby Harris. And despite rookie Arvell Reese saying at the scouting combine that he sees himself as an edge rusher in the NFL, the Giants will begin his career at inside linebacker. The Giants hope the tandem of he and Tremaine Edmunds help the run defense.
Dennard Wilson is the Giants’ new defensive coordinator, and perhaps scheme changes help as well.
The Giants should have a good pass rush with Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, Kayvon Thibodeaux and perhaps Reese in situations coming off the edge. But the Giants need to improve against the run, or the defense as a whole will have another long season.
Burning question
Will Malik Nabers bounce right back?
Nabers had a monster rookie season after he was the sixth pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, but his second season got cut short due to an ACL injury. Nabers had a second clean-up surgery this offseason, according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, which is a concern. There was another alarm in late May when John Harbaugh said Nabers is “fighting through it” and it was “not a simple knee [injury], you know?” Harbaugh still seemed hopeful that Nabers will be ready for Week 1, a sentiment echoed by general manager Joe Schoen to Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein in June. There’s uncertainty about second-year running back Cam Skattebo, who suffered a dislocated ankle, fractured fibula and ruptured deltoid ligament in a horrific injury.
While Skattebo had some good moments as a rookie, Nabers is the more pressing concern because the Giants can’t really replace him. While Darius Slayton and new additions Calvin Austin III and Darnell Mooney are solid secondary options (and offseason addition Odell Beckham Jr. is a big name who seems unlikely to truly help), Nabers is the only No. 1 receiver on the roster. His status for Week 1 will be a big story this summer, and how he looks upon his return will be closely watched.
Best-case scenario
Last season, three of the NFL’s eight division winners had losing records the previous season, but a new coach lifted them to first place. Nothing against Ben Johnson, Liam Coen or Mike Vrabel, but none of them have the extended track record of success that John Harbaugh has. If there is a team from the bottom 10 of these rankings to significantly outplay expectations and win a division (excluding all the NFC South teams, who might not even have to finish .500 to finish first), the Giants are the obvious choice. Harbaugh was the best hire of this coaching cycle, Jaxson Dart has real potential, there are exciting young stars emerging on the roster and the defense should be among the NFL’s best in rushing the quarterback. It’s hard to put a team that finished 4-13 a season ago much higher on the rankings to start 2026, but it also wouldn’t be a surprise if they quickly prove they were severely underrated.
Nightmare scenario
The Giants’ backup quarterback is Jameis Winston. That is important to know because Jaxson Dart hasn’t shown he can protect himself and stay in the lineup. It was a bit surprising to hear some skepticism on Dart’s future as the Giants’ quarterback, considering he played well for a rookie. But the availability aspect is a legitimate concern. If Dart continues to miss time with injuries, or if his play falters in his second season, the Giants might have to reevaluate their future at quarterback. That would be a big setback for a franchise that looks like it is trending in the right direction. And while there should be excitement for the Giants, it’s still a team that was right in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick until the Raiders tanked late in the season and the Giants beat them in Week 17. A big improvement is possible but not promised, especially if star receiver Malik Nabers’ recovery continues longer than hoped. The Giants have lost double-digit games 10 of the past 12 seasons. John Harbaugh might find turning the franchise around to be a long-term project.
The crystal ball says
The Giants will start to resemble a professional operation under John Harbaugh. It has been a while since Tom Coughlin set a championship standard. A true surge, however, might be a season away. There are reasons to believe it could happen right away, like the Jaguars or Patriots last season. Maybe Jaxson Dart builds off his promising rookie season and establishes himself as a top-end quarterback, all those pass rushers transform the defense and the Giants compete for a playoff spot. Let’s say that a winning season is still another year away, but the Giants will finally feel good about the direction of the team.
