The Cowboys may have spent years treating the Giants like a familiar punch line, but the picture heading into 2026 looks a little different. New York is coming off a busy offseason, and one Giants insider laid out exactly why Dallas can’t just assume the same old script will play out again.
Lior Lampert of GMENHQ, speaking with The Landry Hat, painted a Giants team that feels like it has turned a corner in the way it operates. The biggest change, of course, is John Harbaugh taking over.
According to Lampert, the reaction around the Tri-State Area has been overwhelmingly positive, and the early signs back that up. He pointed to longer practices, more situational work and a stronger sense of accountability as proof that this is already a different kind of program than the one Brian Daboll ran.
There’s also the matter of the roster itself, which has some real names worth watching. Malik Nabers remains the biggest health question.
Lampert said there haven’t been many encouraging updates, and Nabers looks like a strong candidate to begin 2026 on the Physically Unable to Perform list as he recovers from the torn ACL and meniscus he suffered this past September. Cam Skattebo and Abdul Carter, though, are expected to be ready for training camp in late July if nothing changes.
Jaxson Dart is another major piece of the puzzle, and the Giants are hoping for a Year 2 jump under Matt Nagy. Lampert’s message was simple: stay the course.
Dart, in his view, has the tools for a breakout if Nabers gets back sooner rather than later. The key for Nagy is playing to Dart’s strengths as a downfield thrower and a threat with his legs, while still making sure the quarterback doesn’t take on too much unnecessary contact.
The rookie class is drawing plenty of attention, too. Arvell Reese has reportedly “looks the part” and has even stood out physically among NFL veterans, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
Lampert said his athleticism is already showing up and that he’s learning the playbook quickly. Francis Mauigoa has made noise for different reasons, with his size turning heads in East Rutherford, including Shaun O’Hara’s.
Lampert expects Mauigoa to start right away for an offensive line that’s moving in the right direction.
That line, in fact, might be one of the more underrated parts of the Giants’ setup. Lampert pointed to Andrew Thomas and Eluemunor as the bookend tackles, with Jon Runyan Jr. and John Michael Schmitz forming a steady interior group and Mauigoa adding more talent to the mix. The bigger point, he said, is continuity - something New York has going into the season in a way it didn’t before.
Still, the Giants are not a finished product, and Lampert made it clear where Dallas should attack. Even with Dexter Lawrence, New York was vulnerable against the run last season.
The Giants allowed 5.3 yards per carry, the most in the league, and tied for third-most rushing touchdowns allowed with 21. Lampert’s advice for every opponent was blunt: lean on the ground game.
And that’s where the biggest offseason change comes into focus. Trading Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals was, in Lampert’s view, New York’s most important move by far. He called Lawrence arguably the NFL’s most dominant interior pass-rusher of the decade by several notable metrics, and said losing him will be felt not just because of the production, but because of the leadership and the way he created favorable matchups for everyone else.
The Cowboys will get their first look at this version of the Giants in Week 1, when the teams open the 2026 season on Sunday Night Football at MetLife Stadium. Their second meeting comes late, in Week 17 at AT&T Stadium.
In Other News...
Micah Parsons Family Just Reignited Cowboys Fans' Biggest Trade Frustration
The aftermath of Micah Parsons trade keeps circling back to Dallas, where every move made to soften the blow gets measured against the player who is now wearing green and gold. The Cowboys have tried to frame Rashan Gary and first-round pick Malachi Lawrence as the edge answers after shipping Parsons to Green Bay, but that kind of replacement talk only works if the next faces in line can stand up to the standard he left behind.
Garys arrival only sharpened the conversation because he and Parsons were teammates in Green Bay last season, a strange little overlap that tied the whole saga together. Now Parsons brother has jumped into the public debate, taking aim at Dallas attempt to patch the hole, and it has only added another layer of frustration for Cowboys fans still wondering whether the trade ever made sense in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Emmitt Smith Just Sent Cowboys Fans A Strong Javonte Williams Message
Javonte Williams has already given the Cowboys reason to believe he can be a steady part of the offense, and the early returns have been backed up by the numbers. Pro Football Focus had him popping up near the top of several rushing categories, a nod to the kind of consistent, efficient season he put together even while dealing with a shoulder issue that cost him a game and limited him in others.
So when Emmitt Smith got a first look at Williams during mandatory minicamp, it carried a little extra weight for a backfield still taking shape under Brian Schottenheimer and Klayton Adams. The Hall of Famer liked what he saw and offered Williams a simple message to keep doing it, while the bigger question in Dallas remains how the carries will be divided and whether a second back can help the offense find another gear. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Castoff Suddenly Has A Real Shot To Matter Again
Training camp is bringing a different kind of opportunity for Markquese Bell, who has spent recent seasons carving out a meaningful role on special teams while trying to stay in the mix on defense. With C.J. Goodwin retired and the Cowboys sorting through a roster that has seen plenty of movement, Bell suddenly looks like one of the more relevant depth pieces on the board again.
The timing matters because the safety group has changed enough that Bell may not have the clearest path to snaps on that side of the ball. Dallas brought in Caleb Downs, Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke, which makes special teams the likeliest place for Bell to win his spot and stick around, even if his defensive opportunities are harder to project right now. [Read more 🡒]