The Giants may have overhauled plenty of the roster, but ESPN’s analysts still aren’t buying a giant leap.
ESPN ranked New York’s projected 2026 starting lineup 23rd in the league, a modest climb from 27th a year ago. That’s an improvement, sure. It just doesn’t read like the kind that would make the rest of the NFL sit up and take notice.
The strongest part of the roster, according to ESPN, is still the pass rush. That makes sense.
The Giants posted a 41.3% pass rush win rate last season, good for fifth in the NFL, and their top edge trio is back. Brian Burns leads the group after finishing second in the league with 16.5 sacks.
Abdul Carter backed up the hype as a rookie, ending the season seventh in the NFL with 53 pass-rush wins. Kayvon Thibodeaux’s numbers dipped once Carter arrived, but ESPN still sees him as a strong third edge.
No. 5 overall pick Arvell Reese is listed as an off-ball linebacker, though he should still chip in some as a pass rusher.
That part of the defense drew agreement. Adding Reese and Tremaine Edmunds gives the Giants a level of the defense that should stand out.
The concern is much easier to spot on the interior. ESPN labeled defensive tackle the biggest weakness, and the reason is obvious: the Giants are trying to replace Dexter Lawrence II after trading away the superstar. That’s a difficult task under any circumstances, and it looks even tougher after New York ranked 28th in the NFL in run stop win rate last season at 28.3% with Lawrence still on the roster.
The depth chart there is shaky, too. Roy Robertson-Harris was signed in the offseason, but he already tore his Achilles. That leaves DJ Reader and Shelby Harris, both 32 or older, as possible starters, with Darius Alexander and Leki Fotu also in the mix for meaningful snaps.
If the Giants are going to get more out of the offense, ESPN pointed to tight end Isaiah Likely as the key swing piece. Malik Nabers’ health is uncertain to begin the season, which makes it even more important for another pass catcher to emerge.
The wide receiver room doesn’t offer much upside, so Likely has a real chance to matter. With Mark Andrews no longer in the picture, ESPN wonders if this is the year he finally reaches the level many expected.
The Giants clearly think enough of Likely to make a big investment. They gave him a three-year, $40 million contract, and they need that deal to pay off.
On the defensive side, one player ESPN singled out as a nonstarter to know is Darius Alexander. The 2025 third-round pick is expected to be the third defensive lineman in the Giants’ 3-4 base.
He posted 3.5 sacks and 13 run tackles last season, with an average gain of 2.1 yards. Scouts Inc. had him graded as a late first-round talent before the 2025 draft, and ESPN noted that he can stack and shed blocks while holding up against double-teams.
Whether Alexander is technically starting or not, he looks like a major piece for New York. The Giants have leaned on a collection of veteran journeymen up front, and Alexander stands out as the one young, highly drafted lineman in the group. He may not be listed as a starter, but he’s the one with the kind of upside that could swing the whole unit.
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