The Giants went into 2025 with visions of a defense that could overwhelm people from every angle. Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and Dexter Lawrence II were supposed to make life miserable up front, while Paulson Adebo and Jevon Holland were brought in to clean up the back end. Instead, the unit landed among the league’s worst, and the run defense in particular became a major problem.
That struggle traced back, in large part, to linebacker play. Bobby Okereke and Darius Muasau did not deliver the level of production New York needed, and the position group emerged as one of the clearest weak spots on the roster.
The Giants spent the 2026 offseason attacking that issue head-on, and they did it by turning over the room. What had been a liability now looks like a group with a very different ceiling.
The most straightforward fix came in Tremaine Edmunds, a signing that has flown a bit under the radar despite how important it could become. Edmunds has hit at least 100 tackles in every one of his eight NFL seasons, and after three years anchoring the middle for the Chicago Bears, he is set to do the same in New York. His 80.6 PFF run defense grade in 2025 makes him the obvious lead piece in the Giants’ effort to shore up that part of the defense, assuming he still has plenty left in the tank.
Then came the swing for the fences. With the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, New York took Arvell Reese out of Ohio State and used him as an off-ball linebacker, a choice that caught analysts off guard. Reese brings the kind of versatility and athletic pop that can change the feel of a defense, and he should pair well with Edmunds’ more traditional style in the middle.
As Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic put it, "Anytime you add a first-rounder to a room, the status goes up, and Reese’s versatility should add intrigue to the defense as a whole."
In Other News...
Giants Are Quietly Counting On One Veteran To Help Fix This Offense
The Giants spent part of the offseason reshaping an offense that needs more stability up front, and the tight end room is part of that conversation. With Isaiah Likely and Theo Johnson in place, New York is also leaning on veteran Chris Manhertz to handle the blocking tight end job after bringing him back on a one-year deal. His value has never been tied to flashy production. It is about being dependable in the run game and useful on special teams, the kind of role that can quietly help an offense function better.
Manhertzs importance grows a little more because Daniel Bellinger is gone, having left for the Tennessee Titans. That opens the door for Manhertz to stay on the roster and keep the job he is built for, especially in heavier looks where the Giants want an extra blocker on the field. The real question now is how much the team trusts him to hold that spot once the roster gets trimmed and the season starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Evan Neals Giants Future Suddenly Feels More Dangerous Than Ever
Evan Neals path back into the Giants lineup has taken another turn, and not for the better. The team brought him back on a minimum-level deal with the idea that he could battle for the right guard job, a fresh start at a new position after years of uneven play and injuries. Head coach John Harbaugh still sees room for growth there, and the Giants clearly did, too, when they kept him around as part of a revamped offensive line picture.
But the competition has changed around him fast. With Francis Mauigoa now in the building after going No. 10 overall and other additions further crowding the room, Neal is no longer just trying to win a starting job, he is trying to hold onto any roster spot at all. For a former top draft pick whose reset at guard never really got off the ground, the margin for error has suddenly become razor thin. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Still Have A Few Cheap Fixes Left In This Overhaul
The Giants have already done a lot of the heavy lifting in this overhaul, with John Harbaugh and general manager Joe Schoen checking off plenty of roster needs as they look ahead to 2026. Even so, there are still a few spots that could use some inexpensive reinforcement, especially in the kind of depth roles that can matter once injuries and attrition start piling up.
Linebacker, running back and the defensive line all still offer room for a modest upgrade, and there are a few veteran names who fit that bargain-bin profile. Kenneth Murray Jr., Elandon Roberts, Najee Harris and Greg Gaines all surface as possible low-cost answers, giving the Giants options if they want to add insurance without pushing the rebuild off course. [Read more 🡒]