The Giants’ biggest question mark might not be the flashiest one, but it might be the one that matters most: Andrew Thomas.
Pete Prisco’s latest Top 100 NFL players list puts the Giants left tackle at No. 83, with a blunt reminder of why his presence is such a big deal. “When he’s on the field, he’s one of the best.
The problem is he has missed 15 games over the past two seasons, including four last year. He has to stay on the field.”
That line says plenty about where the Giants are right now. The talent is obvious.
The availability is the issue. And for a team trying to build something sturdier in 2026, Thomas is one of the pieces that can’t be treated like optional equipment.
Prisco also slotted Brian Burns at No. 56 after his career-best 16.5-sack season in his second year with the Giants, and Malik Nabers came in at No. 99 while working back from the torn ACL that ended his season early and required a second surgery. Nabers was No. 45 on the list last season.
That mix of recognition and caution shows up everywhere around this roster. Bleacher Report’s look at every defense in 2026 painted the Giants as a team with a real ceiling and a very real floor.
The optimistic case is built around Abdul Carter catching fire late last season, Carter and Burns forming one of the league’s best edge duos, Tremaine Edmunds and rookie Arvell Reese stepping in at linebacker, and enough talent in the secondary to be “sneaky-good in coverage.” If all of that clicks, New York could have one of the NFL’s most-improved defenses in 2026.
The warning label is just as clear. The Giants were near the bottom of the league last season, finishing with the fifth-most yards allowed per game and the seventh-most points allowed per contest.
Carter and Reese are talented, but still relatively unproven. Dexter Lawrence is gone.
The secondary had trouble staying healthy. Better is possible, but not automatically good enough.
Reese, one of the team’s new first-round additions, has already drawn attention for what he brings physically and mentally. ESPN described the Ohio State linebacker/edge player as someone who stands out even on an NFL field at 6-foot-4 and 241 pounds, especially as an inside linebacker.
The Giants liked what they saw from his coverage ability and his ability to run with running backs, while Brian Burns said he was surprised by that part of Reese’s game and “didn’t know it existed.” The team was also pleased with how Reese handled the mental side of spring work.
Another rookie, Miami offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa, got an immediate look with the first team at right guard next to Jermaine Eluemunor during the spring. Eluemunor said Mauigoa’s willingness to learn and his physical ability stood out. ESPN noted that it is easy to picture Mauigoa becoming an immediate plus run blocker as a rookie.
On the defensive side, the Giants’ new coordinator has already made it plain what he sees in Carter and Burns. Speaking in early April, Dennard Wilson said, “They were so attentive in the room, talking about the style of ball, how we’re going to play up front, the violence in which we’re going to play in, the way we’re going to build a wall and set violent edges to make teams run in a phone booth, how we’re going to play vertical knock-back, how we’re going to crush and close, these guys can do it all,” Wilson said about the two outside linebackers.
“Plus, they add the versatility, you can move them around. Last year and even in Penn State, especially with Abdul, the way he was used, you can move him off the ball, he can be the spinner on third downs.
You can add a fifth rusher. There is numerous things you can do with both of the guys.
Both of them are smart football players. They have a good grasp of conceptual defense.”
Wilson’s comments line up with the broader picture of the Giants’ defensive plan: versatility, speed, and a lot of moving parts. The spring work was encouraging for Carter, though the team knows full well that non-contact practices only tell part of the story. Training camp will provide the real test once the pads go on.
There’s also a wider organizational theme starting to emerge. A USA Today look at how John Harbaugh’s Ravens blueprint applies to New York described the Giants as borrowing from Baltimore’s formula: a physical, run-heavy offense, elite defense, and top-tier special teams. The piece framed Harbaugh’s approach as a championship model the Giants are trying to echo as they head toward training camp.
And away from the field, one Giant offered a reminder of how deeply sports can run through a fan base. Jermaine Eluemunor, the Giants’ right tackle, talked to The Athletic about what England’s first World Cup title in six decades would mean back home.
After watching England beat Panama 2-0 at MetLife Stadium to win its group and advance to the round of 32, he said, “If England wins the World Cup, there’s no celebration in the history of the world that could compare to how that celebration would be in the U.K. I promise you that,” and added, “It will be the Knicks times a hundred, that’s how committed fans are in England.”
That kind of passion is easy to recognize. For the Giants, the bigger challenge is turning all this promise - on the line, on defense, and in the rookies they’ve added - into something that lasts.
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Harbaugh has spent years helping quarterbacks grow into larger roles, which is part of why this pairing matters so much in New York. For Dart, the checklist is straightforward but demanding, from pocket patience and reading defenses to improving his anticipation and deep-ball work, while making smarter decisions when he takes off. The Giants do not need him to be perfect right away, but they do need a clear answer on whether he can become the kind of quarterback a new head coach can build around. [Read more 🡒]
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Brian Burns has also taken notice of Reeses ability to run with backs, which only adds to the buzz around what the Giants may have in him. The question now is whether all of that promise carries over once live contact begins and the pace changes in full pads, because it is one thing to flash in offseason drills and another to hold up when the real football starts. [Read more 🡒]
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For that plan to hold, Mooney cannot be just a useful piece in the rotation. The receiver room is still thin, the tight end group still has to prove it can truly threaten opponents, and New York needs steady contributions from the rest of the supporting cast to keep the offense from leaning too heavily on one answer. [Read more 🡒]