Amid a fresh rebuild, the New York Giants suddenly look like a team with a real path to the top of the NFC East. A veteran coaching staff, a franchise quarterback, and a defense no longer carrying the baggage of a malcontent former All-Pro have created a level of optimism that wasn’t there before.
CBS Sports’ John Breech even ranked the Giants with the third-best odds to pull off a worst-to-first jump, behind only the Saints and Lions. He pointed to the roster changes, a “friendly” first-half schedule, and the chance to make a “huge statement” by taking down the Cowboys in Week 1.
“Of course, even if the offense is bad, the Giants could still contend, and that’s because they have a scary defensive front,” Breech wrote. “This is a team that could win games 13-10 if that’s what they’re forced to do.”
The Giants have done this once before. Their only worst-to-first season came in 1997, when they finished 10-5-1 before falling in the Wild Card Round.
The bigger question now is how they stack up against the rest of the division. The Eagles and Cowboys still have enough talent, assuming health holds, to win the NFC East or make a deep playoff run. But Philadelphia comes with leadership concerns and growing questions about Jalen Hurts’ long-term fit.
Dallas, meanwhile, remains Dallas.
They’re always in position to do something incredibly stupid. That’s been Jerry Jones’ calling card for more than 30 years, and it has often played right into the Giants’ hands.
Washington is in the mix too, though Jayden Daniels still has to prove he can stay healthy. The Commanders, at least in this view, are still behind the Giants in the race to avoid last place in the NFC East.
For the Giants, the next two months are about keeping the focus narrow and not getting caught up in the noise. A veteran-heavy roster should help guard against the kind of “rat poison" that Nick Saban and Lane Kiffin used to warn about - the danger of letting outside praise turn into overconfidence.
Harbaugh has never personally guided a worst-to-first team, but he did inherit a Ravens squad that had just gone 5-11 and finished last in the AFC North. In 2008, with Harbaugh and Ozzie Newsome leading the way, Baltimore leaned on rookie quarterback Joe Flacco and an elite defense to reach the AFC Championship Game.
“If anyone can pull off a quick turnaround, it's Harbaugh,” Breech wrote.
In Other News...
Giants Tight End Battle Already Hit By An Early Camp Setback
The Giants opened training camp with a few players on the active/PUP list, and for a young tight end trying to carve out a place, that kind of early missed time can matter more than it might later in the summer. Thomas Fidone II is among the players starting from behind, and in a position group where every practice rep helps, the first week of camp is often where coaches start sorting out who can be trusted.
New York can afford to be patient, especially this early, but the timing still stings for Fidone because he needs every chance he can get to build momentum in a crowded competition. With a new staff evaluating the roster and trust being earned quickly, those lost snaps are the sort of setback that can linger even if the player eventually gets back on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Just Added A Veteran Lineman With Something To Prove
The Giants have added another experienced body to their defensive front, signing veteran defensive tackle Marlon Davidson as they continue sorting out depth up front. Davidson, a former Falcons draft pick, has also spent time with the Titans and Texans, and New York is bringing him in with the expectation that he can help at defensive tackle.
For Davidson, the move is another chance to stabilize a career that has been interrupted by injuries and stop-and-start opportunities along the way. The Giants are looking for dependable interior help, and his arrival gives them a veteran option with enough versatility to matter in their front, even as the bigger question remains how quickly he can carve out a role and stick. [Read more 🡒]
Giants May Already Have A New WR1 Problem Brewing
The Giants have spent enough time talking about receiver depth to know the conversation is not going away soon. With the current group carrying durability questions and uneven production, the front office may already need to start thinking about the 2027 draft as a chance to reset the room with a younger, longer-term answer at the position.
That is where the next wave of college talent comes into focus, especially for a team that wants more than just another body in the rotation. New York has a roster built around a few established names, but the age and experience gap behind them leaves little margin for error, and the idea of adding a receiver who can grow into a top role is starting to feel less like a luxury and more like a necessity. [Read more 🡒]