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2025 has been a strange and occasionally baffling offseason for the New York Giants. Which is to say, a very familiar offseason for the New York Giants.
The franchise took big swings in free agency to rebuild on both sides of the ball. Paulson Adebo, coming off a broken leg that ended his 2024 campaign, signed one of 2025's richest deals for a cornerback at $18 million annually. After letting Xavier McKinney thrive as a Green Bay Packer, New York signed Jevon Holland to a cheaper deal. With Daniel Jones in the rearview, they avoided the temptation of a 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers and opted for Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston instead. They'll get to alternately lob moon balls and space lasers at a newly re-signed Darius Slayton and his $12 million salary.
It was an offseason that seemed more like a collection of random moves rather than an overarching strategy, particularly from a general manager/head coach combination with two of the hottest seats in the NFL. But GM Joe Schoen is headed into the draft with a plan in place. That plan is, importantly, not having a plan.
"We're in a position where we can take who we think is the best football player at that time," Schoen told reporters when pressed about the Giants' draft intentions while at the NFL's annual league meeting. "If it matches up, if the value is right, we can look at many positions and take a guy."
That's intentionally vague, but for good reason. With the Tennessee Titans quietly broadcasting their intentions to make Miami star Cam Ward the first overall pick, Schoen is announcing he's open to whatever from his volatile spot at the third pick in a draft light on quarterback talent.
Whether that's true or not, it's the right decision. If you're using a top three pick on a quarterback, you're expecting a franchise cornerstone. If it doesn't work out, it's usually at least three more years of wandering the desert (unless you're the San Francisco 49ers and can plug the last pick of the draft in there successfully).
If the Giants aren't certain Shedeur Sanders, this year's other top tier quarterback prospect, can be that player they shouldn't take him. Not when a positional star like Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter should be available or the lure of a roster-restocking trade back exists. While Schoen didn't specifically tip his hand on Sanders's scouting report, he sewed enough doubt to reinforce the idea anything can happen at No. 3.
"If you're talking about where we're picking, you'd like that guy to be able to be a franchise quarterback that you can win with, you're winning the NFC East every year," continued Schoen. "The ultimate goal is to win a Super Bowl if you're taking a guy that high, so they have to be able to check those boxes."
That's a reasonable take! The Giants were a disaster behind center the last two seasons as injuries reduced Daniel Jones to the worst version of himself and fill-ins like Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito played like, predictably, Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito. But quarterback wasn't the only issue. Their defense ranked 24th in yards allowed and 29th in expected points added (EPA) allowed per play in 2024.
New York's sack rate allowed couldn't crack the top 20. Tyrone Tracy emerged as an electric young back but his offense ranked 19th in EPA per handoff. Aside from the pass rush and *maybe* some special teams aspects, nothing about this team was above average last season.
A franchise quarterback would fix the biggest hole in a ship that's spent the last two years foundering. But the Giants' efforts to find one have been derailed by depleted markets and the 2023 contract extension Jones signed that kept the team from drafting players like Bo Nix or Michael Penix Jr. last spring (or signing Kirk Cousins. It's not all bad!).
Schoen may be forced into taking a big swing to save his job after last year's 3-14 campaign. No one knows what that will look like -- whether it's hoping Sanders's big play bonafides translate into Malik Nabers's offense or if it's looking at Carter and an already stuffed pass rush and opting to trade back. There are too many avenues of improvement for a team that's been the NFL equivalent of a stalled out Mercury Tracer on the side of the highway.
Thus, Schoen shared his common sense outlook. And because it came from the general manager who helped build a Super Bowl winning roster for his NFC East rival (see Saquon Barkley's departure), it's a breath of fresh air. A Giants revival can happen many ways, but fitting square pegs into round holes won't be one of them -- and it seems like New York understands that with the 2025 NFL Draft a month away.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: The Giants are so broken a common sense NFL Draft strategy feels like a major win
Continue reading...
The franchise took big swings in free agency to rebuild on both sides of the ball. Paulson Adebo, coming off a broken leg that ended his 2024 campaign, signed one of 2025's richest deals for a cornerback at $18 million annually. After letting Xavier McKinney thrive as a Green Bay Packer, New York signed Jevon Holland to a cheaper deal. With Daniel Jones in the rearview, they avoided the temptation of a 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers and opted for Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston instead. They'll get to alternately lob moon balls and space lasers at a newly re-signed Darius Slayton and his $12 million salary.
It was an offseason that seemed more like a collection of random moves rather than an overarching strategy, particularly from a general manager/head coach combination with two of the hottest seats in the NFL. But GM Joe Schoen is headed into the draft with a plan in place. That plan is, importantly, not having a plan.
"We're in a position where we can take who we think is the best football player at that time," Schoen told reporters when pressed about the Giants' draft intentions while at the NFL's annual league meeting. "If it matches up, if the value is right, we can look at many positions and take a guy."
That's intentionally vague, but for good reason. With the Tennessee Titans quietly broadcasting their intentions to make Miami star Cam Ward the first overall pick, Schoen is announcing he's open to whatever from his volatile spot at the third pick in a draft light on quarterback talent.
Whether that's true or not, it's the right decision. If you're using a top three pick on a quarterback, you're expecting a franchise cornerstone. If it doesn't work out, it's usually at least three more years of wandering the desert (unless you're the San Francisco 49ers and can plug the last pick of the draft in there successfully).
If the Giants aren't certain Shedeur Sanders, this year's other top tier quarterback prospect, can be that player they shouldn't take him. Not when a positional star like Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter should be available or the lure of a roster-restocking trade back exists. While Schoen didn't specifically tip his hand on Sanders's scouting report, he sewed enough doubt to reinforce the idea anything can happen at No. 3.
"If you're talking about where we're picking, you'd like that guy to be able to be a franchise quarterback that you can win with, you're winning the NFC East every year," continued Schoen. "The ultimate goal is to win a Super Bowl if you're taking a guy that high, so they have to be able to check those boxes."
That's a reasonable take! The Giants were a disaster behind center the last two seasons as injuries reduced Daniel Jones to the worst version of himself and fill-ins like Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito played like, predictably, Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito. But quarterback wasn't the only issue. Their defense ranked 24th in yards allowed and 29th in expected points added (EPA) allowed per play in 2024.
New York's sack rate allowed couldn't crack the top 20. Tyrone Tracy emerged as an electric young back but his offense ranked 19th in EPA per handoff. Aside from the pass rush and *maybe* some special teams aspects, nothing about this team was above average last season.
A franchise quarterback would fix the biggest hole in a ship that's spent the last two years foundering. But the Giants' efforts to find one have been derailed by depleted markets and the 2023 contract extension Jones signed that kept the team from drafting players like Bo Nix or Michael Penix Jr. last spring (or signing Kirk Cousins. It's not all bad!).
Schoen may be forced into taking a big swing to save his job after last year's 3-14 campaign. No one knows what that will look like -- whether it's hoping Sanders's big play bonafides translate into Malik Nabers's offense or if it's looking at Carter and an already stuffed pass rush and opting to trade back. There are too many avenues of improvement for a team that's been the NFL equivalent of a stalled out Mercury Tracer on the side of the highway.
Thus, Schoen shared his common sense outlook. And because it came from the general manager who helped build a Super Bowl winning roster for his NFC East rival (see Saquon Barkley's departure), it's a breath of fresh air. A Giants revival can happen many ways, but fitting square pegs into round holes won't be one of them -- and it seems like New York understands that with the 2025 NFL Draft a month away.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: The Giants are so broken a common sense NFL Draft strategy feels like a major win
Continue reading...
