New York Giants 2025 Profile

Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Brian Daboll
Offensive Coordinator: Mike Kafka
Defensive Coordinator: Shane Bowen
Special Teams Coordinator: Michael Ghobrial

2024 Summary (W-L Record: 3-14)

Last season, the Giants went backwards for the second year in a row.

After surprising the NFL world in 2022 and winning a playoff game in their first year with Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll in charge, Big Blue went 6-11 in 2023 and 3-14 in 2024.

The quarterback position was the main issue over the last two seasons, whether it was due to injury or performance. And you can certainly see that play itself out in the Giants’ 2024 numbers below:

Despite having an absolutely dynamic receiver in Malik Nabers, New York couldn’t find a way to push the ball downfield. They had the 2nd-fewest 20-yard pass plays and finished in the bottom-5 in intended air yards per attempt.

But in all honesty, they didn’t do anything well in the passing game. They ranked 30th in yards-after-catch per completion. They were one of the worst teams in the NFL on play action. They were bottom-5 against the blitz. And they ranked 31st in pressure allowed.

Their run game did show flashes, but it wasn’t consistent enough for the offense to lean on.

Receive breakdowns like this directly in your inbox by subscribing here:

Defensively, the Giants were a bit more competent. It started with their pass rush, which ranked 8th in sacks and 3rd in sack percentage. However, their back end wasn’t quite up to snuff. Despite having that good pass rush, they allowed opposing quarterbacks to play to a 103.1 passer rating. Only two defenses in the NFL were worse.

The run D also struggled throughout the season, finishing 27th in yards per game and 24th in yards per attempt. They allowed the 4th-most runs of 10 yards or more as well.

It all added up to a defense that really had no bite, finishing 21st in points allowed, 25th in yards per play, and 28th in takeaways.

Key Additions

QB Russell Wilson
QB Jameis Winston
QB Jaxson Dart (1st Rd, 25th Overall)
RB Cam Skattebo (4th Rd, 104th Overall)
T Marcus Mbow (5th Rd, 154th Overall)

DT Darius Alexander (3rd Rd, 65th Overall)
DT Roy Robertson-Harris
DT Jeremiah Ledbetter
EDGE Abdul Carter (1st Rd, 3rd Overall)
EDGE Chauncey Golston
CB Paulson Adebo
S Jevon Holland

Key Losses

QB Daniel Jones
QB Drew Lock

EDGE Azeez Ojulari
CB Adoree’ Jackson
S Jason Pinnock

Did They Address Their Holes?

This is an interesting question for the Giants. We’ll start with the offense, which you could see from the numbers above had holes just about everywhere.

It’s fair to say that the Giants addressed their biggest hole - the quarterback position. They brought in Russell Wilson, who at very least is a competent quarterback and excellent at attacking downfield (one of the many areas where the Giants struggled last season). It will be fun to see how he pairs with Nabers.

They also signed Jameis Winston, who can be a competent (and exciting) back-up quarterback if Wilson misses any time.

Then they addressed their future by trading up to take Jaxson Dart with the 25th overall pick. You can check out my full breakdown of Dart below:

But aside from the quarterback position, the Giants didn’t really address any other aspect of the offense in a significant way. They added some depth pieces here and there, but by and large, they’re rolling out the same group in 2025.

The Giants are clearly banking on left tackle Andrew Thomas playing more than 6 games and 37% of total offensive snaps. They’re banking on their young players getting better with one more year of experience under their belt. Perhaps they’re also banking on Evan Neal’s move to guard getting him back into the starting lineup and leading to a Mekhi Becton-like resurrection.

Maybe they’re also hoping that rookie 4th-round running back Cam Skattebo and rookie 5th-round tackle Marcus Mbow can find a way onto the field quickly and make an impact?

Other than that, quarterback is the only position on offense where significant change was made.

On the other side of the ball, the secondary had to be addressed. Which is why the Giants went out and signed one of the top free agent cornerbacks in Paulson Adebo as well as versatile safety Jevon Holland.

Of course, the play of the secondary will also be greatly aided by the Giants’ biggest offseason addition - 3rd overall pick Abdul Carter.

Carter adds to a pass rush that already includes Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence, and Kayvon Thibodeaux. Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen will have a lot of options for attacking offenses in obvious passing situations.

And with the potential of that front-4, we might see fewer blitzes than last season, (when the Giants ranked 9th in the league in blitz frequency). That should also provide some relief to the back end.

Biggest Questions Entering 2025

The biggest question for this team is when, if ever, Jaxson Dart will play. The Giants will likely be in no rush to insert him into the lineup for a few reasons.

First, they already signed Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. Even though there is no substitute for learning by doing, Dart would benefit greatly by watching how two experienced players prepare.

Second, Daboll and Schoen need to show some measure of success and signs of the team around the QB position making progress. If not for ownership, they need to do so for the players. It’s going to be hard for those guys to buy into the Giants’ vision if we get a third straight terrible season. Having Wilson leading the way early instead of a rookie should help in that effort by at very least not having the QB position be a limiting factor.

Third, probably the fastest way for Daboll and Schoen to lose their jobs is if Dart reveals himself to be an obvious bust. Or at very least, if he doesn’t appear to be developing well with this coaching staff.

It seems like both Schoen and Daboll have a decent chance of being around again in 2026 regardless of how poorly the Giants do as a team this year. You don’t get to trade up into the 1st round for a quarterback and pick the next face of the franchise if you’re getting the boot after his first season (or at least you shouldn’t get to do that).

Dart appearing to be the wrong choice would change all of that. And I don’t think Daboll or Schoen want to expose themselves to that possibility. Their decision to hand the reins over to him will likely be examined very carefully and only happen if he can be successful.

All bets are off, however, if it becomes clear that the difference between Dart and Wilson is minimal. In that case, Daboll should (and likely will) get him on the field as quickly as possible to get reps and experience so the Giants will be ready to legitimately compete in 2026.

2025 Outlook

It’s not common to see a 3-14 team with one of the worst offenses in the NFL make no significant changes on that side of the ball (aside from one position). That, along with the trade-up for Dart, is a pretty decent indicator to me that Daboll and Schoen have 2 years to prove themselves.

Their approach this offseason reflected that as well. They showed a clear intent not to mortgage the future. It was seemingly based on a longer-term process instead.

The Giants are in one of the toughest divisions in the NFL and appear to be its doormat entering 2025. Six games against the Eagles, Commanders, and Cowboys won’t be easy. And based on where New York’s roster is right now, there’s not much of a chance of them doing anything this year.

There is a path, though.

The NFL is always full of surprises. This franchise doesn’t have to look far to understand that. Entering the 2007 season, for instance, team leader Michael Strahan thought the Giants had the look of a “team in repair […] that was rebuilding.” He almost decided not to return for what would be his final season.

We all know how that year ended.

And quite frankly, the path for the Giants competing this season is similar to what it was in 2007 - a dominant D-line that can win against anybody.

All bets are off if the combination of Carter, Burns, Lawrence, and Thibodeaux go gangbusters on the rest of the league. They’re a talented-enough group to do so (and there’s actually some pretty good talent at all 3 levels of this defense).

I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but that’s the path.

Short of Carter becoming Michah Parsons and the D-line resembling the 2007 Giants, though, this team’s ETA for legitimately competing is 2026.