NFC East Offseason Power Rankings, Part 1: New York Giants

The 2025 season was merciless to the New York Giants. A 4-13 record, the worst in the NFC East, left the franchise staring at yet another rebuild — the kind of soul-searching offseason that has become uncomfortably familiar in East Rutherford.

But this offseason feels different. And that difference has a name: John Harbaugh.

The Harbaugh Effect

Hiring Harbaugh away from Baltimore was the most significant move any NFC East team made this offseason, and it happened before free agency even opened. After 17 seasons with the Ravens, including a Super Bowl title, Harbaugh brings credibility, structure, and a proven system to a franchise that has lacked all three for the better part of a decade.

The ripple effects were immediate. Four former Ravens followed Harbaugh to New Jersey, and that is not a coincidence. When a coach of that caliber calls, players answer.

Free Agency: Getting the Band Back Together

The Giants' free agency haul reads like a Baltimore alumni reunion. Tight end Isaiah Likely signed a three-year, $40 million deal — the biggest splash of the Giants' offseason. Likely posted 135 receptions for 1,568 yards and 15 touchdowns over 63 career games with the Ravens, and at 6-4, 245 pounds, he gives the Giants a legitimate receiving weapon at a position they have ignored for years.

Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds came over on a three-year, $36 million contract, adding a proven tackling machine to a defense that ranked near the bottom of the league in 2025. Punter Jordan Stout and fullback Pat Ricard round out the Ravens contingent.

Beyond the Baltimore pipeline, the Giants added wide receiver Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin on one-year deals, providing much-needed speed to a receiving corps that desperately needed it. Cornerback Greg Newsome II adds depth to a secondary that was exploited all year.

The re-signing of right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor to a three-year, $39 million deal was quietly one of the smartest moves any NFC East team made. Eluemunor was one of the few bright spots on the Giants' offensive line in 2025, and keeping him ensures at least one position of stability up front.

The Elephant in the Room

For all the positive moves, the Giants still have the biggest question mark in the division — and maybe the entire NFL. Who is playing quarterback?

Daniel Jones is long gone. The Giants hold the No. 3 overall pick in April's draft, and with quarterbacks like Fernando Mendoza, Drew Allar, and Carson Beck expected to go in the top 10, the path forward seems obvious. But drafting a quarterback and developing one are two very different things, especially for a franchise that has whiffed on the position repeatedly since Eli Manning retired.

Harbaugh's track record with quarterbacks — from Joe Flacco to Lamar Jackson — offers genuine hope. If any coach in the league can maximize a young quarterback's potential, it is the man who won a Super Bowl with Flacco and turned Jackson into an MVP. But even Harbaugh cannot fast-track a rookie into a playoff contender in Year 1.

Why They Are Ranked Fourth

The Giants are doing the right things. Harbaugh is the real deal. The free agency additions address real needs. The draft capital is there to add a franchise quarterback and other impact players.

But right now — in March 2026 — this is still a 4-13 team with no established quarterback, a bottom-tier offensive line outside of Eluemunor, and a defense that allowed 439 points last season. The infrastructure is being built, but the building itself is not there yet.

The gap between the Giants and the rest of the NFC East is real. The Eagles are a Super Bowl-caliber roster. The Cowboys made aggressive trades. The Commanders invested heavily in defense around Jayden Daniels. The Giants are starting from a deeper hole than any of them.

What to Watch

The April draft will define this offseason. If the Giants land their quarterback of the future at No. 3 and use their remaining picks to shore up the offensive line, this ranking could look premature by September. Harbaugh has turned around franchises before, and the combination of his coaching, the Ravens pipeline, and premium draft capital gives the Giants a legitimate path back to relevance.

But paths and results are different things. For now, the Giants sit at No. 4 in the NFC East offseason power rankings — not because they have done anything wrong, but because the other three teams started from a higher floor.

Next up: Part 2 — The Dallas Cowboys and their aggressive trade strategy.