The Giants have gone backwards since Daniel Jones led them to the postseason in 2022, but head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen have been given one last chance to right the ship. If New York struggles again, we can expect wholesale changes next offseason.
During the 2025 offseason, the Giants have options as they hold the third in the draft and have plenty of cap flexibility. They have a lot of holes and areas that need to be upgraded, though.
With that in mind, here are five bold predictions for the Giants this offseason…
1. A draft day splash
The Giants took themselves out of the running for the first overall pick with a late season win over the Colts, but could they make a headline-making move to ensure they land the player they want by moving up?
The cost of moving up from the third pick to first overall could be significant in terms of draft day capital, but if it lands the Giants their quarterback of the future, it will be well worth the outlay. Shedeur Sanders could establish himself as the consensus No. 1 between now and the draft, and becoming the franchise savior in a major market like New York is sure to appeal to Sanders and his father, Deion Sanders.
If the Giants are convinced that he’s the answer to their quarterback problems, then look for Schoen and Daboll to be aggressive with their jobs on the line.
2. No returning free agents whatsoever
It’s a common offseason exercise to review each team’s list of pending free agents and try to ascertain which of them are likely to be back. In the Giants’ case, it is feasible that literally none of them will be back.
The Giants have over 20 pending unrestricted free agents, but the majority of these would not be major losses. Only three – Greg Van Roten, Darius Slayton, and Jason Pinnock – played more than 40 percent of the snaps this season.
Van Roten started every game, but after consecutive solid seasons with the Raiders and Giants, he might be keen to join a team with postseason aspirations. Slayton had led the Giants in receiving in four of the previous five seasons, but his role was reduced in 2024 as Malik Nabers became the unquestioned number one. As for Pinnock, he was relied upon to be one of the veteran leaders in the secondary despite only being 26, so he might be eager to sign a long-term deal on a defense with more veteran talent around him.
3. Andrew Thomas traded
Thomas is about to enter the third year of the five-year, $117 million extension he signed in 2023, so moving him could improve the Giants’ financial flexibility as they look to retool.
New York Giants offensive tackle Andrew Thomas (78) walks back to the locker room at the end of the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. / Scott Galvin – USA TODAY Sports
Obviously, ensuring that the offensive line is solid in 2025 will be an organizational priority, and letting a talented player like Thomas leave makes achieving that all the more challenging. However, he’s missed 18 of 34 games since signing that extension, so the Giants’ decision-makers may feel reluctant to rely on him to anchor that unit.
4. Free agent shopping on the offensive line and in the secondary
Letting most (or all) of their free agents walk and trading Thomas will create more cap space for a Giants team that is already projected to have more than $50 million in cap space 2025. They can create even more room by restructuring some of their larger contracts for players like Brian Burns and Dexter Lawrence. What will they do with these cap savings, though?
The first priority will likely be the offensive line, especially if Thomas is traded and Van Roten walks. However, they have major needs throughout their secondary, and replenishing that with high-priced veteran talent could be an effective way of improving that unit overnight.
Although the front seven has some talented pieces, more depth at defensive tackle and inside linebacker will also be on the wish list. However, prioritizing the offensive line and secondary will be money well spent because New York has major holes there, so it should be easy to find significant upgrades.
5. A kicker is added in the draft
The Giants thought they had addressed their kicker position by signing Graham Gano a few years ago, but the veteran has missed 16 games over the past two seasons. Four other players have kicked for the Giants during that time, not to mention a few other kickers who signed but got hurt before they got a chance to contribute.
New York could address this position once and for all by drafting a top collegiate kicker. Florida State’s Ryan Fitzgerald recently declared for the draft and is considered by many experts to be the top kicking prospect available.
While it might cost New York a mid-round pick to land Fitzgerald, it could be a worthwhile investment if it eradicates a problem that has affected them for the past few seasons — and prevents them from having to worry about this position again for several years.