Since they made a surprise appearance as a top-seven team in the NFC in 2022, The New York Giants have made a steady string of terrible decisions. Can that change in 2025?
Beginning with the 2023 offseason, the Giants slapped the Franchise Tag on star RB Saquon Barkley instead of working out a long-term deal. But do you know to whom they DID give a long-term deal? That would be below-average QB Daniel Jones, who hadn’t thrown for more than 15 TDs since 2019.
But us fantasy football managers were fine, you see. A solid running back operating with a QB with a high rushing floor– what could go wrong?
You know what happened next. Jones tore his ACL, the team had no WRs, and Barkley somehow mustered over 1,200 total yards and 10 TDs. They limped to six wins and the 6th overall draft choice and famously let Saquon Barkley leave in free agency to the rival Philadelphia Eagles.
Lucky for the Giants, they turned that 6th overall draft pick into superstar-in-the-making Malik Nabers. But 2024 proved they bet on the wrong horse. Daniel Jones continued to struggle, was benched, and subsequently released before the end of the season. Meanwhile, Saquon Barkley cemented himself in the record books as only the 9th player EVER to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season, en route to winning Offensive Player of the Year and, eventually, a Super Bowl.
The Giants currently find themselves without a starting-caliber QB. (Actually, they currently don’t have ANY quarterbacks on the roster.) They also hold the 3rd overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The issue with that? There are currently just two QBs teams seemingly viewed as 1st round-worthy, leaving the Giants on the outside looking in.
<<Check out Josh’s rebuild of the New England Patriots!>>
Fixing the New York Giants in 2025
What will free agency bring in?
Seeing as how the Giants decided not to pay Saquon Barkley or safety Xavier McKinney, they have a little extra money in the budget this offseason. They currently sit with the 12th most cap space in the league with about $32 million. And for much of the 1st half of the season, they had a pretty solid defense. So it’s a safe bet to expect the Giants to spend most of their available resources on offense.
When looking at ways to “fix” the New York Giants, it starts and ends at the quarterback position. Lucky for them, whoever their QB is will have a legitimate WR1 in Malik Nabers with whom to target and a quality slot option in Wan’Dale Robinson. They spent a fourth round pick on RB Tyrone Tracy, who teamed with Nabers to become the third rookie duo to total over 1,000 yards each in a season. And rookie TE Theo Johnson showed promise before a season-ending injury.
So there are pieces here. And that’s a good thing. Because we fantasy football managers need production! So, where will the team allocate its salary cap? Isn’t it obvious?
Get you some fat boys
Look, we’re not fat-shamming here. But offensive linemen are big boys, and the Giants need a few. They brought in Jon Runyan, Jermaine Eluemunor, and Greg Van Roten (among others) to help solidify the offensive line last offseason. The results were… mixed.
Stud LT Andrew Thomas went down with a season-ending injury after six games. Third-year RT Evan Neal continued his struggles, registering a PFF pass block grade of 49.6. Second-year center John Michael Schmitz Jr. was better than his rookie year but still not great, sporting an overall PFF grade of 61.4 and a pass block grade of 50.2.
Eluemunor flipped from RT to LT when Thomas went down and was clearly overmatched. He allowed 29 pressures and led all Giants linemen with 10 penalties. Van Roten led all Giants linemen with 35 pressures allowed and seven sacks. Runyan played exclusively at LG and wasn’t any better than the rest.
All told, the only player on the line the Giants should feel comfortable with heading into 2025 is Thomas. But even he’s coming off a season-ending injury and will likely need some time to get right. Evan Neal is a former 1st round pick who has proven he’s not a good RT. Maybe the Giants should consider shifting him to guard? I mean, it worked for former Jets 1st round pick Mekhi Becton after he signed with the Eagles.
After those two, they need a center and RG at minimum (assuming they keep Eluemunor at RT). So first on the agenda–
Sign Chiefs RG Trey Smith
Trey Smith was PFF’s 6th highest-graded RG in 2024. Smith has helped protect arguably the game’s top QB, Patrick Mahomes since he was a rookie. And he’s steadily gotten better.
Smith enters free agency at a time when offensive line play is at a premium. The top of the Guard market was reset last offseason when Robert Hunt signed with the Carolina Panthers for $20 million per year. And Landon Dickerson signed an extension with Philadelphia for $21 million per year.
For the Giants, they need to make a splash and Smith should be their target. Offensive Coordinator Mike Kafka was with the Kansas City Chiefs when they drafted Smith, so there’s a familiar face in the building who can vouch for Smith.
GM Joe Schoen needs to do some damage control after fumbling the Saquon Barkley bag. Getting Trey Smith to sign would be a step in fixing that for their new quarterback, even if it costs close to $20 million per season.
Colts C Ryan Kelly
At this point in his career, Kelly is more name versus production. He’s oft-injured but is solid when he plays. And what the Giants need more than anything is a veteran who can help them stabilize and provide some leadership. He’s allowed only two sacks in the last two years and only 18 pressures. While that’s only been across 24 games, those are still solid numbers.
Kelly is 32 and likely would only need a one-year deal, similar to what Tyron Smith signed with the Jets last season.
Who are the big boys protecting?
After the offensive line improvements, the Giants can do what is needed to secure the next face of their franchise. With some offensive pieces in place and a quality defense, the Giants need to make a move to either 1st or 2nd in the NFL Draft. And if that means giving up future draft picks, so be it.
There aren’t any real long term answers at the QB position in free agency. There rarely ever are. So, the Draft has to have the answer. But just in case they can’t move up to get their guy–
Sign Jameis Winston
Your team is down in the dumps, and the fan base needs someone they can fall in love with. Everyone saw firsthand the type of infectious personality Saquon Barkley had and brought to the locker room. Jameis Winston has exactly that.
On the field, Winston is a gunslinger and isn’t afraid to let it rip. You want to open up the field with deep shots to Malik Nabers? Winston is your guy. Hell, he made Jerry Jeudy into a viable receiver in the NFL. What do you think he can do for Nabers?
You always have to have a plan in place in case you can’t make the moves you need to make to better both your present and your future. Winston is the type of play to better your present while you seek to better your future.
The NFL Draft
This isn’t considered a great QB class. But if you’re not TRYING to improve, what the hell is the point? Plus, with HC Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen clearly on the hot seat, if they DON’T make a move, they’ll be fired a lot sooner rather than later.
The two teams in front of the Giants — the Titans and Browns — both are in need of a QB. The Titans may not feel a sense of urgency to draft a QB with so many other needs on the roster. They also have more cap space available than the Giants and could potentially make a play for a free agent like Sam Darnold.
The Browns are in a world of hurt of their own making. They have the 2nd fewest available cap space, are saddled with a $72.9 million cap hit for Deshaun Watson when he’s unlikely to play in 2025, and now need to navigate a trade request from star DE Myles Garrett.
Could a QB fall into the Giants’ lap? Maybe. But to make sure they get the signal caller they prefer and to potentially box out a team like the Raiders, who also need a QB, they’ll need to explore options to trade up.
Trade scenarios
Even moving up two spots in the Draft would likely cost the Giants their 1st round pick in 2026, plus a 2nd or 3rd round pick this year and potentially more. The Titans aren’t likely to give up the chance of taking the best overall player in their eyes unless they’re well compensated. By trading back to three, they could still secure a QB or land one of DE Abdul Carter or WR/CB Travis Hunter. I’m fairly certain the Titans would take any of those players, plus the additional draft capital.
To move up only one spot in a trade with the Browns, we can revisit the Bears trade with the 49ers for the chance to draft Mitchell Trubisky. The Bears and 49ers swapped 1sts, and the Bears kicked in a 3rd and a 5th, plus a future 3rd. With the Browns’ current cap situation, they should take a deal like that and run to the commissioner with the card.
Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders?
Both Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders are quality QBs likely to start in the NFL sooner rather than later. We can debate how they stack up to the top QBs of previous classes, but it’s irrelevant. They’re the top two in this class, and that’s who teams are looking at.
Daboll does a lot in the short passing game, something that might favor Sanders. But after drafting an explosive downfield option like Malik Nabers, Schoen, and Daboll might lean toward the more lively arm of Cam Ward. But there are other factors that could push the Giants brass towards Sanders.
In most advanced metrics, Sanders and Ward had similar production and PFF grades. But something Sanders faced more than any QB in college is pressure. The Giants’ protection is akin to wet toilet paper. And while Ward’s ability to get rid of the ball quickly is one of his greatest attributes, Sanders had the 7th highest rating in college with pressure in his face. And that’s something the Giants might see as a huge need, given the struggles of their offensive line over the years.
All told, Sanders is probably the guy they target. But he or Ward are both upgrades over the QB carousel of 2024.
One more piece
The Giants found their WR1 in Malik Nabers last year. And with all due respect to Wan’Dale Robinson, he’s not someone who will draw attention away from Nabers. While Darius Slayton has been admirable, he’s not someone who strikes fear into defenses, either. So it’s time for a reunion…
Stefon Diggs‘ last hurrah
Some of Stefon Diggs’ best seasons were with Brian Daboll as his offensive coordinator. And while Diggs is coming off a torn ACL and likely past his prime, he’s well respected in the league and someone who can take attention away from Nabers and be an effective WR in this offense as the team’s WR2. He’s the type of player that can take pressure off a young QB with his savvy route-running.
And coming off an injury, he can likely be had on a cheaper, one-year deal for around $8 million per year.
Will YOU be drafting any Giants in 2025?
These moves that I laid out are less about quality fantasy football players but about building a solid offense around the relevant fantasy football options already on the roster. But putting a functioning offensive line in front of a rookie QB will help make the offense produce more fantasy points.
Adding Jameis Winston and drafting Shedeur Sanders to throw to Malik Nabers, Wan’Dale Robinson, and new arrival Stefon Diggs should provide plenty of fantasy points in 2025. Tack on Tyrone Tracy Jr. and the Giants have a potential top 5 WR, a potential top 15 RB, and a potential top 30 WR. And who knows what Theo Johnson will become, adding a potential streaming TE to the mix.
Those are all numbers we like to see.
Now, about that offensive line…
Will this fix the New York Giants in 2025? Be sure you’re following Josh Hudson on X, and let him know your thoughts. You can also find more great content from Club Fantasy here!
Discover more from CLUB FANTASY FFL
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.