Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The New York Giants face pivotal decisions with veterans under new coach John Harbaugh in 2026.
- High draft picks could target positions currently held by underperforming or injury-plagued starters.
- These potential replacements will test veterans' ability to meet critical performance thresholds this season, and that includes Kayvon Thibodeaux.
The New York Giants are entering the 2026-27 season as one of, if not the biggest, wild card in the entire league. New head coach John Harbaugh's staff is inheriting young, high-upside offensive talent like quarterback Jaxson Dart, running back Cam Skattebo and wide receiver Malik Nabers. Plus a scary defensive front that features guys like Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence II and Abdul Carter.
That being said, there are still some lingering veterans who will have short leashes in what will likely be a "prove it" season. If they can't deliver, Harbaugh and general manager Joe Schoen will have their replacements at the ready. That starts with April's NFL Draft. Let's take a look at which Giants need to reach or break their projected ceilings lest their days in East Rutherford, New Jersey be numbered.
LB Kayvon Thibodeaux
Being the No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 draft, Thibodeaux hasn't lived up to his QB-wrecking potential. He's accrued 23.5 sacks across four seasons — which isn't terrible — but it's not the Michael Strahan-esque level he was projected to display. He's missed 15 total games, mostly for injuries, and the only time he reached double-digit sacks (11.5) was when he played all 17 weeks of the 2023 campaign.
New York owns the No. 5 pick again this year and most mock drafts have the team selecting Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles. The 2024 national champion would immediately be slotted into the defensive front along with last year's first round selection, Abdul Carter. There's flexibility for defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson swap Carter with Micah McFadden but if Thibodeaux isn't on pace to meet or exceed his career-best 11.5 sacks, expect Styles to get more snaps and for trade rumors to grow exponentially louder.
S Tyler Nubin
The Minnesota product has only gotten two years under his belt as a Giant but those two campaigns have been relatively disappointing for a high second-round pick (No. 47). Nubin hasn't recorded an interception yet and has missed eight total games. His 57.2 overall grade from Pro Football Focus last year had him ranked 78th out of 98 safeties in the league. Unless his game clicks into high gear, he's going to find himself buried on the depth chart or cut after this year.
If a mock drafter didn't have the Giants picking Styles at fifth overall, the alternative was another Buckeye player. Safety Caleb Downs is seen as the next likeliest selection for Big Blue and he'd be a huge boost to a secondary that ranked near the bottom of the league last year in yards allowed (28th) and takeaways (25th). With the Giants signing Jevon Holland to a three-year deal last offseason, Nubin feels like the odd man out if Downs is the pick on April 23.
RB Devin Singletary
For some reason there's a lot of traction around the Giants selecting Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love at No. 5 overall. The Heisman Trophy finalist will most likely be available but with three solid rushers already on New York's roster, it doesn't feel productive to take him just because he's there. But to entertain the possibility, his selection would spell the doom for one of those three rushers.
The most logical would be Devin Singletary, currently RB3, who restructured the final year of his three-year deal signed in 2024 to avoid free agency as he's not topped 500 yards since arriving. Skattebo, while not seen as a workhorse yet due to last year's ankle injury, shares the spotlight with Dart as the faces of New York's new offensive core. Tyrone Tracy Jr., drafted 166th overall in 2024, is slated to share the bulk of snaps with Skattebo. The only plausible reason to bring in Love would be to oust Singletary (which feels like a betrayal) and put Tracy on the trade block for more draft capital whether this year or next.
WR Darius Slayton
Love him or hate him, Slayton has been an integral part of the Giants offense for the last seven seasons. You don't hear his name often but he's consistently accrued 500+ receiving yards every year but 2021 when he missed four games due to injury. That being said, at 29 years old he's positioned to be waned off targets, especially with the arrival of tight end Isaiah Likely and wideouts Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III.
When mock drafts were first being published, many projections saw the Giants needing to pick a top receiver to pair with Nabers. Ohio State's Carnell Tate, Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson and USC's Makai Lemon were frequently placed in the No. 5 pick spot but after free agency, the team can probably wait for day two to grab someone like Texas A&M's KC Concepcion instead. Either way, a younger talent is going to be brought in to replace Slayton as his contract expires at the end of the 2027 season.
OT Andrew Thomas
You could easily put Evan Neal in this spot too but it appears Harbaugh is going to give the 2022 first-round pick a second chance to prove he's the team's best choice at right guard. Opposite him is Andrew Thomas who, after six seasons, has hardly been on the field. The 2020 first-rounder (No. 4 overall) hasn't played a full season since his rookie year and missed 22 total games over the last three campaigns due to season-ending injuries.
Harbaugh and Schoen need to strengthen the offensive line - particularly at blind side blocker - and round two offers a perfect opportunity to do so. Arizona State's Max Iheanachor or Utah's Caleb Lomu could easily be taken at No. 37 to provide an insurance plan if Thomas just isn't up to snuff or suffers yet another injury in 2026.