New York Giants 2026 NFL Draft Needs, Picks & Depth Chart

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No matter how well they did in free agency, all 32 NFL teams head into the 2026 NFL Draft with holes to fill on the roster.

Leading into the draft, we will identify the top needs for every team and break down the depth chart position by position.

What are the Giants' top positions of need heading into the 2026 NFL draft?

New York Giants Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2026

1. Defensive Line
2. Offensive Line
3. Cornerback

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New York Giants 2026 Draft Capital

The Giants have the 14th-most draft capital according to our Sharp Football Draft Value.

Our Sharp Football Draft Value is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.

New York Giants Mock Draft Predictions

Find out who our top-rated experts expect the Giants to draft:

• Brendan Donahue's 2026 NFL Mock Draft – Complete first round breakdown from the #2 most accurate mock drafter over the last five seasons.
• Ryan McCrystal's 2026 NFL Mock Draft – Complete first round breakdown from the #20 most accurate mock drafter over the last five seasons.

New York Giants Offense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs

Rich Hribar breaks down the offensive depth chart by position for the New York Giants, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

Quarterback

1. Jaxson Dart
2. Jameis Winston

Jaxson Dart made 12 starts as a rookie.

The Giants went 4-8 in those games, with Dart completing 63.7% of his passes for 6.7 yards per pass attempt, 15 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions.

He also rushed for 487 yards and 9 touchdowns.

Dart’s rookie season created plenty of excitement for the upside of this offense.

He just needs to protect himself and stay on the field.

The rushing contributions were a significant surplus to Dart’s production and the offense, but Dart was evaluated for a concussion five times as a rookie, including the preseason.

He was left Week 10 early with a concussion that forced him to miss the following two weeks.

Behind Dart, the Giants have veteran Jameis Winston under contract for 2026.

Winston made two starts for the Giants last season.

The team went 0-2 in those games, but they were competitive in both, losing by 7 points to the Packers and then by 7 points in overtime to the Lions.

Running Back

1. Cam Skattebo
2. Tyrone Tracy
3. Devin Singletary
4. Eric Gray
5. Dante Miller

The New York running game was lackluster in 2025.

New York running backs combined to rush for 4.0 yards per carry (24th), a 35.4% success rate (27th), a run of 10 or more yards on 8.8% of their runs (24th), and 2.68 yards after contact per attempt (30th).

Cam Skattebo was a highlight from the group of backs, turning 125 touches into 617 yards and 7 touchdowns in his eight appearances.

Skattebo had the best rushing success rate (39.6%) of the backs, compared to a 37% rate for Devin Singletary and a 31.8% rate for Tyrone Tracy.

Skattebo averaged 3.04 yards after contact per rush (27th out of 49 backs with 100 or more runs in 2025) compared to 2.66 yards after contact for Tracy (42nd) and 2.42 yards after contact per rush for Singletary (47th).

Skattebo made five starts, with games of 90, 104, 110, and 94 total yards in his four full games before suffering a gruesome injury in Week 8 against the Eagles that ended his season.

Skattebo dislocated his right ankle, fractured his fibula, and ruptured his deltoid ligament.

The latest reports were that Skattebo is still expected to be available for training camp this summer and was “running at 75%” in March.

The severity of his injury keeps the door open that the Giants could add another back to this depth chart, and they were at times linked to Jeremiyah Love.

Tracy still has two years left on his rookie deal.

After 1,123 yards and 6 touchdowns from scrimmage as a rookie in 2024, Tracy accumulated 1,028 total yards and 4 touchdowns last season.

He has been a subpar rusher, ranking 65th out of 69 running backs in success rate (31.3%) the past two seasons.

But Tracy has made an impact in the passing game, catching 74 passes for 572 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Singletary was retained on a one-year deal after having 137 touches for 588 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2025.

Wide Receiver

1. Malik Nabers
2. Darius Slayton
3. Darnell Mooney
4. Calvin Austin
5. Isaiah Hodgins
6. Jalin Hyatt
7. Beaux Collins
8. Gunner Olszewski
9. Dalen Cambre
10. Ryan Miller
11. Da’Quan Felton
12. Xavier Gipson
13. Courtney Jackson

After an incredible rookie season, 2025 was a lost year for Malik Nabers.

Nabers suffered a season-ending torn ACL in Week 4, only getting to run 11 pass routes with Dart before the injury.

He had his surgery on October 28, which will put his timeline for recovery at 10 months at the start of the season.

As of right now, there are no long-term concerns for his availability.

Darius Slayton still has two years remaining on an extension he signed last offseason.

Slayton caught 37 of 63 targets for 538 yards and 1 touchdown in 2025.

He has not had more than 4 touchdowns in a season since his rookie year in 2019.

After losing Wan’Dale Robinson in free agency, the Giants brought in Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin on one-year deals to compete for a spot in 2026.

Mooney is coming off a down year in Atlanta, catching 32 of 72 targets for 443 yards and 1 touchdown.

His 44.4% catch rate was the lowest of his career while averaging a career-low 6.2 yards per target.

Mooney and Slayton have some overlap in terms of where they have earned their targets over their careers.

Austin has played 49.2% of his early-career snaps from the slot, so he could be the favorite to absorb the bulk of Robinson’s vacated snaps in 11 personnel if the depth chart stays in place.

Over his rookie contract in Pittsburgh, Austin caught 84 passes for 1,100 yards and 8 touchdowns.

The Giants have a ton of wideouts on the current roster, but contractual depth and finding a true secondary target next to Nabers still keep them open to add a pass catcher this spring.

Nabers, Slayton, Beaux Collins, and Da’Quan Felton are the only receivers signed beyond this season.

Tight End

1. Isaiah Likely
2. Theo Johnson
3. Chris Manhertz
4. Thomas Fidone
5. Tanner Conner

The Giants were aggressive in free agency in locking up Isaiah Likely to a three-year contract worth up to $40 million.

Likely will be 26 this season, catching 135 passes for 1,568 yards and 15 touchdowns over his rookie contract with the Ravens.

The contract will give Likely the runway to finally get out of the shadow of Mark Andrews and log full-time snaps.

With Andrews off the field over his rookie deal, Likely was targeted on 18.7% of his routes for 1.70 yards per route run.

That target rate leaves some room for improvement (it would have ranked 26th among tight ends over the past four years), but those yards per route run would have ranked eighth at the position had that sample held playing without Andrews.

The addition of Likely roadblocks Theo Johnson from taking a huge step as a pass catcher, but he should still be a part of the offense.

Matt Nagy comes from a high utilization of 2TE sets at Kansas City.

The Chiefs were second in the league in 12 personnel rate over the past three seasons (30.1%) with Nagy there and fourth in rate of 13 personnel (7.9%).

Johnson caught 45 passes for 528 yards and 5 touchdowns in his second season.

He has two years remaining on his rookie contract.

Offensive Line

LT: Andrew Thomas, Marcus Mbow
LG: Jon Runyan, Joshua Ezeudu, Jake Kubas
C: John Michael Schmitz, Bryan Hudson
RG: Aaron Stinnie, Evan Neal
RT: Jermaine Eluemunor, Reid Holskey

The Giants were a better pass blocking unit up front last season compared to the run game.

They ranked 11th in overall pass blocking grade per Pro Football Focus, but were 20th in run blocking grade.

At ESPN, they were 11th in pass block win rate (65%) and 18th in run block win rate (71%).

Both tackle spots are locked up, with Andrew Thomas under contract through 2029 and Jermaine Eluemunor receiving an extension through 2028 this offseason.

Thomas remains one of the best left tackles in the league.

He allowed just 1 sack and a 2.9% pressure rate last season, which ranked fourth among tackles.

He once again missed time, however.

Playing in 13 games, Thomas has missed at least four games in each of the past three seasons and has not played a full season since his rookie year in 2020.

Eluemunor is coming off his best season in the NFL, allowing a career-low 3% pressure rate (5th among tackles).

He did have 14 penalties (tied for the most at the position).

Outside of the two tackle spots, every other spot up front is open to be challenged for competition and contractual depth.

The only other lineman on the roster signed beyond 2026 outside of Thomas and Eluemunor is Marcus Mbow, who was selected in the fifth round last year.

Right guard is wide open for an immediate upgrade.

Greg Van Roten led the team with 1,146 snaps there last season.

Van Roten remains a free agent, so he could still be brought back this year, but any of the interior spots can be upgraded.

Jon Runyan ranked 71st in overall grade among guards at Pro Football Focus, while John Michael Schmitz ranked 29th among centers.

Both are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents after the season.

New York Giants Defense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs

Raymond Summerlin breaks down the defensive depth chart by position for the New York Giants, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

Defensive Line

1. Dexter Lawrence
2. Roy Robertson-Harris
3. Sam Roberts
4. Darius Alexander
5. Elijah Chatman
6. Marlon Tuipulotu
7. DeMarvin Leal

New York was decimated by opposing running backs in 2025.

They allowed 5.5 yards per carry on running back runs, a full 0.3 more yards per carry than the Bengals in 31st place, and 1.85 yards before contact per RB carry.

The line was not helped by Dexter Lawrence having a down season by his lofty standards.

He recorded a career low 7.7% pressure rate and just 0.5 sacks while ranking 64th among qualified defensive linemen in run stuff rate.

New York will need him to make more plays behind the line of scrimmage in both the pass and run game in 2026.

The organization could help Lawrence by getting some more talent around him.

Roy Robertson-Harris is back, but he would be better suited as a depth piece.

The only free agent addition so far is Sam Roberts, who has played 266 career defensive snaps since entering the league in 2022.

The Giants could also hope for more from 2025 third-round pick Darius Alexander, but he struggled to force his way onto the field as a rookie.

Alexander did log 3.5 sacks on somewhat limited opportunities, but his 6.3% pressure rate suggests that sack total was inflated.

Defensive line stands out as a primary need heading into the draft.

Edge Defenders

1. Brian Burns
2. Abdul Carter
3. Kayvon Thibodeaux
4. Chauncey Golston
5. Caleb Murphy
6. Trace Ford

The Giants finished 21st in pressure rate (34.9%) and 15th in sacks (39) last season.

That is a disappointing result considering the talent they have and the investments they have made along the edge.

Brian Burns did his part in the sack department, ranking second in the league behind just Myles Garrett with 16.5 quarterback takedowns.

His 12.1% pressure rate is less impressive, but Burns has consistently turned his pressures into sacks at a higher rate than average throughout his career.

A first-round pick last year, Abdul Carter did not have the same sack production as Burns (4), but he had a better pressure rate.

Carter finished 24th among all qualified pass rushers with a 14.0% pressure rate as a rookie.

Kayvon Thibodeaux is the final member of New York’s high-priced trio along the edge.

He had yet another injury-shortened season, playing just 10 games and finishing with 2.5 sacks.

Thibodeaux is set to play on his fifth-year option as he enters the final year of his rookie deal, and there have been trade rumors about him this offseason.

Even if Thibodeaux sticks around for 2026, it seems likely he is nearing the end of his Giants tenure given the investment made in Carter and Burns.

That could prompt the Giants to make a draft investment in what appears to be a deep class of pass rushers, but this is not a primary need as things stand.

Linebacker

1. Tremaine Edmunds
2. Micah McFadden
3. Darius Muasau
4. Zaire Barnes
5. Cam Jones
6. Swayze Bozeman

New York moved on from Bobby Okereke after three seasons, replacing him with Tremaine Edmunds in free agency.

Edmunds is a veteran coming off a solid three-year run with the Bears, allowing 6.6 yards per target and a 78.9 quarterback rating during his time with Chicago.

New York also brought back Micah McFadden on a one-year deal after he suffered a season-ending foot injury during Week 1 of last season.

McFadden was a force against the run in 2024, finishing 12th among qualified linebackers in run stuff rate and recording a tackle on 19.9% of his run defense snaps.

Assuming he comes back healthy, the Giants should have a solid duo at the top of the depth chart.

McFadden is on a one-year deal, though, and the depth behind that pair is not great.

The Giants could look to add a young linebacker to the mix in the draft.

Cornerback

1. Paulson Adebo
2. Greg Newsome
3. Andru Phillips
4. Deonte Banks
5. Korie Black
6. Art Green
7. Nic Jones
8. Rico Payton
9. Jarrick Bernard-Converse
10. Myles Purchase
11. TJ Moore

The Giants allowed 7.1 yards per attempt (18th) and finished 17th in EPA allowed per pass attempt in 2025.

Paulson Adebo did not have a great first season with the team, finishing 93rd among qualified corners in yards allowed per coverage snap.

He was also limited to just 12 games because of a knee injury.

Entering the second season of a three-year, $54 million deal, Adebo needs to be better for the Giants to improve at corner.

Greg Newsome was signed in free agency to take one of the starting spots behind Adebo.

Newsome has struggled over the last two seasons and was traded to the Jaguars midway through 2025, but he was a quality option in his first three seasons in the league, playing both in the slot and outside.

The Giants will hope the change of scenery helps him regain that form.

Andru Phillips has operated as the primary slot corner since being selected in the third round of the 2024 draft and should keep that role this year.

The Giants could really use a step forward from 2023 first-round pick Deonte Banks, but there has been no indication that jump is coming through three seasons.

New York probably has their starting three at corner, but this position group is also not a strength.

Newsome is also just on a one-year deal.

Adding a corner early in the draft would make some sense.

Safety

1. Jevon Holland
2. Tyler Nubin
3. Jason Pinnock
4. Ar’Darius Washington
5. Elijah Campbell
6. Beau Brade
7. Patrick McMorris
8. Raheem Layne

The Giants probably did not get the level of play they expected out of Jevon Holland and Tyler Nubin last season, but this still looks like a strong group.

While Nubin was not great in coverage last season, he continued to be a factor in the run game, recording 7 tackles at or behind the line on running plays.

New York also added to this group in free agency, signing Jason Pinnock, Ar’Darius Washington, and Elijah Campbell.

Pinnock spent three years with the Giants before his one season with the 49ers last year.

Washington played for John Harbaugh in Baltimore for all five of his NFL seasons.

With a solidified starting pair and versatile depth behind them, the Giants are set at safety.

2026 Depth Chart Analysis & Team Needs for All 32 NFL Teams