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[New York Giants]

Jaxson Dart signs contract with New York Giants

John Jones-Imagn Images

Only two of the team’s draft picks remain unsigned

Jaxson Dart, the 25th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, has signed his rookie contract with the New York Giants. The team announced the news on their website Friday afternoon.

The No. 25 overall selection is the fifth member of the seven-player draft class to sign his rookie deal, joining outside linebacker Abdul Carter (third overall pick), offensive lineman Marcus Mbow (fifth round), tight end Thomas Fidone II (seventh round), and cornerback Korie Black (seventh round).

That leaves only third-round pick Darius Alexander and fourth-round pick Cam Skattebo unsigned.

Dart’s contract, slotted by the Collective Bargaining Agreement, is a fully guaranteed four-year, $16.977 million deal. The contract includes a pro-rated signing bonus of $8.987 million. Dart’s 2025 cap numbers will be $3.086 million.

The NFLPA public salary cap page showed the Giants, who recently restructured the contract of edge defender Brian Burns, with $6.382 million in cap space before the Dart signing.

Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/5/30/24440236/jaxson-dart-signs-contract-with-new-york-giants

 

[New York Giants]

Make or break: Can Cor’Dale Flott become a long-term piece for the secondary?

Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

Will Flott earn a second contract?

The New York Giants have invested heavily in their defense over the last couple years.

They’ve added high draft picks and talented free agents to try to turn the unit into one of the best in the NFL. The Giants’ defense has had good players for years now, however it’s also been top-heavy, with little depth behind their starters.

The secondary was always of the biggest concerns, and depth can be key. Not only have the Giants been thin on the back end, but the secondary always has to deal with attrition over the course of a year.

That makes 2022 third-round pick (81st overall) Cor’Dale Flott of keen interest as he enters his fourth year. Flott was never a consistent starter through the first two years of his career, but did start 10 of 14 games in 2024. He’s unlikely to push for a starting job in 2025 after the addition of Paulson Adebo and the emergence of Dru Phillips in the slot. However, he could still be an important depth piece who sees plenty of playing time in sub packages or in the event of injury.

Because of that, Flott taking the next step in his development would be an absolute boon to the Giants. And if he doesn’t, he could find himself looking for a new home in the 2026 free agency period.

Reasons why he’ll make it​

The biggest factor in Flott’s potential success is the improvement he showed over the course of 2024.

Last year was Flott’s busiest to date, with him playing 637 snaps (73.8% of the total defensive snaps). Thanks to the Giants’ depth issues in the secondary, the overwhelming majority of those snaps came on the outside, as opposed to the slot. Flott played just 50 snaps in the slot, as opposed to 578 as an outside cornerback — a full game more than his 505 total snaps in 2023.

He certainly had his struggles over the course of those snaps, but the extra work may have been good for him. For instance, Flott showed growth in the mental and technique aspects of his game over the course of 2024.

He struggled some with missed tackles to start the season, with 5 missed tackles in his first 8 games. However, those five were the only missed tackles all year and he didn’t have a single missed tackle after Week 8. By the end of the year, his 8.6% missed tackle rate was significantly lower than the Giants’ 13.3% rate (which itself was roughly league-average).

Flott has always had a good closing burst, but his choice of angles is improving as well.

He’s also showing an improved understanding of leverage and how to force the ball back to his teammates.

His coverage and passer rating against also improved over the course of the year. Using Week 8 as the dividing line, we see a stark shift in Flott’s completion percentage allowed. Prior to Week 8, he allowed 73.1% of passes to be completed, which dropped to 57.9% completed after Week 8.

Part of the difference comes down to how Flott was used and the Giants’ switch to more aggressive scheming after the injury to Dexter Lawrence. The other part is that Flott is improving in how he reads quarterbacks’ eyes and tracks the ball from off coverage.

He is still better in man than zone, and off-man seems to be his greatest strength. We’ll see if (or how) the Giants’ defense changes with the additions of Paulson Adebo and Jevon Holland, however they primarily used a mix of Cover 3 and Cover 1 last year. Flott being skilled in off-man coverage could be an asset if the Giants continue to mix those two coverages and use one to disguise the other.

Why he may not make it​

The first, and most notable, issue in Flott’s game is one he can’t do much about.

Flott is whip-thin and is still listed at 175 pounds despite being 6-foot-2. That can make it difficult for him to get bigger defenders on the ground if he doesn’t tackle with excellent form. While he was a relatively secure tackler who didn’t outright miss often, limiting yards after contact is an issue. Flott simply doesn’t have much stopping power and needs to take very good angles and make sure he wraps up every time. If he arrives high, or doesn’t wrap up, even average sized receivers can survive his tackle attempts.

Here we see Flott attempting to bring down Jalen Tolbert at the top of the screen. Instead of laying a big hit that might jar the ball loose, or get him down quickly and securely, Tolbert is able to shrug off Flott. Fortunately, Tyler Nubin was there to clean up, or that could have been a bigger play for the Cowboys.

Flott’s frame can also make him vulnerable to physical play from receivers.

He was a thorn in Brandin Cooks’ side both times the Giants played the Cowboys last year, and Flott largely had Cooks locked down. This play was one of the very few times Cooks got the better of Flott, and it was due to the subtle push-off mid-route.

Cooks is able to disrupt Flott, who isn’t quite able to recover and erase the separation that Cooks creates with the shove. A sturdier frame would allow Flott to absorb the contact without giving up separation (or at least as much) — or force Cooks to be more blatant with the push and draw an offensive pass interference call.

Flott’s aggression and toughness can also work against him when he’s matched up against smart, savvy route runners.

He has good quickness and relies on his downhill burst to arrive with any kind of power. But that means he needs to commit hard and fast to a course of action, which can lead to biting hard on play fakes.

Flott is at the bottom of the screen here, and a subtle fake from the receiver (Noah Brown) convinces Flott to flip his hips in the wrong direction. He’s completely unable to recover and loses his balance doing so, giving up a tremendous amount of separation and a 34-yard play.

Final thoughts​

The question as to whether Flott can “make it” and be a useful piece for the Giants really depends on your expectations for him.

If someone is expecting Flott to be an every-down starter, let alone a “shutdown” corner, then they’re bound to be disappointed. He flashes the ability to be disruptive at the catch point thanks to his quickness and length, but he’ll likely never be a consistent problem for offenses.

So from that perspective, he’d be a bust.

However, if he’s expected to be a depth piece — the fourth cornerback who comes on in certain sub packages or if a starter needs to come off the field — that’s another story. As he is, the Giants could do (and have done) worse for cornerback depth.

He’s limited by his frame and his aggressive game can be used against him by savvy opponents. That said, Flott’s versatility to play outside or the slot are useful, as is his ability to be disruptive when playing off-man.

He’ll need to continue to work on his tackling technique, as well as his discipline in not biting on fakes or misdirection when in zone coverage. Flott can cement himself as a primary depth piece and an option that coaches feel good about in the absence of the starter if he takes the next step in those areas. Doing so could remove cornerback from the Giants’ list of needs for several years.

But while Flott might not need an upgrade if he can’t take that next step, he also wouldn’t prevent the Giants from adding another cornerback who can force him off the roster.

Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/5/...long-term-piece-for-new-york-giants-secondary

 

[New York Giants]

2025 Summer Scouting - Nyck Harbor, WR, South Carolina

Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

Will Harbor realize his athletic upside?

The New York Giants could target a wide receiver at the top of next year’s draft, and adding another explosive athlete to pair with Malik Nabers would certainly be attractive.

So with that in mind, we’re starting this year’s Summer Scouting series with arguably the freakiest athlete in the country at any position and any level.

South Carolina wide receiver Nyck Harbor possesses the rare kind of athleticism that’s normally reserved for video game characters. He holds the distinction of being the first freshman to headline Bruce Feldman’s annual “Freaks List” back in 2023, and became the first player to headline the “Freaks List” in back-to-back years in 2024.

Harbor has true “Track Star” speed — and I mean that literally, not just as a metaphor. His 10.11-second 100-meter time ranking third all-time in South Carolina program history while his 20.20 200-meter time ranks second in program history. Harbor is a World Class athlete, even among the athletic freaks at the highest level of college football.

That 20.20 time earned him a spot in the Olympic Trials with the chance to represent the USA in the 2024 Summer Olympics. Harbor turned down the invitation in order to concentrate on football and this year stepped away from track entirely.

(Harbor is the South Carolina receiver wearing number 8 with white gloves and socks.)

Strengths​

Nyck Harbor simply does not make sense as an athlete.

He possesses truly elite size, standing 6-foot-5, 242 pounds and appears to have long arms as well. Harbor looms over any cornerback asked to cover him, and makes other track athletes look like children. We don’t have a concrete 40 time for Harbor, however he’s expected to run somewhere in the 4.3-second range and could even dip down into the 4.2’s.

As you may expect from Harbor, he’s remarkably sudden off the line of scrimmage. Where other big receivers may have sluggish or rolling releases, Harbor explodes off the line with minimum wasted energy. He has light, springy steps and is able to shorten his stride and change his tempo over the course of his route. That allows Harbor to be quicker and more agile than you’d expect from a receiver his size. He’s able to break relatively quickly for a big receiver, as well as be a true deep threat when he lengthens his strides.

Harbor also does a good job of tracking the ball in the air, as well as extending to maximize his (already large) catch radius. He also understands his role in South Crolina’s route concepts and blocking schemes.

Finally, Harbor’s size and strength allow him to run through traffic, as well as be an effective blocker. He has good competitive toughness and is willing to do the dirty work as a blocker or play hard even when he won’t be getting the ball.

Weaknesses​

Harbor’s primary weaknesses appear to be as a technician.

Despite his athleticism his routes will likely always be a little bit rounded due to his sheer size. It’s tough to get that much human to change direction quickly, and he can only sink his hips to lower his center of gravity so much.

In addition to his route running, that can also cause him to be a bit inaccurate when blocking in space. He can be a bit prone to whiffing if he has to change direction suddenly or is a bit out of position.

He wasn’t asked to run a particularly diverse route tree, and was usually used as a decoy or to create traffic. Harbor’s catch mechanics are also awkward at this stage of his development. There were a few too many instances of unnecessary basket catching, letting the ball into his chest plate, or double-catches.

Those two factors likely contributed to the fact that he isn’t targeted often and only has 38 catches through two years (12 in 2023, 26 in 2024). That could change as he enters his third year and isn’t splitting his time between track and football.

Final thoughts​

Nyck Harbor is going to be absolutely fascinating to watch this year.

He has the athletic potential to be dominant at his position and could draw comparisons to Calvin Johnson.

However, that potential is as yet unrealized.

He has the benefit of playing with LaNorris Sellers, who was highly impressive at times last year and could emerge as the top quarterback prospect in the 2026 draft. If so, there will be plenty of eyes on Harbor and he could be in a better situation than many of his peers. That said, it’s on him to take the next step and begin to realize his potential.

Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/5/...scouting-report-nyck-harbor-wr-south-carolina

 

[New York Giants]

Giants named a potential trade suitor for Atlanta Falcons’ TE Kyle Pitts

Kyle Pitts | Photo by David Berding/Getty Images

Is this a deal you would make?

If Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts truly is on the trade block, should the New York Giants be among the suitors?

Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports reports that the Falcons have been listening to offers for the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and that a Day 2 pick might pique the Falcons’ interest.

Is Pitts, whose production has declined dramatically since a Pro Bowl rookie season that saw him gain 1,026 receiving yards, worth giving up a Day 2 pick for? Should the Giants be interested?

CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin lists the Giants among potential landing spots. He writes:

Are the Giants in a position to pay for immediate help? They may be short on salary cap space, but Pitts’ appeal, at age 24, is that he could also stick around for the long term. Head coach Brian Daboll would surely be OK pairing the big man with Malik Nabers, giving Russell Wilson an added safety valve for an offense sorely lacking secondary playmakers over the last few years. Assuming this link-up would extend beyond 2025, Pitts’ arrival would also bode well for Jaxson Dart, the presumptive quarterback of the future.

In the last three years, the 24-year-old Pitts has not come close to his 68-catch, 1,026-yard rookie season. In 2024, he had just 47 catches for 602 yards (12.8 yards per catch), albeit he did have a career-best 4 touchdown catches.

The Giants have 24-year-old Theo Johnson entering his second season. He showed promise last season with 29 receptions in 12 games before suffering a season-ending Lisfranc injury. They also have Daniel Bellinger, who will be 25 in September, Chris Manhertz and seventh-round pick Thomas Fidone II.

One factor to consider is that the Giants are already without a 2026 third-round pick, having given that up when they moved from No. 34 to No. 25 in the 2025 NFL Draft to select quarterback Jaxson Dart. It seems unlikely the Giants would want to surrender their second-round pick, meaning they would enter the draft without a Day 2 selection.

My vote on the idea of trading for Pitts would be a strong “no.” How about yours? Vote in teh poll and let us know.

Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/6/...rade-suitor-for-atlanta-falcons-te-kyle-pitts

 

[New York Giants]

Third-round pick Darius Alexander signs rookie contract with Giants

Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images

Only fourth-round pick Cam Skattebo remains unsigned

And then there was one.

Defensive tackle Darius Alexander, a third-round pick, signed his rookie contract with the New York Giants on Monday. That leaves running back Cam Skattebo, a fourth-round pick, as the only member of the seven-man draft class who is unsigned.

Alexander was the first player chosen in Round 3, No. 65 overall.

Per Over The Cap, Alexander’s contract, slotted by the Collective Bargaining Agreement, is a four-year deal worth $6.762 million with a signing bonus of $1.557 million. Alexander’s 2025 base salary will be $840,000 and his 2025 cap hit will be $1.229 million.

Before the signing of Alexander, Pro Football Focus showed the Giants with $3.952 million in cap space.

Whenever Skattebo signs, his contract will fit under the Giants’ current cap. The Giants, though, will have to make some cap moves in order to have money to operate throughout the 2025 season.

Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/6/...s-alexander-signs-rookie-contract-with-giants

 

[New York Giants]

Trade suggestion would beef up New York Giants’ offensive line

Alijah Vera-Tucker | Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images

Would Alijah Vera-Tucker look good in blue?

In the never-ending effort to offer GM Joe Schoen suggestions for ways to upgrade the New York Giants’ offensive line, Pro Football and Sports Network has an intriguing idea. PFSN has proposed a trade for New York Jets’ guard Alijah Vera-Tucker.

PFSN says that the Giants “should not be content with the depth chart as it currently stands.”

Of Vera-Tucker, a 2021 first-round pick by the Jets who will be 26 this season, PFSN writes:

Guard Alijah Vera-Tucker could be an intriguing addition if the New York Jets, who are currently facing a dilemma, are willing to deal with their neighbors.

The Jets have a roster full of talented players nearing the end of their contracts. New general manager Darren Mougey must make tough decisions about which young standouts to extend and which to let go. And among those with trade potential, Vera-Tucker stands out as a viable candidate.

After two injury-shortened seasons, Vera-Tucker finally stayed healthy in 2024 and performed well, allowing a 1.74% pressure rate. Still, he logged fewer than 450 snaps in each of the two previous years, so reliability could be a concern.

The Jets also can’t pay everyone, so they’ll need to decide how valuable Vera-Tucker is because he could command decent trade value.

Valentine’s View​

This is something I do not believe will happen. I would not, though, be upset if it did.

At right guard, the Giants have 35-year-old Greg Van Roten and a group including Evan Neal, Jake Kubas, Aaron Stinnie and perhaps rookie Marcus Mbow trying to take that job. Best-case scenario, Neal wins the job and becomes a better than average guard. Worst-case, Van Roten is still the best the Giants have and his pass blocking (7 sacks, 35 pressures allowed in 2024) continues to be an issue

At left guard, Jon Runyan Jr. is a perfectly average starter. Entering his age 28 season, though, Runyan has no guaranteed money remaining on his three-year, $30 million contract. Maybe the Giants will want to try and upgrade.

Vera-Tucker started at left guard for the full season in 2021, his rookie year. In 2024, he started for the full season at right guard. He has also played a handful of snaps at the tackle spots.

Pro Football Focus grades are not, as I always caution, the be-all and end-all in determining player performance. The fact that Vera-Tucker has graded in the 70s, with a career-best 77.7 grades in 2024, tells us, though, that he is a good player and might still be getting better.

Vera-Tucker’s pass protection (4 sacks, and career-bests in pressures allowed — 16 in 619 pass-blocking snaps — and pass-blocking efficiency (98.3%) was also the best of his four-year career in 2024.

The catch, of course, would be price. The Giants have only six picks in the 2026 NFL Draft and do not have a third-round pick after the trade up to select Jaxson Dart.

Is Vera-Tucker a player you would be interested in, Giants fans?

Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/6/...umors-alijah-vera-tucker-new-york-giants-jets

 

[New York Giants]

Veteran placekicker Graham Gano has ‘looked good’ this spring

Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Gano has had back-to-back injury-plagued seasons

After two injury shortened seasons, one of the questions surrounding the 2025 New York Giants is whether they can — or should — rely on 38-year-old placekicker Graham Gano.

Special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial said Thursday morning that the way Gano finished the 2024 season makes him believe they can.

“His last three games I saw the Graham Gano that he holds himself to that standard, and then I saw him there, too. It was good to see him end the season in kicking form,” Ghobrial said. “And he’s looked good. Year 17, a guy that’s done it at a high level for a long time. There is a lot of respect that guy has just obviously entering the building and when you see the way he approaches the game.”

Gano played in just eight games in 2023 before undergoing season-ending knee surgery. In 2024, a hamstring injury suffered while trying to make a tackle on a kickoff return cost him seven games.

Gano made 9 of 11 field-goal attempts last season, including going 3 for 3 the final two weeks of the season. He made a 53-yarder in the season finale against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Gano was considered a potential cap casualty earlier in the offseason. The Giants could save $4.415 million against the cap with only $1.125 million in dead money. At this point, the Giants don’t appear inclined to go that route.

Ghobrial, though, said that Jude McAtamney, who kicked in one game while spending the season the practice squad, could “absolutely” force a placekicking competition.

“I think if you’re on this roster, no matter what position you play, you’re competing. You’re competing to win the job,” Ghobrial said. “I think everybody will have a fair chance winning whatever job it is, whether it be the kicker position or any other position.

“But I would say that Jude has shown a lot of promise even from last year kicking in a game. You obviously see the leg talent, you see the leg strength, all those things that amount to being a good kicker in this league.”

Still, the job appears to be Gano’s to lose. Barring another long-term injury, he probably won’t.

Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/6/...icker-graham-gano-has-looked-good-this-spring

 

[New York Giants]

Giants’ John Michael Schmitz considered a bottom-tier starting center

Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images

Schmitz has shown improvement, but that needs to continue

Two years into his NFL career, John Michael Schmitz of the New York Giants is considered a bottom-tier NFL starting center.

In a ranking of the starting centers for all 32 NFL teams, Pro Football Focus ranks the 2023 second-round pick No. 26.

PFF says:

Although the former second-round pick hasn’t quite lived up to expectations, he did show growth during his second season. After posting just a 41.4 PFF overall grade in his rookie season, Schmitz earned a 61.4 mark this past season.

Schmitz’s improvement from Year 1 to Year 2 bodes well for his potential. His pass-blocking grade rose from 26.9 in 2023 to 50.2 in 2024 — still not good enough, but an indicator of progress. His PFF run-blocking grade also increased by nearly 16 points, another good sign.

“I love playing next to John,” veteran guard Greg Van Roten said recently. “He’s a really, really smart center and I think he’s taken steps every year and hopefully this year, year three, you want to take another step. You want to be the guy and I think he is the guy, and we’ll just keep going.”

The Giants need Schmitz to keep getting better. He hasn’t yet truly justified being a second-round pick, and 2025 might tell us if he ever will.

Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/6/...mitz-considered-a-bottom-tier-starting-center

 

[New York Giants]

Survey results: Giants fans can’t wait for Week 1

Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images

Most Giants fans have the season opener circled

As of this writing, there’s a little over 13 weeks left until the New York Giants take the field for the first time in the 2025 regular season.

The Giants face a schedule that is, at least on paper in June, daunting. However most Giants fans seem eager to start the season.

This week we asked the Big Blue View community which of four potentially consequential games you have circled on your calendar.

• Week 1 at the Washington Commanders
• Week 3 vs. the Kansas City Chiefs
• Week 13 at the New England Patriots
• Week 18 vs. the Dallas Cowboys

The response was clear: Giants fans want Washington.

In setting up this poll, I tried to pick out games that could have compelling storylines around them. But while the minority of fans were pretty evenly split between the games against Kansas City, New England, and Dallas, the overwhelming majority have Week 1 circled.

And it makes sense. We’re in the season of hope, and Week 1 should be our first chance to see Russell Wilson, Abdul Carter, Darius Alexander, and Cam Skattebo on the field. The Giants will get to test themselves against a division rival that played in the NFC Champhionship, and prove that they’re better than they’re given credit.

And the chance to, perhaps, start Jayden Daniels sophomore season on a sour note is compelling as well.

The Giants aren’t expected to win the game — not that they’re widely expected to win many games at all.

It’s still early yet and a lot can change over the coming months. But FanDuel Sportsbook lists the Giants as 6.5-point underdogs on the road against Washington.

That, however, also illustrates just how rapidly life can change in the NFL.

A year ago, Giants fans had the Washington games circled as likely wins on the calendar, sneering at an offensive line coached by former Giants’ OL coach Bobby Johnson and expecting the rookie QB to be an overmatched sitting duck.

Washington’s turnaround shows just how quickly a team can change their fortunes if everything lines up. And that’s exactly what the Giants are looking to do in 2025. They’re hoping that quarterbacks more willing to push the ball down the field can unlock the potential on the offense. Likewise, they’re counting on heavy investment on the defensive side of the ball to drive a return to form on that side of the ball.

If the Giants are going to stun the NFL, there’s no better time to start than Week 1, and Giants fans are looking forward to it.

Of course, I was only able to list four games in our original poll. Which of the 17 games are you looking forward to the most?

Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/6/7/24444656/survey-results-giants-fans-cant-wait-for-week-1

 

[New York Giants]

Who will lose the Giants’ musical chairs game at edge defender?

Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Actually, there don’t have to be any losers

Leading up the 2025 NFL Draft, as it became clear that neither Cam Ward nor Travis Hunter was likely to be on the board when the New York Giants picked at No. 3, discussion shifted to whether the Giants would select Abdul Carter. Carter was the consensus No. 3 on most big boards and supposedly one of the few “generational” talents in this draft.

The discussion did not center so much around Carter himself but rather on Kayvon Thibodeaux, a previous No. 5 pick who has been a good but not great player and whose fifth year option had not yet been picked up by GM Joe Schoen. The signing of free agent Chauncey Golston in March only added to the questions about whether Schoen would pass on Carter and pick up Thibodeaux’s option, or choose Carter and decline Thibodeaux’s option.

The answer, as we now know, is that he took Carter (thank you, best player available philosophy) AND picked up Thibodeaux’s option. That didn’t end the questions, it only changed them to: Who’s going to start on the edge opposite Brian Burns and how will defensive coordinator Shane Bowen find snaps for both Thibodeaux and Carter? (Because Giants fans and the press corps never run out of questions about Giants players.)

Quoting from Ed’s article the other day about Shane Bowen, Bowen’s response to that was:

“You got three guys for two spots when you look at it from the outside in. It’s a really good problem to have,” Bowen said. “Got three really good players, three really talented players. Two of them that have done it in this league at a high level.

“Again, I think that’s something from a staff standpoint that we’re working through trying to find a way. Ultimately we want to get our best 11 on the field, whatever way we got to maneuver to do that. We got to find ways to get the guys that can impact the game on the field.”

Really, though, it’s a surprising controversy for this particular franchise to have, given its history. Here are the Giants’ primary edge defenders during their 21st Century Super Bowl “window” years (2000-2011). A “starter,” indicated in boldface, is anyone who started at least half the games that season:

Data courtesy of Pro Football Reference

Early in the 21st Century, the Giants had two clear “starters” on the edge: Michael Strahan plus one of Cedric Jones, Kenny Holmes, or Keith Washington on the other side. Osi Umenyiora was a second round draft pick in 2003 but only started one game that year and seven the following year.

Things got interesting in 2005, though. The Giants drafted Justin Tuck in the third round, but he only a started a total of three games in his first three seasons, as Strahan and now Umenyiora were entrenched as the starters. That wasn’t a problem for Tuck, though - he managed 10 sacks despite only starting two games in 2007, and of course he didn’t play like a backup against Tom Brady in the Super Bowl. By that year the Giants actually had three starting edge defenders: Strahan, Umenyiora, and Mathias Kiwanuka, who had been drafted in the first round in 2006 and started beginning in Game 7 of his rookie year.

Memory fails me, but I don’t think I heard many complaints about the Giants using a third and a first on edge defenders in 2005-2006 when they already had Strahan and Umenyiora. It seems to have paid off. Drafting Tuck in 2005 was understandable, since Strahan was nearing the end of his career. Kiwanuka (whom the Giants took at No. 32 after trading down from No. 25) was more of a surprise, not least to him. From Giants Now:

(Kiwanuka) explained he could not have been more shocked to end up with Big Blue on draft night.

“I just knew they weren’t going to pick me, to be honest with you,” Kiwanuka said about the night he was drafted. “I met with them maybe the shortest of any of the teams that were interested at the combine. I knew they had Osi (Umenyiora), they had (Justin) Tuck, they had (Michael) Strahan. There were just a lot of guys on that team already…

If you’re too young to remember that era, we can look at the present. Think of two teams that the Giants play regularly whose pass rush bothers them. Here’s one, the Philadelphia Eagles. Let’s look at who rushed the passer the most on that team last season:

Courtesy of Pro Football Focus

Five different edge defenders rushed the passer 179 or more times last season, and they’re not obscure names: Josh Sweat, Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, Bryce Huff, and Brandon Graham. How did defensive coordinator Vic Fangio do it? Not so much by moving them around - collectively they only had 90 snaps over or inside the tackle (DL alignment columns on the right in the figure above). He just did it by substituting and keeping them fresh: The number of snaps per game played by each were:

• Josh Sweat: 821 snaps in 21 games (39 per game)
• Nolan Smith: 755 snaps in 20 games (38)
• Jalyx Hunt: 343 snaps in 15 games (23)
• Bryce Huff: 298 snaps in 14 games (21)
• Brandon Graham: 324 snaps in 12 games (27)

They were part of the line that sacked Patrick Mahomes seven times in the 21st game of the season. Sweat along had seven pressures and three sacks.

Another bane of Giants offenses has been the Dallas Cowboys. Here are their 2024 numbers:

Courtesy of Pro Football Focus

Dallas’ pass rush wasn’t as diverse as Philadelphia’s, but they still had three different edge defenders rushing at least 290 times and five at least 120 times. The number of snaps played by each were:

• Chauncey Golston: 790 snaps in 17 games (46 per game)
• Micah Parsons: 694 snaps in 13 games (53)
• Carl Lawson: 402 snaps in 15 games (27)
• Marshawn Kneeland: 255 snaps in 11 games (23)
• DeMarcus Lawrence: 167 snaps in four games (42)

Golston’s use was more varied than anyone else on the Dallas or Philadelphia defensive lines: He played 211 snaps over tackle and 84 in the B-gap. The Cowboys used their three leading edge defenders more liberally than the Eagles did, especially Micah Parsons, who averaged 53 snaps per game for the 13 games in which he was healthy.

Now here are the Giants’ 2024 numbers:

Courtesy of Pro Football Focus

Like the Eagles, the Giants did not line up their edge defenders anywhere except outside the tackle, other than a handful of plays. Of course, now Chauncey Golston is a Giant and that may change. Unlike the Cowboys, Burns and Thibodeaux were the only edge defenders to rush the passer at least 200 times, though Azeez Ojulari was not far from 200. The Giants edge numbers were more like those of the Eagles, but in fewer games, implying that Burns and Thibodeaux were on the field a lot more. Here are the Giants’ snap totals:

• Brian Burns: 865 snaps in 17 games (51 per game)
• Kayvon Thibodeaux: 593 snaps in 12 games (49)
• Azeez Ojulari: 391 snaps in 11 games (36)
• Tomon Fox: 207 snaps in 10 games (21)

Let’s imagine that Abdul Carter replaces a combined 20 snaps of Burns’ and Thibodeaux’s playing time, plus that of Tomon Fox, while Chauncey Golston replaces Ojulari’s 36 snaps per game. That would give each player close to 40 snaps per game, a more reasonable burden to place on them over the course of a 17-game season (or longer) and close to what Philadelphia asked of Sweat and Smith last season. Of course Bowen might also play Carter some at off-ball linebacker, the position he primarily played in his first two years at Penn State. Bobby Okereke played every snap or close to it in the majority of Giants games in 2024, so getting him some rest in 2025 might be an attractive option to Bowen.

If the scenarios above were to occur, then the question of who the Giants’ starting edge defenders are would be a moot point - and that would probably be best for the chances of the Giants’ defense being successful. Just ask Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, Mathias Kiwanuka, and Jason Pierre-Paul.

Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/6/...e-giants-musical-chairs-game-at-edge-defender

 

[New York Giants]

New York Giants have multi-year Jaxson Dart development plan

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images

Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka talks about “touchpoints” at different stages

It should come as no surprise that the New York Giants have an extensive, long-range plan for what the development of rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart should look like.

The Giants constantly referred to a very intentional evaluation process they used during a two-draft cycle that finally led them to the decision trade up and select Dart No. 25 in the 2025 NFL Draft. That was a process GM Joe Schoen called both “extensive” and “exhausting.”

Moments after the Giants drafted Dart, head coach Brian Daboll told media that “the process of developing a quarterback is just that.”

It is a process Daboll and quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney went through successfully with Josh Allen during their time with the Buffalo Bills.

As quarterbacks coach and eventually offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs, Giants offensive coordinator/assistant head coach Mike Kafka was involved in the early years of the development of Patrick Mahomes.

Dart may never be Allen or Mahomes, and it would be unfair to put the burden of that expectation on the 22-year-old. He does, though, have the benefit of a coaching staff that has been hands-on with the process of guiding the early-career growth of arguably the best two quarterbacks currently playing the game.

The Giants are never going to lay out step-for-step their plan, timeline or expectations for getting Dart ready to play.

During a session with media at last Thursday’s OTA, though, Kafka pulled back the curtain a bit while responding to a question I asked about how lessons from his work with Mahomes can be applied to helping Dart.

“I think whenever you draft a quarterback early, you want to have a plan or some semblance of a plan or schedule put in place to understand that it’s not really a one-week [plan]; it’s a six-month, one-year, two-year type plan for really any player,” Kafka said. “For any player you get you want to see what that player is going to be at some point in the distance, six months, 12 months, 18 months in the future, where his progress is and where he should be. That way, along the way you can evaluate is he on schedule? Is he a little bit further behind? Do we need to add or subtract certain things?”

Kafka called them “touchpoints.”

“That’s no different for any position. For the quarterback, that’s what you try to put together. I’m not going to get into the details of that plan, but that’s what you want to look for,” Kafka said.” You try to put those touchpoints on, okay, is he at this point come training camp? Start of the season, where is [he] with protections or assignments? Things like that. We try to put together a little checklist and a plan for every player, and the quarterback is no different.”

Thus far, we have seen Daboll hovering near and communicating with Dart on the field as much as possible during practice while Kafka handles the play-calling. Kafka had that role his first two seasons with the Giants, but Daboll assumed that responsibility a year ago.

“Right now, whatever Dabs needs me to do, that is what I’m going to do,” Kafka said. “If he needs me to call plays, if he needs me to communicate with the quarterback, if he needs me to do certain things. I am going to do whatever he asks me to do.”

Kafka did admit that an offensive coordinator’s involvement with quarterbacks is different than that of being a position coach.

“Just being the quarterback coach, you’re in that room with them. You’re coaching them just on the specific job of the quarterback versus the offensive coordinator putting the whole picture together for the Qs,” Kafka said. “Being in those meetings with the quarterbacks and explaining my intent for a play or my vision for what that play could be or what the offense could look like and how we’re going to attack certain things, just being out in front of that with the quarterbacks is always good information.”

Kafka added that the Giants’ trio of veteran quarterbacks — Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, and Tommy DeVito — are good influences on the rookie.

“The great thing about having those veterans is you don’t have to – they’ve all been young players – you don’t have to egg them to do anything outside of what they normally do,” Kafka said. “They’re naturally really good teammates, really good people, really good preppers. Their study habits.

“For Jaxson, it’s about getting around those guys, seeing how they work, seeing how they ask questions, seeing how they are in the meeting room, seeing how they interact in the locker room with the players, the command they have in and out of the huddle.

“I think those are just great experiences to have.”

We will have to see if it all adds up to having a quarterback in place who can lead the Giants’ franchise for the next decade or so.

Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/6/...-have-multi-year-jaxson-dart-development-plan

 

[New York Giants]

Fantasy Football ‘25: A beginner’s guide to the game

Want to make your Sundays more exciting? | Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

Thinking of giving fantasy football a try? Keep reading!

Have you ever played fantasy football? Has your brother-in-law, work colleague, or old college buddy been bugging you for years to join his or her league? Have you resisted because you don’t want to learn a new game or are worried it’ll be too big of a time suck?

Let me try to lure you in. I’m the resident fantasy columnist here at Big Blue View and I’ve been playing fantasy football for more than 30 years. I can say from experience that most people who give it a try enjoy it. Some become real enthusiasts and experts. And all of that is true for both men AND women.

Tens of millions of people worldwide play fantasy football, and it’s grown into a multi-billion dollar industry. People have flocked to this pastime for a variety of reasons. It’s a great way to enhance your engagement with and enjoyment of NFL football, and it provides an avenue to stay connected with old and new friends, co-workers, and family members, regardless of geography. It’s also straight-up fun to play, and easy to pick up.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images
Josh Allen has been top dog in Fantasy over the last five seasons

What is Fantasy Football?​

Believe it or not, fantasy football has been around since the early 1960s, but has really exploded in the last 10-15 years. Over time a variety of forms of the game have emerged. There are daily fantasy games and contests, which are offered by the major online gaming sites, dynasty and keeper leagues where you retain some or all of your players from year to year, and more.

I’m going to focus on the oldest, simplest, and most straightforward version of the game, which is called season-long redraft, or redraft for short. In a redraft league, the competitors draft brand new teams of NFL players every season (typically in late August), and compete against each other throughout that NFL season, with a league champion usually being crowned at the end of the Week 17 games.

The basics​

The basic construct of fantasy football is present in almost all of the varieties mentioned above: You draft a team of actual NFL players across a number of positions, you manage your roster via trades, waiver wire transactions (adds and drops), and weekly lineup decisions, and you compete against your league-mates to determine who has the best team. Points are scored when starting players accumulate statistics. The scoring grids can be customized and vary across leagues, but points typically are awarded when players accumulate yards and catches, or are engaged in scoring plays (touchdowns, two-point conversions, field goals, and extra points).

In most league setups, teams are pitted against each other each week in a head-to-head matchup, and the higher scoring team wins. At the end of the season, the teams with the best records and the otherwise highest-scoring teams make the playoffs, and then face off in two or three rounds of single-elimination play until a champion is crowned.

Here are a few a more odds and ends. Each league typically appoints one manager as League Commissioner to handle the administrative tasks and resolve any disputes. Thanks to modern technology, Commissioners don’t need to do any scorekeeping like they had to in the pre-Internet days. Most leagues collect an entry fee from each team manager, and prizes are awarded to the most successful teams at the end of the season (Champion, Runner-Up, Most total points, etc.). Some leagues impose a penalty or punishment on the last-place team. If you see someone with a really bizarre or embarrassing tattoo, fantasy football could be the cause!

More fun: Participants get to choose their team’s name, and in my experience those can be very funny and/or irreverent. Most leagues have a message board on the hosting platform where you can gripe, brag, take shots at other managers, and generally talk smack. In an engaged league, there can be a lot of extra enjoyment around the edges of the actual games.

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Ashton Jeanty: The newest Fantasy stud?

League size and rosters​

One of the great things about fantasy football is that most of the major platforms that host leagues (ESPN, Yahoo, Sleeper, My Fantasy League, and more) are fairly customizable. The main league that I’ve played in for 30+ years has varied our format and rules to a significant extent, and in a future column I’ll discuss some of the rule changes I think all leagues should consider. In any case, what follows are typical league constructs; but again, your mileage may vary depending on what your league-mates want, and how willing your Commissioner is to allow for customization.

The most common league size is 12 teams, followed by 10 or 14 teams, but redraft leagues as small as eight and as large as 16 exist. It’s rare to have an odd number of teams, since most leagues use a head-to-head format for weekly contests.

The most common starting lineup requirements are as follows: 1 QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, 1 TE, 1 Kicker, 1 Team Defense/Special Team (D/ST), and 1 “Flex”, which can be an RB, WR, or TE. A variation that has become increasingly popular is “Superflex”, where there is a second Flex spot that can be filled with a second QB. A typical bench size is six or seven additional players. Players can only be rostered on one team at a time. D/STs are the full units of an entire NFL team (example: Bills D/ST) and they score points via defensive and special teams TDs, safeties, turnovers, and sacks, with bonuses (or sometimes, negative points) based on points allowed to an opponent.

This all might sound complicated, but it’s actually very simple and easy to follow once the games start.

Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images
Justin Jefferson: Perennial first round pick

Annual player draft, waivers, trades​

Few things are more fun than a fantasy football draft. OK fine, that’s hyperbole. Still, most fantasy footballers will tell you that they really look forward to their annual drafts. It’s like opening day for your favorite team - Hope springs eternal, and each summer, you get to pick the team that you’ll go to war with for the next 17 weeks, as you attempt to crush the competition. YOU are in charge – not some GM or head coach that’s sitting in a luxury box or patrolling the sidelines on TV. That’s a big part of what makes fantasy football so compelling.

Drafts can be held in person, or on an online platform, which has the advantage of allowing your buddy who moved to London the opportunity to play without having to buy a plane ticket. Most leagues randomly select a draft order and use a “snake” format, for fairness. In a snake, the Round 1 draft order is 1-12, then Round 2 reverses to 12-1, and so forth. Leagues that are more evolved and want to reward skill (sorry, I could not resist) use an auction format, where fantasy managers have a set budget ($200 is typical), and take turns nominating players to bid on, with each player going to the highest bidder.

Squads are selected via this draft process, but you’re not done there! You tinker with your roster throughout the season through trades and waiver wire claims (where you drop a player from your roster while adding a “free agent” player that isn’t on anyone else’s roster). Some leagues have lots of trading, and some have very little. Some leagues require that the Commissioner, or a vote of managers, approve all trades (purportedly, to avoid collusion or patent unfairness).

Most leagues run waivers once per week (after which, more adds and drops are allowed), and since lots of managers might want the same player(s), a variety of methods are used to process waivers and award players. Some leagues use a rotation system while others use a priority system that is based on record (worst goes first). More advanced leagues (there I go again, I can’t help it) use a free agent acquisition budget ($100 or $200 for the season is typical) and blind bidding, where the highest bid wins the free agent.

That’s pretty much it. Now you’re ready to play fantasy football!

Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
Yes Big Blue fans: Play fantasy and you can root for this man again...

5 common mistakes made by newbies​

You can win at this game right away. I’ve seen it happen more times than I can count. But there are a few pitfalls that often confront new players. Here’s a short list:

1. Don’t be a Homer. It’s natural to want to stock your fantasy team with players from your favorite NFL team, while avoiding players on that team’s big rivals. Does a Giants fan really want to roster Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels, or CeeDee Lamb? The answer is yes, if you want to win. You have to be as team-agnostic as you can be, to draft for value and maximize the talent on your roster. Learning to deal with the split loyalties that fantasy football requires takes a little time but trust me, you can manage it without losing one ounce of love for your favorite team. Those who find that they can’t, simply stop playing.
2. Waivers are your friend. A lot of new players don’t grasp how important it is to use the waiver wire to add more talent while getting rid of dead wood. All of the following statements are true, every season: NFL players get injured; NFL players see their roles change; significant fantasy producers come out of nowhere; some rookies start slow and come on in the second half of the season; and every NFL team has a Bye week. You need to use the waiver wire, and use it well, to deal with all of that uncertainty.
3. Be wary of snake oil salesmen bearing sketchy trade offers. Experienced players often see newbies as easy marks. Be ready to get some of those “three nickels for a quarter” offers for your best players (especially if they start slow – more on that below). A quick rule of thumb for me is that I want to be the one receiving the best player in a deal, not giving him up, absent exigent circumstances. If you receive an offer and aren’t sure if it’s a fair one, run it by someone you trust before hitting the “accept” button on your platform. Also, while it’s fair to assume that everyone in your league is ethical, always check for the latest news on players who are being offered to you in a trade.
4. Don’t overreact to the start of the season. Even the biggest NFL stars can put up a dud in Week 1. Last season, Joe Burrow had 164 yards and 0 TDs in Week 1, and triple crown winner Ja’Marr Chase had 6 catches for 62 yards and (obviously) no TDs. They both ended up having absolute monster seasons. I can give you dozens of other examples of big stars doing very little over the first few weeks of a season. A common mistake I see newer players make is giving up too quickly (usually via trade) on good players who start slow. There definitely is a time to hit the panic button, but you have to be patient as it’s a long season.
5. Pay attention and do some homework. One of the big advantages that fantasy football has over fantasy games in other sports is that NFL teams only play once per week. Managing a roster is relatively easy. But that doesn’t absolve you of doing at least a little work to stay on top of things, and this is true for both draft prep and managing your team through the season.

You don’t have to read every one of Adam Schefter’s “breaking news” tweets, nor do you need to read a hundred pre-draft articles, but you do need to know what’s going on so that you can make good decisions. It’s pretty embarrassing when you draft a player who tore his ACL or got cut a couple of days before your draft, or when you have a player in your starting lineup who is on a Bye or is listed as OUT with injury. A little bit of research can keep you in the game, and will be rewarded with better chances to win. The good news is that fantasy football information is readily available. I’ll have a lot of preseason draft content and in-season information right here, and there is a ton more out there, both for free and behind paywalls. Do some research before your draft – the game is more fun when you pick a solid team.

That’s it for today – you now have a basic understanding of fantasy football. So go ahead and tell that annoying brother-in-law that not only are you IN this year, but you’re ready to kick ass and take names.

And now that you’re in…keep it here for lots of pre-draft fantasy content throughout the summer. You can click on my name at the top of the article to see all the preseason content I’ve already written for the 2025 season.

Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/6/10/24445664/fantasy-football-25-a-beginners-guide-to-the-game

 

[New York Giants]

Giants, Jets will hold joint practices before Week 2 preseason game

Aaron Glenn | Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Jets’ coach Aaron Glenn says each team will host a practice

New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn revealed on Tuesday that the Jets and New York Giants will hold a pair of joint practices before their August 16 preseason game.

“Looking forward to that,” the Jets’ rookie head coach said.

The Jets will hold joint practices this summer with the Giants pic.twitter.com/z7ZieY0NqY

— Jets Videos (@snyjets) June 10, 2025​

Giants coach Brian Daboll had said at the start of OTAs that the Giants were “working through” organizing joint practices and would have an announcement “in due time.”

Now, Daboll won’t have to make an announcement.

Joint practices with the Jets were always the only ones that made sense.

The Giants open the preseason in Western New York against the Buffalo Bills. While there are obviously relationships between the two staffs, the Bills have already committed to joint practices against the Detroit Lions.

The Giants face the New England Patriots in their third preseason game. The Giants and Patriots meet in Week 13 of the regular season, so joint practices between the two teams were never realistic.

The Giants practiced once at the Jets’ facility in Florham Park last season.

Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/6/...-joint-practices-before-week-2-preseason-game

 

[New York Giants]

Giants Reacts Survey: What storyline are you most interested in for minicamp?

John Jones-Imagn Images

Minicamp starts next week. What are you looking forward to?

The New York Giants 2025 mandatory minicamp is coming up, signaling the next ramp up in the offseason program.

This year is going to be a pivotal one for the Giants as they try to emerge from the doldrums that have defined the last decade. They have a young team that hopes to prove that they’re as talented as anyone in the NFL, as well as leadership hoping to prove that they deserve their continued employment.

There will be storylines galore over the course of training camp, the preseason, and throughout the regular season. But for now, we want to know: Which story are you most interested in as we take the next step toward training camp?

A) How the Giants use Abdul Carter — Shane Bowen has a bonafide “Good Problem” with the addition of Abdul Carter to one of the best pass rushes in the NFL. Brian Burns had the fourth highest pass rush win rate among edge defenders last year, despite playing through injury. Kayvon Thibodeaux, meanwhile, had the sixth-highest rate of “high quality” sacks* inthe NFL last year. How will Bowen juggle the three pass rushers as well as the eight other players on defense?

B) Jaxson Dart’s development — The Giants are entering a new era of football with the selection of Jaxson Dart out of Ole Miss. Dart has plus physical traits and has shown the ability to generate explosive offense. However, he’s also the youngest quarterback in his class and has little experience in a Pro Style offense. How will the Giants bring him along, and how will he look over the course of the summer?

C) Evan Neal’s transition to guard — Neal’s time with the Giants has been a roller coaster to say the least. He’ll be moving inside to guard as the Giants hope to harness his power and limit his exposure to speed. Will Neal stay at left guard (where he once played at Alabama), or will Jon Runyan push him to right guard once he (Runyan) is healthy? And how will Neal adapt to the interior? His strength is an asset, but will his height be a problem? The Giants could certainly use a young long term answer at guard, not to mention for the pick of Neal to finally pay dividends.

D) How the offense changes with Russell Wilson at quarterback — The Giants have fielded one of the most conservative offenses in the NFL over the past several years. They used short passes and RPOs as the basis of their offense, and frequently took the air out of the ball completely late in games. How will that change with a deep passer like Russell Wilson under center? Furthermore, will the snap share change now that all of the skill position players effectively have a blank slate ?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in New York Giants fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/6/...yline-are-you-most-interested-in-for-minicamp

 

[New York Giants]

Giants trivia: Your in-5 daily game, Thursday edition

Think you can figure out which Giants player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

We’re back for another day of the Big Blue View in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in the Google Form.

Today’s Big Blue View in-5 game​

If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

Previous games​

Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Monday, June 9, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​

NFL in-5
MLB in-5
MMA in-5

Big Blue View in-5 instructions​

The goal of the game is to guess the correct Giants player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!

Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/6/12/24447921/sb-nation-giants-daily-trivia-in-5