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Few teams endured more roster changes in the 2025 offseason than the New York Giants, who ushered in a new era after going just 3-14 in 2024. While still early in the transitional phase, the Giants are already optimistic about their 2025 season outlook coming out of minicamp.
The Giants were among the most active teams in free agency, notably signing Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, Jevon Holland, Paulson Adebo and Chauncey Golston. They made even more noise at the 2025 NFL Draft by taking Abdul Carter at No. 3 before trading up late in the first round for Jaxson Dart.
The moves have Giants fans convinced of the team's 2025 season outlook. New York suffered its longest losing streak in franchise history in 2024, but has its fan base as optimistic as it has been in years. The excitement only grew in the spring, as the team reported positive signs from all its new additions during OTAs and minicamp.
Nothing is certain, but New York is destined to win more than three games in 2025. With general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll still on proverbial hot seats, the season will be nothing if not interesting to watch. The Giants still have a lot more offseason ahead, but the roster already appears to be taking shape coming out of minicamp.
Russell Wilson will take Giants back to playoffs
A three-win team might look to make incremental adjustments in its following season, but the playoffs are the goal for everyone involved with the Giants. While Schoen and Daboll desperately need to remind fans how elite their regime can be, Wilson would not waste one of the few seasons he has left on a throw-away year with a team he did not believe had a fighting chance. Wilson does not have a long-term future in New York with Dart around, but he gets another chance to prove he is more than capable of leading a team to the playoffs.
After a failed two-year stint with the Denver Broncos, Wilson rebounded in a more stable environment with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Giants are anything but stable, but it can be easy to forget how remarkable their coaching staff can be in the right situation. Daboll is only three years removed from his Coach of the Year campaign, when he took a dysfunctional New York squad to the postseason in his first year.
From a roster perspective, the Giants have the most talent on their team in over a decade. Malik Nabers gives them a legitimate star pass-catcher for the first time since Odell Beckham Jr., with solid young talent in Tyrone Tracy Jr., Theo Johnson and Cam Skattebo surrounding him.
Despite missing six games and playing in Arthur Smith's run-heavy offense, Wilson still returned to the Pro Bowl in 2024. His days as an MVP candidate might be long behind him, but Wilson will be a significant step up from anything the Giants had under center in 2024.
Giants will be top-five defense
The last time the Giants boasted a top-five defense, they went 11-5 before losing in the Wild Card round back in 2016. In the decade since, New York's defense has become an established doormat of the league, finishing as a bottom-10 unit in five of the last 10 seasons.
If the Giants are not a top-10 defense in 2025, it should be viewed as a disappointment. The front office has invested heavily in that side of the ball over the last few offseasons, allowing everything to align in 2025. With Dexter Lawrence II, Brian Burns, Bobby Okereke, Adebo, Holland and Carter, New York potentially has six Pro Bowl-worthy defenders on its roster.
With Carter, Golston and Darius Alexander joining the 2025 offseason roster, the Giants have arguably the best defensive line in the league. Many forget that New York led the NFL in sacks through seven weeks before everything fell apart in 2024. During that time, Lawrence had the most sacks in the league before suffering an elbow injury, an unprecedented feat for a nose tackle.
The Giants' biggest issue in 2024 was their secondary, which looked much improved in minicamp. Holland and Adebo both showed out, proving themselves as potential game-changing assets. Before joining Daboll's staff, defensive coordinator Shane Bowen thrived in coaching a top-notch secondary with the Tennessee Titans. Schoen added the right pieces in the offseason to allow Bowen to work the same magic in 2025.
Ihmir Smith-Marsette will lead NFL in return touchdowns
Arguably the most underrated signing the Giants made in free agency was retaining wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette, who doubles as the team's return specialist. By the end of the 2024 season, Smith-Marsette took over as the team's top kick and punt returner, wrestling the job away from running back Eric Gray.
Gray still led the team with 21 kick returns, but Smith-Marsette was the far more effective returner. Smith-Marsette averaged 34.6 yards per kick return while returning the team's lone touchdown. His average was the most in the league for any player with 10 or more returns. Conversely, Gray fumbled twice on kickoffs, tied for the most in the league. Smith-Marsette had another touchdown called back early in the year that would have given him two special teams scores.
The Giants brought Smith-Marsette back for one reason, and not to run routes for Wilson. The 25-year-old should take complete control of kick return duties, particularly with Gray not even guaranteed a roster spot. Smith-Marsette, who only started returning punts in 2023 and did not become a full-time kick returner until 2024, will get the opportunity he needs to prove that he is an elite special teamer.
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Since re-signing, Smith-Marsette has gotten off to a hot start in the Giants' 2025 offseason minicamp. The Newark, New Jersey native was singled out as one of the team's top spring performers by ESPN reporter Jordan Raanan. OTAs and minicamp do not involve much special teams, but Smith-Marsette impressed with his speed and dynamic skills with the ball in his hands.
Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton both top 1,000 yards
Despite dealing with one of the worst quarterback situations in 2024, nothing prevented Malik Nabers from bursting onto the scene with a historic rookie season. Nabers recorded 109 receptions for 1,204 receiving yards and seven touchdowns to firmly establish himself as an elite wideout in the league. The ceiling for Nabers is sky-high in 2025, but the Giants are just as excited about Darius Slayton as his complementary option in the passing game.
New York retained Slayton in free agency, bringing him back on a three-year, $36 million extension. The deal keeps Slayton around for his seventh season with the team, four of which he served as the leading receiver. Slayton is not elite by any means, but is far more consistent than many realize. Despite fluctuating in and out of the lineup throughout his career, Slayton has topped 700 receiving yards in four of his six seasons in the league.
Slayton entered the league in the same draft class as Daniel Jones, connecting the two for their entire careers to this point. However, with Wilson now calling the shots, his ceiling only increases. Slayton has the best chance to produce a career year with Wilson, even working behind Nabers.
Wilson has supported multiple 1,000-yard receivers before, doing it twice with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett on the Seattle Seahawks. As a deep-threat specialist, Slayton is the perfect complement to Nabers. His play style also aligns with Wilson, who has a penchant for uncorking long balls, much more than Jones.
Despite having a much better run game on paper in 2025 than 2024, the Giants will still likely be forced to throw. The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders both improved in the offseason. New York joins them in chasing the Super Bowl LIX champion Philadelphia Eagles.
Cam Skattebo notches 10+ rushing touchdowns
Tyrone Tracy Jr. will still command the backfield in 2025, but Cam Skattebo will give him a run for his money. Given their contrasting play styles, the duo will likely complement each other more than they will compete for carries. Skattebo, whom the Giants drafted in the fourth round, should immediately assume a role as the team's primary short-yardage back.
He is not the tallest running back, but Skattebo's 215-pound frame holds together like a Mack truck. Skattebo ran in 21 touchdowns as a senior at Arizona State. His energy and physicality nearly single-handedly carried the Sun Devils to their first College Football Playoff appearance. Despite losing to Texas in the second round, Skattebo was named the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl MVP.
By drafting Skattebo, the Giants addressed a massive need for a bruising, short-yardage rusher. Neither Tracy nor Devin Singletary fit the bill, as both struggled between the tackles in 2024. Skattebo is not a day-one starter but will be the team's primary option in the trenches.
The Giants' offense should significantly improve in 2025, leading to more scoring chances. With more red-zone drives and goal-line opportunities, Skattebo will have his chance to be a crucial part of the offense right away. With the ball in his hands, Skattebo has a fullback mentality and could lead the team in touchdowns as a rookie.
