The New York Giants committed to a full rebuild when they replaced Brian Daboll with John Harbaugh and followed through during the 2026 free agency period. After kicking off the month by landing athletic tight end Isaiah Likely, the team also added veterans Tremaine Edmunds and Greg Newsome II to its overhaul, among others.
The free agency class unsurprisingly had a heavy Harbaugh influence, with four former Baltimore Ravens agreeing to reunite with their former head coach in East Rutherford.
The Giants still have a lot of ground to cover, but they have gotten off to a good start in free agency. It is now up to Harbaugh to put all the pieces together in the next few months.
FB Patrick Ricard
The Giants took their time in free agency before coming to terms with the best fullback on the market. New York had not rostered a fullback under Daboll, but Harbaugh is clearly signaling a shift in the team's approach by bringing in Patrick Ricard from the Ravens. Ricard opted to sign a two-year, $7.63 million deal over reported interest from the Cleveland Browns.
The 29-year-old Ricard has spent his entire nine-year career to this point under Harbaugh. He follows his head coach from Baltimore to New York with seven Pro Bowls in the last eight years, despite appearing in just 11 games in 2025.
Ricard will never be a stat-stuffer, but he is a game-changing backfield blocker, both in pass-protection for Jaxson Dart and as a lead run-blocker for Cam Skattebo. Ricard's smashmouth play style embodies everything Harbaugh brings to the table and perfectly aligns with the culture shift Dart and Skattebo began in 2025.
Grade: A+
WR Darnell Mooney
Roughly one week after signing Isaiah Likely, the Giants went out and got Jaxson Dart another athletic pass-catcher by signing Darnell Mooney on a one-year, $3 million deal. Mooney can earn up to $10 million in incentives, but the deal is an excellent, low-risk, high-reward find by the front office.
While Mooney is coming off a disappointing season that led to his release from the Atlanta Falcons, he is just two years removed from a 992-yard season and has a 1,000-yard campaign to his name. Mooney's career year came in 2021 with the Chicago Bears under then-head coach Matt Nagy, whom the Giants poached from the Kansas City Chiefs as Harbaugh's offensive coordinator.
Still just 28, Mooney is in the best possible situation to rediscover his top form with Nagy and potentially emerge as the Giants' much-needed complement to Malik Nabers. If not, his guaranteed rate barely makes a dent in the salary cap.
Grade: A
WR Calvin Austin III
Before signing Darnell Mooney, the Giants added another speedy gadget player earlier in free agency by giving Calvin Austin II a one-year, $4.5 million deal. The Memphis alum joins the team following three years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, during which he compiled 1,100 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
As a shorter slot receiver, Austin's frame and play style allow the Giants to potentially mimic some of the success they had with Wan'Dale Robinson in 2025. But after a breakout 2024 season, Austin regressed with just 372 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 2025, while losing snaps to Roman Wilson and Adam Thielen.
Robinson's departure opens up a potential spot in the starting lineup for Austin, the team's lone true slot receiver. The odds of him remaining in that role and being effective throughout the year appear slim to none.
Grade: C
WR Isaiah Hodgins
After welcoming him back to the organization midway through the 2025 season, New York retained Isaiah Hodgins with a one-year, $1.2 million deal. Hodgins' career has produced a myriad of results to this point, but he always seems to be there when the Giants need him most.
While nostalgic fans will always remember Hodgins for his 2023 playoff run, he was ineffective with the team during his 2025 return. Despite starting five of his seven games due to injuries, during which he played 76.9 percent of the offensive snaps, Hodgins ended the year with just 115 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Perhaps he rediscovers the fire that sparked his Linsanity run under the Harbaugh-Nagy regime, but Hodgins likely caps out as a depth piece who will have to fight for his roster spot in training camp. His contract is still no risk to the Giants and at least provides Jaxson Dart with some stability amid an offseason full of change.
Grade: B
TE Isaiah Likely
The Giants' biggest signing of the 2026 offseason was a reunion from Harbaugh's days with the Ravens. New York made its biggest splash in free agency by bringing tight end Isaiah Likely over from Baltimore on a massive three-year, $40 million deal.
Despite recording just 307 receiving yards in 2025, Likely is now one of the league's highest-paid tight ends, with his $13.3 average annual salary the fifth-highest among the position, per Spotrac. While fans have always seen the athletic potential in Likely, his high price tag remains a significant gamble on a player who has never started more than nine games in a single season.
Likely's athleticism still makes him an intriguing addition to Jaxson Dart's receiving room, and he joins the team with familiarity with Harbaugh's offense. Likely's potential in a full-time starting role is mouth-watering, but the Giants are paying him at his ceiling. His contract will either look like a genius investment or a grave mistake by Week 7.
Grade: B-
OG/OT Joshua Ezeudu
The Giants are bringing nearly their entire offensive line back from last season, beginning with reserve Joshua Ezeudu. The 26-year-old has started eight games in his four years with the team and returns to East Rutherford on a one-year, $1.3 million deal, slightly above the veteran minimum.
After beginning his career on a low note, Ezeudu was a league-average tackle in 2024 before missing the entire 2025 season due to a calf injury. The Giants still had interest in retaining him in 2026, where he will likely begin the year as a third-string tackle behind second-year Marcus Mbow.
New York could still invest in another tackle in the 2026 NFL Draft, which would put Ezeudu on the chopping block entering training camp. His low guaranteed rate still provides little risk, particularly for the minimal role he will be asked to play. As long as the injury is behind him, Ezeudu is an experienced and versatile blocker whom the team chose to re-sign after releasing James Hudson III.
Grade: B-
OG Aaron Stinnie
The Giants brought back another reserve offensive lineman by re-signing Aaron Stinnie on a one-year, $1.49 million deal that includes $62,500 guaranteed, per Dan Duggan of ‘The Athletic.' Stinnie's low guaranteed rate makes it clear that he will have to fight for his spot on the roster in the offseason.
Stinnie, who has started four games for the Giants in two years, posted a 62.7 player grade on Pro Football Focus in 2025, 56th among 137 guards rated on the site. As far as backup guards go, Stinnie is a solid hand whom the organization trusts to at least push its incoming rookie class.
The Giants have one starting guard spot open after choosing not to re-sign Greg Van Roten in free agency. Expect that spot to be filled in the 2026 NFL Draft, with Stinnie competing against Evan Neal, Bryan Hudson and Reid Holskey for the backup job.
Grade: C
OT Jermaine Eluemunor
One of the few positives of the Giants' dismal season was their offensive line, which finally ended years of woeful production in 2025. In response, Joe Schoen is keeping the unit together by giving Jermaine Eluemunor a three-year, $39 million contract.
Eluemunor emerged as one of the best right tackles in the league in 2025 in his second year with the Giants. His 14 penalties were an issue, but Eluemunor's 12 pressures allowed were his fewest since becoming a starter with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022.
However, as important as it was to retain Eluemunor up front, his contract is still a significant investment in a 31-year-old who has been up-and-down throughout his career. But given how poorly the Giants' offensive line has been recently, they had to stick with what worked and pay Eluemunor the money he deserves.
Grade: B-
OT Evan Neal
Many Giants fans might have wanted to see the Evan Neal experience end, but the former first-rounder returns to the team on a one-year, $1.2 million veteran minimum deal. Neal was unlikely to receive much interest in free agency, and the new coaching staff reportedly saw untapped potential in him that made them excited to bring him back.
After attempting to switch to guard last season, Neal no longer has a definitive position. It remains unclear whether John Harbaugh intends to use him as a guard or revert him to his original position at tackle. Either way, Harbaugh and Matt Nagy were intent on bringing him back as a depth piece.
In what is likely his final chance, Neal is being gifted a fresh start while remaining with the same organization that drafted him. Although his upside is severely limited, Neal's contract is no risk to the team, and he remains a top cut candidate before final rosters are announced.
Grade: C
LB Tremaine Edmunds
Linebacker was among the Giants' biggest positions of need in the 2026 offseason, and they chose to address it by replacing Bobby Okereke with Tremaine Edmunds. New York signed Edmunds, who had just been released by the Chicago Bears, to a three-year, $36 million contract.
While Edmunds and Okereke are similar in age, the former has been a much better run defender throughout his career, which is where the Giants have struggled. New York allowed the second-most rushing yards in 2025, while ceding the most yards per carry in the league. Edmunds' 81.1 PFF run defense grade was the 16th-highest among linebackers last season.
Edmunds slowed toward the end of his eighth season, but he still averaged a career-high 8.6 tackles per game. As risky as giving $36 million to a ninth-year linebacker might be, Edmunds was about as good an option the Giants had in free agency to address their run defense woes.
Grade: B
LB Micah McFadden
While Joe Schoen opted to move on from Bobby Okereke, he brought back Micah McFadden on a one-year, $3.7 million deal. McFadden led the team with 107 tackles in 2024 before suffering a season-ending broken foot in Week 1 of the 2025 season.
Had he not broken his foot on the first game of the year, McFadden was likely destined for his third consecutive 100-tackle season. He ended the game with three tackles, one pressure and one quarterback hit on just 11 defensive snaps.
McFadden's injury is concerning, but he was arguably New York's best linebacker before going down. While reaching for McFadden would have been a mistake, retaining him on a near-minimum deal was a no-brainer. The former fifth-round pick is still just 26 years old and should return to the Giants' starting lineup in 2026.
Grade: A+
CB Greg Newsome II
The Giants needed another starting cornerback after losing Cor'Dale Flott to the Tennessee Titans, and found their answer in Greg Newsome II. Newsome joins the team by signing a one-year, $8 million deal after spending the majority of the 2025 season with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Newsome began his career as a promising young cornerback, but he has failed to live up to his potential. The 25-year-old is coming off a season in which he allowed 641 receiving yards and five touchdowns, both the highest of his career, while breaking up just two passes.
While Newsome struggled in the Jaguars' man-heavy defense, the Giants have hope that he will return to form under defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, who deployed mostly zone coverage schemes in his time with the Titans. Fans might have hoped for a better haul, but if Newsome can even become a league-average starter, his $8 million salary would look like a bargain.
Grade: B-
S Ar'Darius Washington
Ar'Darius Washington was among the Giants' first signings in 2026 free agency, also making him one of the first former Ravens to follow John Harbaugh to New York. Washington inked a one-year, $3 million deal after spending the first five seasons of his career with Harbaugh in Baltimore.
Washington appeared in only four games last season due to a torn Achilles, a devastating setback for him in a contract year. However, he is not far removed from a career year in 2024, during which he posted 64 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, eight pass breakups and two interceptions in 10 starts. Washington has also been a stout special teams contributor throughout his career and will help the Giants replace the production they lost when Dane Belton signed with the New York Jets.
Washington's signing is a solid B+, with the only question mark being his injury, and has the opportunity to look like a bona fide A+ by the end of the year.
Grade: B+
S Elijah Campbell
The Giants added another defensive back in free agency by giving Elijah Campbell a one-year veteran minimum deal. The former undrafted free agent joins Harbaugh's inaugural team after five seasons with the Miami Dolphins, primarily as a special teamer.
As a versatile special teams contributor, Campbell's signing also helps the Giants replace the value they lost with Dane Belton's departure. Campbell's below-average speed and recovery will always prevent him from earning meaningful snaps at safety — he received a career-low 29.8 PFF player grade in 2025 — but his energy on special teams will hopefully help the team improve on its bottom-10 special teams coverage numbers.
Campbell is far from a lock to make the roster, even with the Giants' thin safety depth in 2026. The odds of him outperforming this deal are slim to none.
Grade: C+
S Jason Pinnock
After one season with the San Francisco 49ers, Jason Pinnock is returning to the Giants on a one-year, $1.4 million deal. He spent his previous three seasons with the Big Blue, starting 32 games in 2023 and 2024.
Following consecutive 85-tackle seasons with the Giants, Pinnock's production decreased to 41 tackles in his lone season with the 49ers. However, 24 of those came in his seven starts, with Pinnock also adding a handful of special teams tackles. Still just 26, the former New York Jets draft pick is now returning to the organization with which he had the most success.
Giants fans know who Pinnock is — a high-energy, versatile player with clear coverage limitations. Pinnock, who recorded seven pressures and three sacks in 2024, can be a game-changer when used the right way in specific packages, which is what New York appears to have planned with him. As long as he is not on the field for too long, Pinnock can elevate a secondary that was only mentioned negatively in 2025.
Grade: B
K Jason Sanders
The Giants had no choice but to find a new kicker in the 2026 offseason after the disaster that Graham Gano and Jude McAtamney created last season. Joe Schoen chose to fill that hole with longtime Miami Dolphins placekicker Jason Sanders. The 31-year-old Sanders inked a one-year, $1.425 million deal with only $300,000 guaranteed.
Sanders has had his ups and downs over the years, but he knocked in a career-high 37 field goals at a 90.2 percent clip in 2025. He was a stout 12-for-14 from beyond 50 yards, the area in which the Giants have struggled most recently.
Most importantly, Sanders has been on the field lately, while Gano has not. The Giants are clearly not 100 percent sold on him — Sanders is currently the ninth-lowest-paid kicker in the league — but the team had to make a change. Harbaugh should understand the importance of a reliable kicker more than anyone after just losing his job on a missed field goal.
Grade: A+
P Jordan Stout
Two days after signing Sanders, the Giants brought in another former Raven to be their new punter. Jordan Stout followed Harbaugh to New York with a three-year, $12.3 million contract, giving him the highest average annual salary among punters.
Punting was an issue for the Giants in 2025, with Jamie Gillan finishing in the bottom-four in average yards per punt and net yards. They responded by bringing in Stout, a 2025 first-team All-Pro who led the league with 44.9 net yards per punt in 2025.
Punter signings never ignite a fan base, but Stout has a strong case to currently be the best one in the league. The deal did briefly go viral on social media when his fiancée, Julia Falcioni, posted a video of her celebrating the move with Isaiah Likely's wife, Melanie. Stout has to deliver on his current deal, but he has improved in each of his four seasons and has shown no signs of slowing down.
Grade: A
