ClutchPoints
There is a lot to criticize about New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen, but he has so far been on point in his approach to the NFL Draft. The 2025 NFL Draft has recently concluded, but recruiting is a year-round business, with the team’s attention now focused on 2026.
New York left with seven players at the 2025 NFL Draft, led by a pair of first-rounders in Abdul Carter and Jaxson Dart. The class was met with near-unanimous praise from the fan base, particularly with late-round gems Cam Skattebo and Marcus Mbow added to the mix. After nailing his 2024 draft class, Schoen continues to flex his muscles in April, even if he falls short in several other areas.
Each team’s 2026 draft picks remain conditional, but the Giants are slated to enter the upcoming event with seven more picks. New York gave up a couple of selections to trade up for Dart, but regained a sixth-round pick in a deal that sent retired tight end Darren Waller to the Miami Dolphins.
The Giants will have one pick each in Round 1, 2, 4 and 5, followed by three selections in Round 6. However, with Schoen making a draft-day deal in three of his four drafts, it would not be surprising to see that list change before the picks are made.
Despite being a full year away, New York has clear areas to address next summer. With the 2026 NFL Draft already on tap, the Giants need to keep an eye on a few players more than the rest during the 2025 college football season.
The Giants’ linebacking corps is arguably the weakest position group on the roster, and it could get worse in 2025. Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden return to anchor Shane Bowen’s defense, but the latter will enter the final year of his rookie deal. McFadden led the team with 107 stops in 2024, his second consecutive 100-tackle season, and could be in store for a significant pay increase with another strong outing.
If McFadden leaves, veteran Bobby Okereke, who was criticized for his purported lack of effort in 2024, will be the last man standing. Perhaps 2024 sixth-round pick Darius Muasau takes another leap in year two, but Schoen will likely feel compelled to add to the group in the draft.
Texas’ Anthony Hill Jr. is the consensus top linebacker of the 2026 draft class, but he seems out of the Giants’ reach. Many believe Hill will be a top-10 pick in 2026, which, if New York even shows an ounce of improvement in 2025, will not fall in Schoen’s range. Even if it does, the Giants will likely have bigger issues to address than taking a linebacker.
If the Giants target a linebacker in Round 1, Georgia’s CJ Allen figures to be their best bet. After posting 76 tackles as a sophomore in 2024, Allen is a consensus top-three linebacker in the country entering 2025. Allen’s tackle count was...
