Giants Wire
The new league year is just around the corner and that means the official start to free agency. The early frenzy is inevitable and with a spike in salary cap, the New York Giants promise to be very active from the onset.
In addition to quarterback, general manager Joe Schoen will also be poking around several other markets. Positional needs include offensive tackle, guard, interior defensive line, cornerback, and safety.
The Giants also need improved depth at nearly every position, and could also find themselves looking for a wide receiver if Darius Slayton is not re-signed.
ESPN’s Matt Bowen recently evaluated the top 50 impending free agents and determined what would be the best team fit. The Giants accounted for three of those beginning with safety Jevon Holland.
A year after allowing Xavier McKinney to sign with the Packers in free agency, the Giants could try to grab the best safety on the 2025 market in Holland. He has the multidimensional traits to impact all three levels of the field for a Giants defense that needs a difference-maker at safety. New York had five interceptions last season, fewer than all but one other team (Browns). In four pro seasons with the Dolphins, Holland has five interceptions, 16 pass breakups, five forced fumbles and five sacks.
Although Holland is an ideal candidate for the secondary-starved Giants, it’s become apparent that Schoen is resistant to paying safeties big money. Even after a down year in 2024, Holland won’t come cheap.
Bowen also believes the Giants will target a guard over a tackle and lists Teven Jenkins as a “best fit.”
The Giants could fill their right guard vacancy with Jenkins, a 2021 second-round pick for Chicago. Drafted as a tackle, Jenkins has had multiple injuries in his career, as he has played in only 38 of a possible 68 career games. However, he has the tools to drive defenders off the ball in the run game and he had a pass block win rate of 92.0% last season. He’d boost a poor OL in New York.
Given that many of the Giants’ offensive line issues stem from injury and a lack of continuity, signing an oft-injured starter may not be the best way to allocate resources.
When he’s on the field, Jenkins is an above-average all-around guard. But any time you have to say, “When he’s on the field,” that should raise a red flag. And Jenkins has never played a full season in his career.
Finally, Bowen lists quarterback Russell Wilson as an ideal fit for the Giants, but that conversation has become a bit redundant.
*Sitting at No. 3 in the draft order, the Giants are in the mix to land a quarterback with their first-round pick this spring. But adding Wilson would give them some security heading into the draft. In 11 starts for the Steelers, Wilson completed 63.7% of his throws for 2,482 yards and 16 touchdowns. Because of his diminished mobility, Wilson isn’t a...
