Big Blue View
The New York Giants limped to an abysmal four-win finish in the 2025 season, landing at the back end of the top five in the 2026 NFL Draft. The 2025 offseason brought yet another spending spree, as Joe Schoen tried to patch a weak secondary for then–defensive coordinator Shane Bowen — an effort that ultimately failed in year one, but that doesn’t mean it will fail with a new coordinator.
Schoen also added veteran quarterbacks and front-seven pieces for the defense, and he took a jab at swing tackle. Some of these contracts worked out better in year one than others. Schoen also resigned WR Darius Slayton to a three-year, $36 million contract, and Slayton followed it up with his worst season as a Giant; the veteran receiver caught 37 of 60 passes for 538 yards with a touchdown and six drops, most in critical situations.
Schoen also resigned Greg Van Roten, Tommy DeVito, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Jamie Gillan, and Aaron Stinnie. For the returnees in year one, the Giants will receive a C- with Van Roten’s quality contributions bearing most of the weight. Here are the rest of the grades for the 2025 Giants’ free agent class.
Three years, $54-million, $38.5-million guarnteed ($18-million AAV)
Adebo played 759 defensive snaps for the Giants and missed five games with a knee injury. He was their number one cornerback with Cor’Dale Flott operating as a competent number two. The 26-year-old allowed a catch on 66.2% of his targets (49 of 74) for 532 yards (10.9 YPC) and 164 yards allowed after the catch. Adebo surrendered two touchdowns, had three penalties, five passes defensed, and intercepted one pass.
He was MUCH better than Tae Banks in run support, which says nothing, but he was a solid run defender who missed only 9% of his tackle attempts. He finished with 64 tackles and 11 STOPs. Adebo handled the opposing number one wide receivers and executed solid positioning with his zone technique, while staying in phase throughout man coverage.
However, he didn’t make game-changing plays, which was one reason he earned his massive contract. I believe Adebo is a good football player and a capable enough cornerback, one who would ideally be a cornerback two. Still, the defense was worse without Adebo; the Giants surrendered 380 yards (49ers), 391 (Bears), 296 (Packers), and 494 (Lions) yards without Adebo. It may not seem like it, but he was more indispensable than his statistical impact would suggest.
Grade: B
Three years, $45.3-million, $30.3-million guaranteed ($15.1-million AAV)
Schoen’s process of repairing the Giants’ safety position is a massive indictment of the often-besmirched general manager. Schoen let Julian Love walk out the door for $6-million a year, and then Xavier McKinney signed a four-year $67-million contract with the Green Bay Packers. The contract with Holland and McKinney is comparable, and Holland’s was reactionary to losing Love and McKinney. The problem — Xavier McKinney is much better than Jevon Holland.
The process was...
