It remains to be seen who will be making the New York Giants‘ decisions in free agency next spring, but there is at least one player who could ultimately sit atop the organization’s target board in March.
General manager Joe Schoen’s future is likely tied to the Giants’ performance this season, if he hopes to save his job, and few positions making a major leap in the months ahead are more critical than the offensive line.
With the Giants now going on upwards of 15 years trying to build a competent offensive line, Bleacher Report NFL analyst Alex Ballentine suggests Tampa Bay offensive tackle Luke Goedeke could be New York’s ideal free agent signing this offseason.
“Outside of drafting a right tackle in the first round next year,” Ballentine writes of the Giants for B/R. “Getting a player like Luke Goedeke would be a dream scenario. The Giants drafted Marcus Mbow in the fifth round this offseason, but he could be a candidate to kick inside at guard.
“Goedeke is just hitting his prime at 26 years old and continues to show growth at right tackle in Tampa Bay.”
There is little doubt that Goedeke, 6-foot-5 and 312 pounds, would walk into a starting job anchoring the Giants’ offensive line, should they sign him ahead of the 2026 campaign.
Last season, the 24-year-old Goedeke posted a 74.2 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, as the outlet’s No. 25 ranked offensive tackle in the NFL.
An entire season is still ahead, and perhaps this season will finally be the combination along the Giants’ offensive line that sparks the offense making major strides, but, if it isn’t, Goedeke could be a fascinating target to pair opposite All-Pro Andrew Thomas as New York continues to build out its offense.
Giants’ Joe Schoen an Early NFL Preseason Winner
Ishika Samant | GettyVeteran running back Devin Singletary could be a top roster cut candidate for GM Joe Schoen and the New York Giants.
There is a long way to go, but Schoen may be garnering some vindication.
After all, Abdul Carter was spectacularly disruptive against the Buffalo Bills in his preseason debut, and Jaxson Dart looked the part of a competent NFL quarterback while leading a first-half drive capped by a touchdown strike to wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey.
After the Giants’ pair of first-round selections in this spring’s NFL Draft, and who the organization hopes become long-term cornerstone players, Schoen landed on CBS Sports’ list of the biggest winners across the league from the first week of the NFL preseason.
“Joe Schoen arguably has one of the warmest seats for a general manager in the NFL entering the 2025 season,” Tyler Sullivan writes for CBS Sports. “But he may end up saving his job thanks to his pair of first-round rookies. This offseason, New York used its No. 3 overall pick to select Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter, then traded back into the first to bring Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart aboard with the No. 25 overall selection. In their debuts, it’s hard not to like the early returns.
“I ranked Dart as the most impressive rookie quarterback to play in Week 1 of the preseason, and if he continues to flash like this, it’s going to make Schoen look smart moving back up to get him after landing an All-Pro caliber pass rusher in Carter.”
There has been a surge of optimism emanating from Giants camp this summer, but few players will figure more in that optimism translating to wins this season than Carter, and no one matters more to the trajectory of the franchise beyond 2025 than Dart.
If both Dart and Carter continue to build on their solid exhibition debuts this summer and into 2025, Schoen may be able to breathe a little easier come January.
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