The New York Giants are entering a make or break year, and head coach Brian Daboll is on the chopping block if he can’t turn things around quickly. The team had a 3-14 record in 2024, so it would be difficult to do worse in the 2025 season, but they do have the hardest schedule in the NFL, so it’s possible.
But, don’t worry, Giants fans, because there’s a bright light in the team’s camp that will help a lot next season. While having Russell Wilson for at least one season could greatly enhance the team, there’s another player who could help bring the team some wins this season.
In a June 10 piece for PFF, Dalton Wasserman lays out one reason for optimism for each NFL team in 2025. The reasons usually have to do with certain players who are expected to help their teams immensely.
“Every NFL team will enter the 2025 season with a clean slate — no wins, no losses,” he says in the piece. “While those records will shift dramatically in the following weeks, each franchise has some hope of finding success until then.”
The New York Giants Have a Major Asset
For the Giants, Wasserman says the Giants can have hope because they have an elite pass rush, “led by superstar defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and edge rushers Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux.”
Wasserman notes that “the Giants ranked seventh in the NFL in PFF pass-rush grade. In addition to that excellent group, the team added Penn State’s Abdul Carter with the third-overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.” Carter had an elite 92.4 PFF pass-rush grade, with 66 pressures and 13 sacks last season.
Wasserman promises that he and third-round pick Darius Alexander should really help the Giants’ defensive line.
So, the Giants’ defense should be greatly improved in 2025, and that could be critical, especially if coupled with an offense that has Wilson at the helm. Plus, they say defense wins championships. Bring it on.
A Downside for the Giants
On the flipside, Wasserman also has a separate piece out, out June 4, about every NFL team’s Achilles’ heel from the past few season. This is an interesting piece, because it finds the NFL player who has performed best against each NFL team. Some of these players are surprising, including the pick for the New York Giants.
“Whether it’s a rival quarterback shredding them to bits, a wide receiver they can’t lock down or a pass rusher who takes over games, certain teams are unable to solve certain opponents,” he notes.
In the piece, they look at the highest-graded player, offensive or defensive, against each NFL team over the past five seasons. “The only requirement is that said player has to have played at least 100 snaps against a team, effectively ensuring that at least two games occurred between the opponents,” Wasserman states.
For the Giants, it’s edge T.J. Watt. Over two games, he had a high 93.9 PFF overall grade. “As a pass rusher, he generated 13 pressures, two sacks and a 20% win rate,” Wasserman adds. “He also earned a solid 79.9 PFF run-defense grade and notched an interception in coverage.”
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