It's hard to believe that there is a chance, a legitimate chance, the New York Giants are going to be a playoff contender in 2026. After all of the turmoil, frustration, and head-scratching moments over the last decade-plus, it's seemingly all coming to a point.
This offseason, the Giants completely reinvented themselves. In what still feels like a bit of a fantasy, John Harbaugh is the head coach, Darnell Mooney joins a solid -- if unspectacular -- receiver room, Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo are both expected to be healthy to start the season, and chatter of Odell Beckham Jr. returning to East Rutherford is just the tip of the iceberg.
But, even after all of that, which again, is just a small tease as to all of the other big moves and acquisitions made this spring, some doubt that the G-Men did enough to move the needle. It seems some people in the NFL aren't as shook about what's going on in North Jersey.
Giants made all these offseason moves and the league still isn’t impressed
Mike Sando of The Athletic spoke to anonymous NFL executives and got their insight and analysis on how the league really feels. When it came down to the Giants, their responses were pretty shocking, but they could be backed up with some uncomfortable truths:
"We liked Isaiah Likely," one exec said. “They know him well. He is a good No. 2 (tight end). I’ve never been a huge fan of Edmunds. We were looking at linebackers, and that was not someone we spent a lot of time on. Nothing they did really scares you.”
Take a step back and really look at this team. Special teams got an upgrade, on paper. Mooney joins a decent group of receivers, but isn't an ideal WR2. Skattebo ran like a wild beast, fearing no man or obstacle in his path, prior to injury.
Isaiah Likely could step into the spotlight and be the Giants’ best tight end since Kevin Boss and Jeremy Shockey, but he’s never really produced at that level in Baltimore. And now Harbaugh is coaching the New York Football Giants, which comes with more pressure than anything he’s dealt with before.
This team can wow the league and finally bring back some positive football on Sundays. But until it actually happens on the field, it is all just an assumption. And, you know what they say when you assume things. I'll let you fill out the rest.