The New York Giants bolstered their roster during the 2025 offseason. Adding the most talented pass rusher in the draft and trading back into the first round for a potential franchise quarterback is enough to get any fan excited. Unfortunately, a few glaring needs remain, and if we're already looking ahead to the 2026 NFL Draft, it's not hard to see where Joe Schoen and the Giants will focus.
The Giants have several roster weaknesses that instantly come to mind. Despite the three-year, $36 million contract they handed Darius Slay, they desperately lack receiver depth outside of Malik Nabers, and the tight end group was underwhelming in 2024. And while the Giants may have found a diamond in the rough with slot cornerback Dru Phillips, former first-round CB Deonte Banks hasn't come close to living up to lofty expectations.
But the most glaring way-too-early 2026 draft need for the NY Giants is right tackle.
The New York Giants are expected to have a glaring hole at right tackle in the 2026 offseason
Two years after striking gold on Andrew Thomas with the fourth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the New York Giants thought they found their bookend offensive tackles of the future when they selected Alabama star with the seventh overall pick. Now, the chances of Neal becoming anything more than a respectable starter feel like a pipe dream.
Neal struggled mightily in his first two seasons. By his third season in 2024, the Giants weren't in the business of sitting around and waiting for things to get better. They handed free agent offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor a two-year, $14 million contract to play right tackle—a move that forced Neal to kick inside to offensive guard.
Now, as the Giants prepare for their 2025 training camp, Neal is listed as a backup guard while both he and Eluemunor are set to have expiring contracts after the 2025 season. Unsurprisingly, New York elected not to pick on the fifth-year option on Neal.
If no changes are made between now and the start of the 2026 offseason, the Giants will be back down to just Andrew Thomas and no other notable names at the position. With the investments made into the position, this isn't what fans want to hear, but it's the sad truth.
By next season (if not sooner), Jaxson Dart is expected to be the team's starting quarterback, and the Giants are going to need to give him protection to be the impressive passer from the pocket they drafted him to be. Dart won't be afforded a clean pocket unless the Giants fix their offensive line.
Given their concerning salary cap projection in 2026, the Giants are most likely to address this need with one of their top selections in the 2026 NFL Draft. Though it's impossible to tell at this stage where the Giants will be picking, Tankathon.com has them claiming the 4th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft based on projected win totals. If this proves to be the case, they would also hold the 36th overall pick in Round 2.
If the New York Giants have another underwhelming season in 2025, we can probably already assume that the offensive line was an issue. And after this year, they may have no choice but to take another stab at finding the bookend tackle to pair with Andrew Thomas in the 2026 NFL Draft.