What has two thumbs, instantly restored respect to the New York Giants, and might be the best thing to happen to this franchise in a decade? That’d be Big Blue’s new head coach, John Harbaugh. The vibes around this team haven't been this optimistic in a while, and a lot of that might actually have to do with what the New England Patriots just pulled off.
Although head coach Mike Vrabel and the Pats ultimately got mollywhopped into another universe in the Super Bowl, the roadmap is obvious: find the quarterback, hire the right head coach, build the team around both, and get everyone pulling in the same direction.
It’s way too early to say the Giants’ locker room is fully bought in on Harbs, but from the outside looking in, it already feels different. In his (definitely) way too early power rankings for 2026, Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano has the G-Men entering the season 19th, up from his previous ranking of 25th:
"If they’re right about QB Jaxson Dart, then it’s a short leap for them to at least respectability. Because they have talent that has underachieved. And now, with John Harbaugh, they finally have a capable head coach."
John Harbaugh has the Giants acting like a real NFL team again
Holding down the fort at 19 in the power rankings is actually an awesome spot to be in for the G-Men, especially considering how 2025 went. It's the perfect amount of expectation -- not too much and not too little -- for a team that has yet to go through free agency or the draft.
What we do know is the Giants will have options. There’s a clear route to opening up a ton of cap space through restructures and cuts, plus the fifth pick in the 2026 Draft sitting there waiting to be used on a high-end prospect.
For free agency, Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum makes sense as a free-agent target, same goes for his teammate, tight end Isaiah Likely. Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce could be an interesting pickup, as well.
When it comes to the No. 5 overall pick, it's truly anyone's guess, but there won't be a shortage of choices there, either. Three receivers could be in play -- Carnell Tate (Ohio State), Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State), and Makai Lemon (USC). Defensive backs could be the move with Harbaugh now in the room -- LSU's Mansoor Delane makes sense, as does OSU's Caleb Downs.
All of this is to say that before any of that even potentially happens, the perception of the Giants is already changing. Underutilized talent finally looks like it’s going to be put in positions to succeed, and that alone has this team feeling set up for a level of stability it never had under past regimes.