The New York Giants have spent most of the last decade fighting to get out of the NFL's basement. They hired head coach John Harbaugh, one of the winningest coaches in league history, to finally get the job done.
The G-Men haven't even played a game under their new coach, and expectations are already shooting through the roof. Multiple outlets have already predicted a surprise playoff appearance for a Giants team that held the No. 5 pick in the NFL Draft.
Bleacher Report analyst Brad Gagnon is the latest to jump on the Big Blue hype train. In a recent article power-ranking every division's last-place finisher from last season, he picked the Giants to make the playoffs as a wild card team.
Giants' 2026 playoff expectations are already getting out of hand
Gagnon doesn't expect the Giants to go from worst to first in the NFC East this season (he expects the Philadelphia Eagles to retain the division title), but he does think the G-Men can finish second.
He said, "Dallas could still have major issues on defense while Washington carries questions on both sides of the ball. The nothing-to-lose G-Men conquer both but fall short of the division title in a close battle with the more experienced and resilient Eagles. They settle for second place but sneak into the playoffs as a wild card."
Gagnon isn't the only one to predict a major step forward for New York in 2026. Colin Cowherd recently compared the Giants to the 2025 New England Patriots, who went on to reach the Super Bowl.
The Giants have absolutely made progress this offseason. Harbaugh is their most proven coach in years, and key additions like Arvell Reese, Francis Mauigoa, and Isaiah Likely should go a long way in improving the roster.
The thought of the Giants making a surprise playoff appearance is far from ridiculous. But it's starting to become a common prediction.
In most cases, rebuilds take time. The G-Men still have a few glaring weaknesses to address and are relying on progression from young players. Without a clear answer on the interior of the defensive line, they risk repeating their horrific run defense from last season. On offense, lingering injury concerns paint an unclear picture of what Jaxson Dart's support system will be to start the year.
While we're excited about what this team could look like in 2026 and could see a surprise playoff run happening, incremental growth is much more likely. We're looking for progress this year rather than a jump straight to contending.
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