After a dismal 2024 season, the New York Giants could be in for another brutal season in 2025.
After going a franchise-worst 3-14 last season, the Giants enter the 2025 campaign with the NFL’s toughest strength of schedule. Three of their first four opponents this season are playoff teams from last year. While New York managed to put together a strong offseason—drafting Penn State standout Abdul Carter and trading up to select their potential franchise quarterback, Jaxson Dart—it won’t be smooth sailing for Big Blue in 2025.
Even though it may be another lost season for the G-Men, there’s one aspect of this Giants team that should give fans something to be excited about once the season starts.
Giants pass rush labeled as key reason for 2025 optimism
In an article for Pro Football Focus, Dalton Wasserman sees the Giants' pass rush as a reason to be optimistic for fans this season.
"Led by superstar defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and edge rushers Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, 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," Wasserman wrote.
"Carter earned an elite 92.4 PFF pass-rush grade while accruing 66 pressures and 13 sacks last season. He and third-round pick Darius Alexander should bolster New York’s defensive line in a big way."
On paper, the Giants’ defense could be one of the league’s best by the time this season is over. With Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Dexter Lawrence already established as NFL stars up front, the addition of Carter and third-round pick Darius Alexander should make this unit even better.
Lawrence, the veteran of this group, is coming off a career-high nine sacks last season, and Burns tallied 8.5 sacks in his first year with Big Blue. Despite an injury-plagued 2024 season, former first-round pick Thibodeaux is just two years removed from posting 11.5 sacks in 2023. The talent is still there for Thibodeaux.
As for the two rookies, Carter is coming off his best season at the college level, recording 12 sacks for the Nittany Lions in 2024—a career high. As for Darius Alexander, even though he wasn’t as highly touted as Carter during the draft process, the 24-year-old still posted 40 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks last season for Toledo, earning second-team All-MAC honors.
Make no mistake, this pass rush will be a nightmare for opposing teams in 2025. While expectations may be low at the Meadowlands this season, this dominant front will still be a lot of fun to watch and give Big Blue Nation a lot of hope for better times ahead.