The New York Giants formed an undeniable strength last offseason when they added Abdul Carter to an edge defender group that already featured Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux. The collection of stars had plenty of fans and analysts expecting big things from Big Blue's defense.
Of course, those expectations didn't quite pan out, but the edge rushers still held their own. Burns was one of the more productive pass rushers in the NFL, and Carter had enough pressures to make fans believe in a year-two breakout.
This offseason, the Giants have leaned even harder into building their defensive identity around their edge rushers. It's the strongest position group on the team, and it's not particularly close.
Giants relying on Brian Burns, Abdul Carter to turn defense around in 2026
In a recent article, Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic ranked every position group on the Giants' roster heading into the 2026 season. The edge defenders were at the top.
Carroll said, "This was a no-brainer. The OLB unit is far and away the strongest position group on the Giants roster, in large part due to major investment over the last few seasons."
As Carroll mentioned, Burns and Carter were incredibly productive last season. Burns had 16.5 sacks, and Carter's 66 pressures led all rookies by a wide margin.
General manager Joe Schoen has made sure that he has plenty of talent on the edge, drafting players at the position even when it wasn't a clear need. Burns and Carter form one of the strongest edge duos in the NFL, yet Schoen still doesn't seem eager to trade away Kayvon Thibodeaux.
While the group lacks depth beyond those three, it rivals any unit in the NFL in talent at the top.
Rookie Arvell Reese, while technically an off-ball linebacker, should help add a new element to the Giants' pass rush. He spent over half of his defensive snaps in his final year at Ohio State on the defensive line. In Dennard Wilson's "positionless" system, Reese will likely spend some time as an edge rusher.
This unit is an obvious strength for the G-Men. As we saw last season, it won't be enough to singlehandedly lead a competent defense. But with significant improvements in other areas, the Giants should be able to field a strong group highlighted by their star edge defenders. With better tackling and coverage behind them, Burns and Carter could take another step forward in 2026.
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