NFL players may get to take a bit of a break at the bye week, but coaches don't. As the New York Giants take their bye, John Harbaugh and his staff will be spending their time evaluating the first seven weeks of the season; every position, player, and decision will be under intense scrutiny.
If Big Blue's coaches are evaluating their team's progress, why not do a bit of grading ourselves?
The Giants still have plenty of work to do before the end of the season, but a week without football gives us a chance to check in with each position group. Consider this a progress report of sorts, with room to grow all around.
Grading every New York Giants offensive position group at the bye week
Quarterback: B
There's a lot to unpack here, but in a word, New York's quarterback room has been encouraging. If we ignore the Jameis Winston games, Big Blue ranks third in the NFL in EPA per pass. Jaxson Dart had the offense looking as explosive as ever in Week 1, and J.J. McCarthy's first start has fans believing in an NFC East title.
We're not taking five McCarthy quarters as a license to book Super Bowl tickets, but all things considered, New York's quarterbacks have been better than expected.
Running back: C+
The Giants' running back room has been on a rollercoaster this season. Cam Skattebo was benched in Week 6 for his fumbling issues, but his Week 7 bounce-back was crucial in a win. Through all the ups and downs, the G-Men have still had an average rushing attack.
As Harbaugh has repeatedly made clear, nobody has taken the starting job by the horns yet. If Harbaugh isn't satisfied with his current backfield, we may see a trade for a new starter before the upcoming deadline.
Wide receiver: B-
If we were to break this position group down into individual player grades, it would go something like this: Malik Nabers gets an A, Malachi Fields gets a B, and everybody else gets an F.
New York's attempt to rebuild its wide receiver depth this offseason has mostly fallen flat. Darnell Mooney is the only offseason signing still standing at the position, and he's been underwhelming. If not for Isaiah Likely, the passing attack would be too one-dimensional to be effective.
Tight end: A-
Speaking of Likely, he might be the most pleasant surprise on the Giants' offensive roster this year. He's second among all NFL tight ends in receptions, even after a dud in Week 7. His impact on third downs has been a huge factor in Matt Nagy's offense.
Theo Johnson has struggled to stay healthy, and he hasn't made much of an impact when he's been on the field. The Giants probably still need another in-line tight end, but Likely has given them a quality pass-catcher from the slot.
Offensive line: B
New York's offensive tackles have been excellent. After the first seven weeks of the season, Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eluemunor have a real claim to being the best offensive tackle duo in the NFL. Even rookie J.C. Davis has been impressive when filling in for Thomas.
The interior has been a bit shakier. Francis Mauigoa is struggling to find his footing, John Michael Schmitz Jr. has already been benched for Bryan Hudson, and Jon Runyan Jr. has been thoroughly unimpressive.
Grading every New York Giants defensive position group at the bye week
Defensive line: B+
After getting almost nothing from his pass rush in the first few games of the year, Dennard Wilson's defense has produced eight sacks in its last four games. Abdul Carter is making the leap fans expected from him, even if Kayvon Thibodeaux isn't holding up his end of the bargain.
Thanks to DJ Reader, the Giants have been competent in run defense. It's not an impenetrable front by any means, but Big Blue has gone from last in EPA per rush in 2025 to 27th in 2026. It's an improvement.
Linebacker: A
Relative to expectations, the Giants' linebackers have been more impressive than any other position group on the roster. Of course, the conversation starts with Arvell Reese. He's been the best rookie in the NFL so far, regardless of position. The former Ohio State star seems to have improved each week.
Tremaine Edmunds is set to miss the rest of the season with a chest injury, but Micah McFadden did an admirable job of filling in for him against the Texans. If McFadden can't hold up, this grade could change significantly by the end of the year.
Cornerback: C+
Deonte Banks is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. Greg Newsome II and Paulson Adebo have been either banged up or underwhelming for most of the year, and Colton Hood has been reduced to a special teams role after a rough stretch on defense.
Still, Banks has done enough to paint a positive outlook for the future of this group. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Giants look to bring another cornerback in over the bye week, either through a trade or free agency addition.
Safety: B
Like the cornerback room, Big Blue's safety group has been defined by one player: Jevon Holland. The veteran's turnover production has slowed in recent weeks, but the Giants wouldn't be where they are in the playoff picture without him.
The rest of the safety room has been a bit disappointing. Tyler Nubin struggled before his neck injury and seems to have lost his starting job after it. Jason Pinnock was an improvement in coverage, but his weakness in run defense isn't sustainable.
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