Remember when everyone was ready for the New York Giants to field a league-breaking defense in 2025? Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Dexter Lawrence II were expected to headline a defensive front fit to rival the "Monstars." Paulson Adebo and Jevon Holland were hailed as the solutions to New York's lingering issues in the secondary.
That defense finished as one of the league's worst, especially against the run. While there was no one area to pin the blame, the Giants' linebackers fell significantly below expectation. Bobby Okereke and Darius Muasau struggled to produce stops, marking a clear weakness for Big Blue.
John Harbaugh and Joe Schoen have spent the 2026 offseason on a quest to fix that problem. They've completely overhauled the linebacker room, flipping the group on its head to make what was once a clear weakness into a strength.
Giants' linebackers have dramatically improved during 2026 offseason
New York's signing of Tremaine Edmunds has somehow gone under the radar this offseason, but it could end up being one of the most impactful moves any NFL team has made. The 28-year-old has produced at least 100 tackles in each of his eight seasons in the league. He held down the middle of the field for the Chicago Bears for three years, and he's set to do the same in New York.
After posting an 80.6 PFF run defense grade in 2025, Edmunds is the leading force in the Giants' effort to fix their run defense. Assuming he still has enough left in the tank at this point in his career, he'll be a key starter for the G-Men this season.
While Edmunds was the safe, logical addition to the linebacker room, Arvell Reese was the firework show that could shoot the unit up league rankings. New York used the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on the former Ohio State star and surprised analysts with their decision to use him primarily as an off-ball linebacker.
Reese will be a versatile tool for defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, and his elite athleticism should complement Edmunds' more traditional skill set well.
In her breakdown of each position group for the Giants, Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic said, "Anytime you add a first-rounder to a room, the status goes up, and Reese’s versatility should add intrigue to the defense as a whole."
Edmunds and Reese could be the Giants' best starting linebacker duo in years. Look for these two to spearhead a major shift in the team's defensive identity in 2026.
Add us as a preferred source on Google