New York Giants fans could feel the excitement when they hired John Harbaugh as their head coach in January.
But the Giants roster is still not good enough to make a dent in the NFC East, according to many.
The Giants were picked to finish last in the division for the third straight season, despite coach John Harbaugh's addition, by Bleacher Report's Moe Moton.
Harbaugh, who was hired as head coach Jan. 20 after spending the past 18 seasons as Baltimore Ravens head coach, is expected to raise the culture. But the Giants have finished as a sub-.500 team in eight of the past 10 seasons since Tom Coughlin retired after the 2015 season.
The Giants are Picked to Finish Last in the NFC East Again
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The Giants offense was much improved in 2025, even without Malik Nabers, who sustained a catastrophic knee injury in their Week 4 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
So with no timetable for Nabers to return, and the Giants failing to complement him in any meaningful way, there could be issues with the Giants moving the ball in quarterback Jaxson Dart's rookie season.
"The club has far too many question marks on the offensive side of the ball to feel good about that projection," Moton wrote. "If Nabers isn't ready or is less than 100 percent for Week 1, Darius Slayton and tight end Isaiah Likely could see most of the targets in the aerial attack, but they're unproven as go-to pass-catchers.
"Typically, the club with the most uncertainties in a division sinks to the bottom of it."
Moton noted the Giants' talent-laden defense, which should be much improved in Dennard Wilson's first year as defensive coordinator. Still, it's up for debate whether the 'D' can carry the offense in 2026.
"The Giants defense should be stout with Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter on the edge and the addition of rookie first-rounder Arvell Reese," Moton wrote "[But] the team's potential offensive issues could translate to inconsistencies and scoring droughts."
The Giants Could Improve and Still Finish Last Place
Though they finally escaped a hellacious schedule, particularly to start the season, the Giants are still in the NFC East.
That means New York will have to play the much-improved Dallas Cowboys, perennial Super Bowl-favorite Philadelphia Eagles and Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders twice.
The Giants went 2-4 against the division a year ago, defeating both the Eagles and Cowboys at home. But, of course, only the Eagles have repeated as division champs over the past two-plus decades, and the East looks as competitive as ever.
So the Giants could improve by three or four games, to 7-10 or 8-9, or even compete for a playoff spot and still finish in last place.
