Fresh Giants Predictions for NFL Draft, Free Agency with John Harbaugh Reportedly Expected to Be HC

Now that John Harbaugh appears to be on the verge of becoming the New York Giants' next head coach, the organization's focus will shift toward building up the roster in free agency and the draft.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Harbaugh and the Giants are working to finalize a deal that will make him their head coach.

Despite coming off a 4-13 record in 2025, New York has a strong foundation in place that should lead to immediate improvements next season. Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo, Malik Nabers, Brian Burns and Abdul Carter is a nice starting point as long as that group can stay healthy.

Having the No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 draft also gives the Giants the ability to add an impact player, like Utah tackle Spencer Fano, Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy or Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate.

One potential issue for free agency is the Giants currently project to have just $11.9 million in cap space with Jermaine Eluemunor and Wan'Dale Robinson set to hit the market.

Draft Targets

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The top of the draft for the Giants will depend on whether or not they can retain Eluemunor in free agency and how Nabers' recovery from a torn ACL and meniscus progresses.

They had a strong offensive line this season thanks in large part to him allowing the lowest pressure rate among all right tackles in the league (3.3 percent).

If Eluemunor walks, the Giants should pursue Fano. This doesn't look like a strong tackle class, with the Utah standout being the only outside offensive lineman in the top 20 overall players on B/R's big board.

Fano is the Giants' selection in the latest mock draft from B/R's NFL scouting department.

Given the severity of Nabers' knee injury, as well as Robinson's pending free agency, the Giants wouldn't be wrong if they targeted someone like Tate early in the draft. There's often a lot of depth at receiver, allowing the club to wait until day two to pursue someone like Indiana's Elijah Sarratt or Tennessee's Chris Brazzell II.

It also wouldn't be a surprise if the Giants tried to trade down from the No. 5 pick to add more draft capital later on. They don't currently have a third-round pick as a result of their trade with the Houston Texans in the 2025 draft to move back into the first round to select Dart.

Free Agent Targets

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Giants fans will notice in the draft section that I didn't include a defensive lineman, even though it was patently obvious the biggest issue they had in 2025 was stopping the run.

New York finished last in the NFL in EPA per rush (0.13) and 31st in total rushing yards allowed (2,470).

It wouldn't be a surprise if the Giants went after a run-stopping defender early in the draft, but free agency seems like a quicker way to ensure improvement in that area.

The dream scenario would be to add Denver Broncos star John Franklin-Myers because he has been a disruptive force in the run and pass game, with the versatility to play on the inside or line up outside. He has recorded 33 quarterback hits and 14.5 sacks over the past two seasons.

Given how expensive Franklin-Myers will likely be, the Giants' cap situation makes it seem doubtful they will be a match.

A lower-cost option who isn't as impactful as Franklin-Myers but would help solve the issues against the run is Sheldon Rankins. He has been a consistently solid starting interior defender, with the exception of the 2024 season when illnesses impacted his performance with the Cincinnati Bengals.

After signing a one-year deal with the Houston Texans last offseason, Rankins rebounded with nine quarterback hits and three sacks in 17 starts this season.

David Onyemata is an older free agent, as 2026 will be his age-34 season, but that could work to the Giants' benefit since he might only be able to get a short-term contract.

Despite his age, Onyemata was very effective in a specific role for the Atlanta Falcons this season. He ranked ninth among all defensive tackles in ESPN's run-stop win rate metric.