You do not have to look too hard to see league insiders think Isaiah Likely will be key player this year for the New York Giants. Coming over in free agency, Likely is joining John Harbaugh in New York with lofty expectations after signing a three-year, $40 million contract.
Likely believes this offense will finally allow him to showcase the full range of his abilities after spending four seasons sharing opportunities in Baltimore.
“I feel like New York was just the best place for me to pick to be able
to blossom, show my talents, and show that I’m a top tight end caliber player in this league now,” Likely said.
Today’s Giant news
1 Word to Describe the Pre-Camp Vibe of All 32 NFL Teams | Bleacher Report
New York Giants: Regenerated. New venerable coach, intriguing young weapons at the offensive skill positions gearing up for breakout seasons, and a defense that has been rebuilt. This franchise should feel rejuvenated.
Kyle Van Noy: Harbaugh will return toughness to Giants
The success stories and cautionary tales staring down Jaxson Dart entering critical second Giants season | New York Post
Samuel Butler might never have called an audible in the face of a blitz, but the English novelist wrote that “life is the art of drawing sufficient conclusions from insufficient premises.”
The basis for a lot of preseason hype about the Giants is that Jaxson Dart is about to make a significant jump because a football adage tells us quarterbacks make their biggest improvements between their first and second seasons.
Can Giants’ Arvell Reese win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year? | The Record
The Giants have not had the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year since Lawrence Taylor in 1981. Reese’s best fit in the NFL from jump is exactly where the Giants are planning to play him: next to Tremaine Edmunds and in the middle of the defense. He can attack gaps from the weak side, turned loose to chase plays sideline to sideline by using his 4.46 speed. Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia put him in a position to read and react, then see it and go, and Reese gave nightmares to the opposition. That’s how the Giants will use him, too.
“To me, Arvell Reese was the best player in the draft, and I think a part of that is the hybrid nature of all the ways he can impact your defense,” The Athletic draft analyst Dane Brugler said. “And I think some people see that, and they’re a little scared off by, ‘Oh well, he doesn’t have a true position.’ This isn’t a tweener. And there’s a big difference between being a tweener and then being versatile.”
Who fell out of the NFL top-10 positional rankings in 2026? | ESPN.com
Isaiah Likely, New York Giants (8): Likely played less in 2025 than 2024 because of a mix of injuries and the Ravens’ positional depth. He went for 307 yards and one touchdown, then followed former Ravens coach John Harbaugh to the Giants after signing a three-year, $40 million deal.
Tremaine Edmunds, New York Giants (6): The Chicago Bears released Edmunds despite a season in which he made 112 tackles and picked off four passes. He signed a three-year, $36 million contract with the Giants.
Malik Nabers, New York Giants (7): Nabers was a phenomenon in his rookie season, catching 109 passes for 1,204 yards. He tore his ACL last September and is still recovering, so voters favored receivers whose health was more certain. “He’s easily a top-10 receiver. The knee situation is worrisome, but hopefully he bounces back soon. But he can do everything you need,” an AFC executive said.
Biggest remaining roster issue for every NFC team | NFL.com
Center: Joe Schoen, John Harbaugh and Co. did an excellent job patching up Big Blue’s holes this offseason, even securing a couple viable options to help fill the void left by Dexter Lawrence on the defensive interior. The area of concern for me is center, where John Michael Schmitz remains the projected starter. Schmitz surrendered five sacks and 23 QB pressures last year, per Next Gen Stats, and was also subpar in the run game. Unless he makes a surprise fourth-year jump, he might be a liability in Harbaugh’s new offense.
NFL over/under win totals: Predictions and best bets for all 32 teams in 2026 | The Athletic
Giants over 7.5 (-110). I like to avoid crowds the older I get, but there’s no getting away from (blows trumpet) the most popular season-total bet of them all. Offensive guru Brian Daboll was pretty incompetent as the Giants’ coach and hit the bricks, and in walks Super Bowl winning coach John Harbaugh. He is going to have to tone down Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo — and hope Malik Nabers is back to full strength — but Harbaugh did bring along tight end Isaiah Likely to help.
Harbaugh is also being gifted a nasty pass rush on defense. A big reason why I like this one so much is I also plan to get down on Abdul Carter at 50-1 as Defensive Player of the Year. He had more maturity issues than sacks (four) as a rookie last season, but the 18 QB hits and 66 pressures were impressive.
From Big Blue View
- Giants training camp: Isaiah Likely needs to have breakout year on offense
- Summer scouting: Is Ole Miss DT Will Echoles a future Giant?
From The Feed
NOTE: We will occasionally drop good Feed posts into the links. Your recommendations will help determine that.
BBV mailbag
Have a Giants-related question? E-mail it to bigblueview@gmail.com and it might be featured in our weekly mailbag.
BBV on social media
BBV on X:@BigBlueView
Ed Valentine on X:@Valentine_Ed
Threads: @ed.valentine | Bluesky: @edvalentine
BBV on Facebook: Click here to like the Big Blue View Facebook page
