Norm Weiss asks: Ed, in your roster projection article you listed Jon Runyan in the “bubble” category. I understand with a $9.25M cap savings and the fact that he doesn’t appear to fit the mold of the mauling inter OL player that Coach Harbaugh wants, but there doesn’t appear to be any enticing options on the current roster. I know it’s highly speculative, do you believe there are any veteran LG options that are likely to become available from other rosters who would provide cap relief and better
fit the mold of a mauling interior lineman?
Ed says: Norm, I don’t know who will become available. If the Giants move on from Runyan, and I did not see any evidence from spring practices that they are considering doing that, it will be because they believe they already have a replacement on the roster. The first few practices of training camp have also not given any indication that Runyan could be in jeopardy.
The most likely 2026 replacement would be Daniel Faalele. He started at right guard for Harbaugh with the Baltimore Ravens the past two seasons, and spent the spring working at both guard spots. He was the only player to take any first-team reps at left guard other than Runyan, and that was just a few.
Philip Green asks: Who is competing to back up JMS at center? I was actually hoping that (Austin) Schlottman would compete to be the starter (without any stats, I thought our running game was better when he started last year), but we lost him to the Titans. I’m very happy with Mbow as the swing tackle and I think Neal and Faalele will have a pretty good competition with Runyan for the left guard spot, but I don’t have any idea what’s going to happen at center.
Ed says: Philip, Lucas Patrick and Bryan Hudson are the players competing to back up John Michael Schmitz. Patrick is a 33-year-old entering his 10th NFL season. He has played in 113 regular-season games, with 65 starts. He has experience at center and both guard spots.
Hudson is a 25-year-old former undrafted free agent who has been on the Giants’ practice squad since laste in the 2024 season.
I would think Patrick is the favorite, but won’t be shocked in Hudson wins the job.
James Carley asks: You and your team have discussed the dynamics of having Nagy, Callahan, and Roman on offense. There hasn’t been much, if any, discussion about the defensive side. BBV has provided comparisons of current D players success/failure under Bowen and Wink, but I haven’t seen comparisons to their work under Bullen, which was definitely a vast improvement. Harbaugh thought enough of him to keep him on the staff, and the players certainly seemed to like him. How will CB impact the defensive scheme and player decisions, and will Wilson partner with him the way Nagy has talked about Callahan and Roman? Do you think that as the D goes this year, so go the Giants?
Ed says: James, I don’t believe the defense is set up the same way as the offense. Nagy, Callahan, and Roman have different strengths that complement each other. They all bring something to the table, and Nagy puts the pieces together.
The defense is Dennard Wilson’s show. Now, I’m sure he has relied on Bullen to help him learn about certain players. I’m sure he is open to suggestions. I think, though, that Wilson was brought in by Harbaugh to run defense the way it was done in Baltimore.
I’m sure Wilson has relied on Bullen to give him information on players, and that the entire defensive staff discusses ideas. I don’t, though, think the dynamic among defensive coaches is the same as it is on offense.
Maybe a year from now Bullen gets to coordinate his own defense.
Peter Smyth asks: I was very offended by the 7/28 Athletics Power Rankings putting the G-men at #28. The reporting seemed cookie cutter and out of date. I’m not asking you to trash a fellow journalist, but how can anyone seriously think we are only slightly better than the very worst teams in the NFL! My question: Is this a sign that the national media is far more skeptical of the Giants than people closer to the team? And if this is the case, where would you rank the team? Even a ballpark would be helpful.
Am I just a Pollyanna-pre-training-camp-fanboy who thinks the team should be ranked in the middle at least? God help us all if we finish 28th!
Ed says: Peter, they are just meaningless pre-training camp power rankings. Relax a little. That said, I was also surprised The Athletic had the Giants that low. We posted a summary of power rankings and the rest had the Giants in the 21-24 range. I think that is fair considering that while the Giants are expected to be better, they have to prove how much better.
Bob Donnelly asks: It’s been said that good teams are built through the draft, especially players selected in the first three rounds. There’s also the notion of players being a good fit for the coaching philosophy. Schoen has drafted 14 players in the first three rounds for the prior coaching staff, 11 of which are currently on the roster, some of whom have not played up to expectations.
As we head into training camp which of the 11 do you view as a good fit for this coaching staff? Looking at the ones that have yet to meet expectations are there any you believe will blossom under the new leadership? How many of the 11 do you see on the ‘27 roster?
Ed says: Bob, let’s quickly go through all 11.
Edge Kayvon Thibodeaux — Hasn’t lived up to his status as the No. 5 overall pick in 2022, but he is a good fit in any defense. He can go forward, backward, is an excellent run defender, and a good but not great pass rusher. Honestly, I think Thibodeaux might be headed for an outstanding year.
Guard Evan Neal — Has the massive body that John Harbaugh loves in interior offensive linemen. He is still working with the third team, meaning he barely gets on the field in practice. A longshot to make the team.
Tackle Josh Ezeudu — Right now, Ezeudu takes second-team reps at right tackle with Marcus Mbow on the left. He has position flex. Offensive line coach Mike Bloomgren seems to like him. He has a chance to stick.
Cornerback Deonte Banks — Dennard Wilson’s scheme asks cornerbacks to play more aggressively than Shane Bowen’s did. That suits Banks. He is making the team.
Center John Michael Schmitz — He is, and will be, the 2026 starting center. The question will come after the season when his rookie contract expires. Will Harbaugh see him as the answer long-term, or will he want a more physically imposing player at the position?
Wide receiver Jalin Hyatt — I will be stunned if he makes this team. That’s all.
Wide receiver Malik Nabers — He fits any team. Do I need to say more?
Safety Tyler Nubin — He is smart and aggressive, and is still working with the first-team defense. He needs to make more plays, though. It won’t shock me if Ar’Darius Washington or Jason Pinnock steals his starting job.
Nickel cornerback Dru Phillips — Honestly, I think Wilson and Harbaugh are going to love Phillips. He is an aggressive run defender and physical player.
Edge Abdul Carter — I believe Carter really could have benefitted from Harbaugh as a rookie. I was told by multiple draft analysts NFL teams knew he had some maturity issues entering the league and needed to have a solid plan to guide him put in place. The Giants didn’t have one, and we know how it went. Carter is going to have a big year.
Quarterback Jaxson Dart — I couldn’t tell you if Harbaugh would have banged the table to draft Dart the way Brian Daboll did. I do know that Dart’s presence is one of the big reasons Harbaugh took the Giants’ job.
Dave Prenske asks: There has been a lot written and discussed about Shane Bowen’s scheme and its lack of fit to the Giants’ personnel. Can you speak to what Bowen’s system was trying to do and what kinds of players would thrive in it? Are there examples of teams that run it or something similar successfully?
Ed says: This is not a question that I felt great about answering myself. The answer below is from BBV’s Chris Pflum:
“As far as the defense, the scheme wanted to be a 1-gap, 7-man front under quarters coverage that used stunts to create paths for the pass rushers. Damn near everyone has it in their playbook, especially since Fangio’s scheme exploded.
“Up front you need guys who can penetrate gaps, have the agility to exchange gaps in stunts, understand where run plays will flow, be able to get there, and be able to defend their gap.
“The back end is more flexible. Quarters coverage has man-match rules, so teams can use man coverage if they have the players for it. In general, the DBs and LBs need to understand the overall structure of the defense, be able to play with their eyes in the backfield, react to the offense, communicate, and be disciplined.
“As far as who does it well: The Patriots.
“Personally, I really don’t think the Giants were at a personnel deficit outside of linebacker (after Okereke’s back injury and losing McFadden). I think the Giants have the personnel to execute that style of defense, even if a more aggressive “Ravens” style would suit them better. We talked during the season and you mentioned that Bowen had a rep as someone who isn’t a “details” guy, and that’s really where the devil was for the Giants.
“The problem with running a super common defense is that every offense has tools to beat it. So you need to execute perfectly. The Giants’ were great at forcing 3rd downs, but terrible at getting off the field. IMO, that’s down to their talent getting them there, but their execution letting them down.
“I think it worked in Tennessee and works in NE because Vrabel makes sure the execution is excellent in a way that Daboll didn’t.”
Thanks, Chris! The only thing I would add is that the Tennessee Titans, with Vrabel and Bowen, also ran the defensive scheme well.
Doug Mollin asks: What do you think of The Athletic’s picks for the 6 most indispensable players on the Giants, i.e., who can the Giants least afford to lose:
Thomas – nuff said
Nabers – our one proven dynamic weapon
Dart – not higher because Winston is a very good backup
Burns – the heart of the defense, team leader
Reader – one “sure thing” among the DTs
Carter – being counted on as a game wrecker in 2026
Honorable mentions to: Eluemunor and Adebo
Ed says: Doug, I have no issues with any of that. Some may question D.J. Reader, but he is the most proven run defender on that line and the Giants do not have a proven replacement for him.
Michael Munger asks: wWith all the excitement surrounding Malik Nabers return and as awesome it would be to see him on the field again, I feel that there’s no reason to rush back our No. 1 weapon for Week 1 just because we wanna beat Dallas. I think it’d be more beneficial for him as well as the team if he waited an extra week or two to guarantee he’s 100% and we don’t have to worry about any setbacks. Your thoughts?
Ed says: Michael, the Giants won’t rush Nabers. They know how valuable he is, and they won’t play him until he is ready. If that is Week 1, great. If it is later than that, so be it.
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