Can NY Giants ILB Micah McFadden Take His Game to Next Level in Contract Year?

Among the few rare gems on the New York Giants roster, it’s hard to find one that has produced at such an incredibly high level on the defensive end as inside linebacker Micah McFadden has done in consecutive seasons wearing the blue.

When McFadden stepped onto the scene in Rutherford three years ago as a late-round draft choice, he was handed the large task of filling in one of the two top voids at the position that were created when the Giants gutted their linebackers room after the 2021 season. 

The underrated prospect out of Indiana would have no fears about jumping into that role on the Giant's defense, though. Following a modest rookie year with the franchise, he has completely elevated his game and risen to become one of their top producers, serving as the No. 2 linebacker alongside veteran and team captain Bobby Okereke. 

McFadden has earned his way into that role by being an absolute ball magnet. He boasts excellent football IQ and knows how to dissect an opponent’s plays before the snap to get right to where the ball carrier is projected to be, and that has helped him garner two consecutive 100+ tackle campaigns that have been within the top three players on the Giants' defense. 

As instrumental as he can be in bolstering the Giants’ run response and being a significant voice in the huddle, McFadden hasn’t shown as much progress with other areas, such as coverage and finishing his tackle attempts. He has owned the team’s highest total of missed tackles over the last two seasons and has allowed opposing receivers to make their payday in the middle of the field. 

If the Giants want to have greater success on defense in 2025, eliminating miscues on the basics will be a must, and it’s even more important for the players that they rely on to get the job done on Sundays. McFadden has gone from being a fifth-round gamble to that level of player in the Giants locker room, and he needs to work on these factors to remain a stalwart for the long-term future. 

He has more than earned an established spot on the roster and will continue that into this season, lest any untimely injuries befall him this summer because he brings value to both defense and special teams, where he built up a workload as a coverage man. 

That said, if another young talent steps up in their development and shows enough growth to give McFadden some competition as the season progresses, his firm seat within the core of the Giants defensive room could start to lose its legs.

Micah McFadden, ILB

Height: 6-2
Weight: 232 lbs
Exp: 4 Years
School: Indiana
How Acquired: D5-‘22

2024 in Review

For a player who didn’t have a fully established starting role when he joined the Giants in 2022, Micah McFadden has fully blossomed into one of the constant presences within the muddle that ensues on every play. 

After almost doubling his tackle production in year two, he once again soared back above the century mark to stand high atop the organization’s leaderboard at the end of his third season last fall. 

While he was only available for 14 games this season due to missing a couple of starts for a hip injury, McFadden appeared in 668 total snaps, with the bulk of that coming on run defense (334). He tallied a new career-high 107 tackles (60 solo) that led the Giants and top three in back-to-back campaigns and added eight tackles for loss, three sacks, one forced fumble, and one pass deflection. 

In terms of his broader pressures, McFadden had 11 total, including two hits and five hurries. He also collected 41 stops at the line of scrimmage, which led the linebacker position and earned him a 66.0 run defense grade for his second season, surpassing that number.

The 25-year-old started the season off with a bang in Week 2 against the Washington Commanders when he made a season-high 13 tackles and recorded a sack to keep the Giants close in what was a tough 21-18 loss in the division. 

McFadden would record double-digit tackles in four more contests and three of them in New York’s last five games of the schedule against the Buccaneers, Saints, and Ravens. 

Outside of the season opener, the Week 14 matchup with New Orleans would mark his highest-graded performance on the ground with an 84.5 grade and six stops at the line of scrimmage. 

Despite his dominance in the tackle column every Sunday, McFadden ran into some concerning trends with his coverage and tackling form. He improved slightly from the 20.7% missed tackle rate he earned in 2023 but still finished with a 13.7% score with 16 missed takedowns that led the position group. 

It was also an open season with McFadden in coverage as his opponent reception percentage jumped up to 86.5% while he allowed 32 catches for 298 yards, one touchdown, and 162 yards after the catch. 

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Contract/Cap Info

McFadden is entering the final year of his four-year, $4.015 million rookie contract, which includes a $355,708 signing bonus prorated to $88,926 per year. 

For this year, McFadden will earn a base salary of $3,406,000, a cap hit of $3,494,926 (thanks to performance escalators). He would have a dead money cap value of $88,926 (his signing bonus). 

2025 Preview

The New York Giants must be excited about the prospects of having their two veteran leaders, Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden, return from injuries and solidify the interior of the second level. 

Without them, the team’s run response simply isn’t as strong, and the lack of battle-tested experience was a detriment to their results against the run late in the season. 

After the Giants were able to rotate McFadden out for Isaiah Simmons in select nickel packages on early downs, the latter player is no longer with the franchise, and that should allow McFadden to have an unimpeded workload. He hasn’t proven to be a competent defender in coverage in his early career, though, and must improve in that area, as well as his ability to finish tackles. 

It’s never a good sign for a key producer on any NFL defense to be whiffing on as many tackles (46) as McFadden has been responsible for in three seasons with the team. 

The Giants have Darius Muasau right behind them and are yearning for a larger role within the defense, which he earned late in the 2024 season due to injuries and performed admirably against the run. 

That isn’t to say he will test McFadden for the starting role. Still, any further negative trends in the basics of football for the elder linebacker could force defensive coordinator Shane Bowen to look in Muasau’s direction to plug up the problems that have been slowing down ball carriers in New York. 

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