New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen (left) and head coach Brian Daboll John Jones-Imagn Images

ESPN Gives NY Giants a Respectable Offseason Grade

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Patricia Traina | Last updated Jul 11, 2025 10:00 AM ET

With the New York Giants set to report to training camp in less than two weeks, ESPN’s Seth Walder delivered his final verdict on the Giants’ offseason, giving them a solid grade of “B”.

Walder named the Giants’ trade-up for quarterback Jaxson Dart as its biggest move. Actually, he appeared to like how the Giants stocked up on quarterbacks in free agency with the additions of veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, the latter being a move he singled out as one he liked.

But what Walder didn’t like was the Giants’ signing of cornerback Paulson Adebo.

“Adebo, who suffered a broken femur in Week 7 last season, had strong on-ball numbers over the previous two seasons combined, with minus-49 EPA allowed as the nearest defender, per NFL Next Gen Stats,” Walder said.

“But on-ball production isn't stable from year to year, and metrics that I would consider more important -- such as target rate and yards per coverage snap -- are more worrying. In his limited sample last season, Adebo was targeted 21% of the time (most by any outside corner with at least 250 coverage snaps) and had a high 1.6 yards per coverage snap allowed.”

What Walder didn’t mention was the revamped defensive front, which, thanks to additions such as Chauncey Golston and rookie Abdul Carter, should make the pass rush all the more lethal.

If the Giants can get home more often on the pass rush, even if it’s just to force the quarterback to throw before he’s ready, the concerns about the back end of the defense will hopefully be minimized.

That could be what the Giants are hoping for, which is why they poured so many resources into the unit.

But in keeping with Adebo, the other thing Walder didn’t mention is that the former Saints cornerback has a little bit more experience and success than Deonte Banks when it comes to playing in a zone-heavy scheme, which was likely the reason for the Giants’ interest.

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