Giants DC Breaks Down Tremaine Edmunds' Role in 2026

Tremaine Edmunds was one of the few defensive free agents the New York Giants signed this offseason, and they're putting him in a huge role right from the jump.

Edmunds will, as expected, be the Giants' defensive signal caller in his first season after signing a three-year, $36 million contract, first-year defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson confirmed.

Edmunds just turned 28 in May but was released as a salary-cap casualty by the Chicago Bears in March. He was set to enter the final season of a four-year, $72 million contract he signed in 2023.

In 2025, Edmunds finished 37th in the league with 112 tackles and had 61 solo tackles, plus four interceptions and one sack for the Bears. He helped Chicago win the NFC North for the first time since 2018.

Tremaine Edmunds Will Wear the Green Dot in 2026

Wilson is not a first-time defensive coordinator, but he appreciates what Edmunds is bringing to that side of the ball as a leader.

"He’s done a helluva job of picking up the defense, to try to get everybody lined up," Wilson told the New York Post. "The players, they enjoy being around him."

Edmunds is a two-time Pro Bowler, who has posted at least 100 tackles in each of his first eight seasons with the Bears and Buffalo Bills. He will replace fellow cap-casualty Bobby Okereke, who was the Giants middle linebacker for the past three seasons.

Dennard Wilson Thinks the Giants Will Be Strong Against the Run in 2026

The Giants targeted Edmunds specifically because of his prowess in run defense. He earned an 81.6 run-defense grade from Pro Football Focus in 2025, the 16th-best mark among 93 qualifying linebackers.

The Giants, of course, finished 31st in the NFL against the run under Shane Bowen, which is what caused them to overhaul their run defense.

They traded Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals for the No. 10 pick, drafted Arvell Reese with the No. 5 pick to complement Edmunds and hired Wilson, who oversaw the 15th-ranked run defense (114.6 yards-against per game) with the Tennessee Titans last year.

Without Lawrence, one of the biggest and nastiest run-stuffers in the game, it seems crazy to think the Giants can improve their run defense. But Wilson has a no-nonsense philosophy he intends to employ.

"We’re going to play fundamental football," Wilson said. "We’re going to build a wall. We’re going to set violent edges, and we’re going to come downhill on the second and third level, and even the corners will tackle."