New Data Reveals How Giants Roster Building Approach Stacks Up to Super Bowl Winners

Schoen's plan when he was hired was to build a competitive roster via the "draft, develop, and retain" method, with free agency used to supplement it.

But so far, the Giants haven’t done a stellar job of that with him at the helm. All but two of the last ten Super Bowl champions, the 2017 Eagles and the 2019 Chiefs, have ranked worse than the Giants in this category. 

Since Schoen was hired, only four Giants have received multiple-year second contracts from the team: quarterback Daniel Jones, left tackle Andrew Thomas, defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence III, and receiver Darius Slayton. 

Schoen’s predecessor, Dave Gettleman, drafted all four players, and as is well known now, the Jones contract was terminated early. 

To be fair, Schoen’s first draft class isn’t ready for renewals until this year. But if we’re also being fair, he could not reach new deals with safeties Julian Love and Xavier McKinney and running back Saquon Barkley, which were three very big losses at the time.

Will he have better luck with his own draft picks? Of that 11-man group, outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux and receiver Wan’Dale Robinson might have the best chance of getting new multi-year contracts. The rest of the class could see their situations go in the opposite direction.

Free Agency/Trade 54.2% (11th)

The Giants haven’t been too bad in this category. Last year, they landed outside linebacker Brian Burns, who made an impact on the defense. Offensive linemen Jon Runyan Jr., Greg Van Roten, and Jermaine Eluemunor became starters on the offensive line. 

In the offseason, they’ve beefed up the defensive secondary with cornerback Paulson Adebo and safety Jevon Holland. 

They added defensive linemen Chauncey Golston, Jeremiah Ledbetter, and Roy Robertson-Harris to the defensive front. 

They signed two guys (Stone Forsythe and James Hudson III) who have played the position before to compete for the swing tackle spot, and they added a lot of depth on special teams.

When compared to the last five Super Bowl winners, the Giants' ranking in this category does seem to show a gradual shift toward improvement.  

1st Rounders: 11.1% (14th)

The Giants' recent first-round picks under Schoen have been hit-and-miss. Thibodeaux seems to just border on the hit side, while tackle Evan Neal has been a miss. The jury is still out on cornerback Deonte Banks, but the Giants appear to have a massive hit with receiver Malik Nabers.

Only three Super Bowl teams (the 2017 Eagles, 2020 Bucs, and 2024 Eagles) ranked higher than the Giants in this category.

Day 2 Picks: 19.4% (21st)

This is another category where the Giants have struggled to find sustainable talent. Their second- and third-round draft picks (particularly their third-rounders) are mostly missed.

In 2022, Schoen’s first draft, the best of the Day 2 picks is receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, and it’s not close. The third round that year yielded offensive lineman Joshua Ezeudu, who has yet to crack the starting lineup, and cornerback Cor’Dale Flott, who couldn’t hand onto the starting job he initially won last year. 

The 2023 group was worse. The jury is still out on center John Michael Schmitz, and the jury is missing on receiver Jain Hyatt, who saw his snaps and opportunities decline from Year 1 of his career to Year 2.

That leaves 2024, which has been the best yet for the Giants. Second-round safety Tyler Nubin is an up-and-coming star, as is third-round cornerback Dru Phillips, who appears to have snapped a long dry spell of sub-par Giants third-round picks.

The takeaway that can be argued in this case is that it’s easier to hit on the first-round picks than on the Day 2 guys. Those who hit on Day 2 picks have enjoyed success as seven of the last ten Super Bowl teams have ranked ninth or higher (two of which, the 2019 and 2022 Chiefs) ranking first in this category.   

Day 3 Picks/UDFAs: 69.4% (9th)

Surprisingly, the Giants have done better than the last ten Super Bowl teams in this category, which is even more challenging to get right the lower a team goes in the draft rounds. Even the 2024 Eagles, whose general manager Howie Roseman typically puts on a masterclass in roster building, struggled in this category, ranking 29th.

Among the Giants’ top Day 3/UDFA picks have been tight end Theo Johnson and running back Tyrone Tracy, Jr. (2024 class), and tight end Daniel Bellinger and linebacker Micah McFadden (2022 class).

Some of their promising undrafted free-agent finds that have contributed in games include defensive lineman Elijah Chatman and running back Dante “Turbo” Miller (2024 class); quarterback Tommy DeVito and receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton (2023 class); and outside linebacker Tomon Fox (2022 class).

Average Age: 26.3 (10th)

Last year, the Giants opened the 2024 season with the eighth-youngest roster (25.7 years old).

They currently have the tenth youngest roster this season, with an average age rising to 26.3 thanks to the additions of quarterback Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. So far, the Giants have 12 players over the age of 30, the oldest of whom are kicker Graham Gano (38 on April 9), Wilson (36), and guard Greg Van Roten (35).  

Three other players (linebacker Chris Board, guard/center Austin Schlottman, and receiver Zach PAscall) will be 30 by the end of the 2025 season.

The last four Super Bowl winners have been getting younger, ranking among the 10 youngest teams in average age. This represents a trend shift from 2015 to 2020.

So What Does It All Mean?

Like the other 31 NFL rosters, the Giants' roster is still a work in progress (though it’s also fair to say the Giants have a lot more work to do on their roster than some of the other teams).

While no one expects the Giants to be one of the Super Bowl contenders this coming season, they need to be far more competitive. The hope is that the added experience combined with what will hopefully be another solid draft class will get the arrow pointed in the right direction.

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