This Position Remains One of Giants' Biggest Needs

Despite not having the widest assembly of picks to play with in the 2025 NFL Draft, New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen and the front office did a pretty solid job filling in the various glaring holes within the roster. 

However, one of the few reasons why the class didn’t receive perfect marks from draft analysts and media outlets could be attributed to one sneaky position need that went unnoticed throughout the three days in Green Bay. That is the Giants’ inside linebackers room, which still feels thinner than most people think. 

Among the most afflicted positions on the roster, the second level of the Giants' defense has dealt with its fair share of injury woes in recent seasons. They have a pair of stalwart pieces in Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden leading the way as two main producers on the team, but when one or both are missing from action, the loss has surely been felt in how the Giants have fared against the run.

Last season, the Giants ranked 24th in total yards allowed to their opponents, and that standing was heavily skewed by their bottom-six rankings in rushing attempts and yardage allowed in that span. They also gave up an average of 136.2 yards per contest on the ground, including double-digit games with over 100 yards afforded to the team’s main ball carrier. 

On the injury front, they were without at least one of their starting linebackers for a combined six games for the 2024 season, which was where some of their worst run-response outings occurred. Okereke, who never missed a game in his last three seasons prior to joining New York, only played in 12 games with a back ailment, while McFadden missed three games. 

On the injury front, they were without at least one of their starting linebackers for a combined six games for the 2024 season, which was where some of their worst run-response outings occurred. Okereke, who never missed a game in his last three seasons prior to joining New York, only played in 12 games with a back ailment, while McFadden missed three games. 

Despite not having the widest assembly of picks to play with in the 2025 NFL Draft, New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen and the front office did a pretty solid job filling in the various glaring holes within the roster. 

However, one of the few reasons why the class didn’t receive perfect marks from draft analysts and media outlets could be attributed to one sneaky position need that went unnoticed throughout the three days in Green Bay. That is the Giants’ inside linebackers room, which still feels thinner than most people think. 

Among the most afflicted positions on the roster, the second level of the Giants' defense has dealt with its fair share of injury woes in recent seasons. They have a pair of stalwart pieces in Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden leading the way as two main producers on the team, but when one or both are missing from action, the loss has surely been felt in how the Giants have fared against the run.

Last season, the Giants ranked 24th in total yards allowed to their opponents, and that standing was heavily skewed by their bottom-six rankings in rushing attempts and yardage allowed in that span. They also gave up an average of 136.2 yards per contest on the ground, including double-digit games with over 100 yards afforded to the team’s main ball carrier. 

On the injury front, they were without at least one of their starting linebackers for a combined six games for the 2024 season, which was where some of their worst run-response outings occurred. Okereke, who never missed a game in his last three seasons prior to joining New York, only played in 12 games with a back ailment, while McFadden missed three games. 

On the injury front, they were without at least one of their starting linebackers for a combined six games for the 2024 season, which was where some of their worst run-response outings occurred. Okereke, who never missed a game in his last three seasons prior to joining New York, only played in 12 games with a back ailment, while McFadden missed three games. 

Some thought Okereke, who has two years left on his current deal with an average annual value of $10 million, could have become a cap casualty this offseason as the Giants searched for a younger, equally productive replacement on the open market. That never happened, and they are returning with the two veterans and very little depth behind them. 

Besides Okereke and McFadden, the Giants saw some promising efforts from former sixth-round pick Darius Muasau. He stepped in admirably late in the season and played four games with at least eight total tackles. He earned a career-high 11 against the Falcons in Week 16 and had some decent impact in stopping the run game in its tracks despite the team being heavily outmatched. 

The remainder of the depth chart features some names that have been around the block, like Chris Board and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, who were both signed as free agents. Both of them have served more special-teams-centric roles with their most recent organizations and don’t have extensive reps in the trenches lately. 

That is why it would have been an added boost to Schoen’s strong performance during the draft had he managed to pry a late-round inside linebacker prospect out of the weeds. There were some good names on the board on Day 3, but the Giants prioritized more questionable spots like tight end and the secondary, which was already boosted by signings during free agency. 

Perhaps if the trade to move up and grab Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart hadn’t gone down either, there might have been an extra piece of draft capital to use on a linebacker. With finding the potential franchise arm a must, it’s hard to blame Schoen for jumping at the opportunity instead of thinking about a secondary position down the line. 

Still, it could be argued that the Giants' pick of a tight end in Thomas Fidone II was unnecessary, given that the Giants had selected Theo Johnson the year before. Johnson was showing signs of promise as a pass catcher before getting a foot injury late in the season.

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