Why John Harbaugh immediately makes the Giants a factor in NFC East

John Harbaugh was the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens for 18 seasons, from 2008-25. He led the Ravens to a Super Bowl in the 2012 season and has won 13 playoff games, proving his credibility in big games and ability to keep a team competitive through roster changes.

With Harbaugh and the New York Giants finalizing a deal for him to be their next head coach it's very possible that the Giants will become a dominant team within the next few years. The Giants have struggled for much of the last decade and are coming off of a year where they were the least competitive in the NFC East.

Although they ended the season 4-13, the Giants are not a complete rebuild. They have a top defensive line with Brain Burns and Dexter Lawrence, and also an explosive offense that will consist of Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo and Malik Nabers. The Giants will also have the No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 draft, which they can use to obtain a game changer.

The key strengths of Harbaugh's coaching is his physically, defensive identity and discipline. Those traits will come in handy in the NFC East. He is also able to manage stars, such as Ray Lewis and Lamar Jackson, while keeping the locker room together. 

Few coaches in the entire league can match a resume of a Super Bowl ring plus 18 years of head coaching experience and 13 playoff wins. Harbaugh's Ravens often won tight games thanks to the defense, special teams and situational football, which could swing a couple divisional games for the Giants.

Harbaugh is a great head coach and the exact kind of person the Giants need to succeed. With a roster full of building blocks and a high draft pick at his disposal, it will be interesting to see how quickly Harbaugh can make the Giants a factor atop the NFC East once again.