The New York Giants will look to turn a new page under head coach John Harbaugh. An ESPN analyst picked them to make a huge splash in 2026. Bill Barnwell chose the Giants among his teams to make the postseason.
He has Big Blue earning a wild-card spot after a 4-13 season, likening the Giants to two teams that made massive improvements in 2025. "The Giants look a lot like the Bears and Jaguars did a year ago -- better than they seemed the year before and in position to make a leap," Barnwell wrote. Barnwell noted that the Giants went 1-6 in one-score games last season.
While that unflattering record can indicate poor fourth-quarter play, the Bears jumped from 3-7 to 7-4 in one-score contests to make the 2025 playoffs. Jaxson Dart, Malik Nabers, and Andrew Thomas could all suit up for the Giants in Week 1, giving a promising group of young offensive talent the opportunity to shine after an injury-plagued season. On the other end, a lethal pass rush could help offset the loss of star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.
While the Giants have an intriguing roster, Barnwell said Harbaugh might be "the most important upgrade" they made this offseason. The head coach made 12 playoff appearances in 18 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. "His experience and game management skills should help the Giants in those close games, but it's fair to note that Giants fans aren't especially enthused about his staff, particularly the decision to hire Matt Nagy and Greg Roman to run the offense," Barnwell wrote.
"Of course, you could also make the case that they've both overseen playoff offenses in multiple stops around the league." Barnwell drew another parallel to the 2025 Bears, who overcame a tough schedule to go 11-6 behind first-year head coach Ben Johnson and second-year quarterback Caleb Williams. Although he picked the Philadelphia Eagles to win the NFC East, Barnwell can see the Giants making their second playoff appearance in the last 10 seasons. "I don't think the Giants make that sort of push and win the division," Barnwell wrote, "but I do think they're capable of being the league's most surprising wild-card team."
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