20 Questions in 20 Days

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20 Questions in 20 Days: Giants will have a successful season if...

Jul 27, 2026 at 12:00 PM

by John Schmeelk, Dan Salomone & Matt Citak

Giants.com is counting down the start of training camp with 20 questions in 20 days.

1) The Giants will have a successful season if …

John Schmeelk: If…Jaxson Dart improves in his second year.

Dart was an excellent scrambler last year and made plays out of structure using his athleticism and instincts. He is creative and has the courage to try to make big plays down the field. Dart does not play scared. He will squeeze the ball into small areas and take a hit while doing it.

But all young quarterbacks, especially ones coming from college systems like he played in at Ole Miss and now switching offensive systems in his second season, have to work on the art of playing quarterback in the NFL. Moreso than ever before, defenses are disguising their coverages by showing one thing pre-snap and doing another once the ball is in play. They are trying to make things difficult on even the most veteran quarterbacks, increasing the difficulty level for a younger player like Dart.

Dart spoke during OTAs about wanting to improve as a pocket passer this season.

"I just think from a footwork standpoint, being able to be cleaner throughout my read," Dart said. "I think there's times when you look back on tape and experiences and maybe you weren't as quick as you wanted to be through a progression. You look back and you say why was that? And it starts with your eyes, making sure they're in the right spots. And that's been a huge emphasis with [passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan], watching different guys' tapes."

If he can process what the defense is showing, get through his progressions, and find the open receiver quickly and in rhythm, even if it is just a checkdown, the offense will be as consistent as it is explosive. The offense will also suffer fewer negative plays while not removing the creative aspect of Dart's game. If Dart can do that, it will not only bode well for the Giants' success this season, but also for the long-term future of the franchise.

There's enough talent on defense where that group should be able to make a big jump, but if Dart can improve and elevate the offense, the arrow will be pointing up for Big Blue this season.

Dan Salomone: If…they finish.

The Giants made sure to have that six-letter word engraved on the inside of their Super Bowl XLVI ring for a reason. The good teams find a way to finish when it matters most, something the 2025 Giants painfully did not.

They allowed an average of nine points in the fourth quarter last season, third-most in the league, and were 1-7 in one-possession games. But is a new year. It's also a new era.

"Now as we begin a new chapter in New York, our focus is simple, it starts with building a team that is physical and tough, that's capable of overwhelming their opponent from beginning to end, and especially at the end, that understands how to finish," John Harbaugh said when he presented his vision for the team. "That is smart and disciplined, that plays the game the way it should be played, and that everybody watching it, including those playing it, would be proud of. We're going to work together. We have great and talented people to accomplish a shared mission."

Matt Citak: If…they make a big jump on defense.

The unit ranked 26th in points and 28th in yards allowed last year, but it really struggled when it came to stopping the run. The run defense finished in the bottom five in yards (31st) and touchdowns allowed (28^th), while their 5.3 yards per carry surrendered ranked as the most in the league. This played a significant role in the defense allowing 27+ points in seven games during their nine-game losing streak from Weeks 7-16, including five contests with 33+ points allowed.

The Giants made some big changes on the defensive side of the ball this offseason, starting with the hiring of Dennard Wilson as coordinator. Wilson has enjoyed success in the NFL in various roles, including his first stint as a defensive coordinator with the Tennessee Titans from 2024-2025. He also coached the defensive backs for one season in Baltimore under John Harbaugh, so the two coaches have plenty of familiarity with each other. Back in April, Wilson said the Giants' defense will be built on the following four pillars: unpredictable, dynamic, decisive, and unapologetic. It became abundantly clear from the very first time Wilson spoke to the media as a member of the Giants that his unit is not going to be pushed around.

"We're going to be playing nasty," the coordinator said on the first day of the offseason workout program. "We're going to play physical. We're going to play violent. We're going to live on the edge, play on the edge, but we're not going to hurt the team. We're going to be suffocating to the point we impose our wills on people. The players are going to buy into that mindset. It all starts from a mindset. We're going to play the New York brand of football, and that's violent defense."

On the personnel side, the biggest factor that could lead to a major improvement from the defense is the overhaul of the inside linebacker group. Veteran Tremaine Edmunds was signed at the start of free agency, and then Arvell Reese was selected with the fifth overall pick in the draft. Edmunds, 6-foot-4 and 251 pounds, and Reese, 6-foot-4 and 243 pounds, provide the Giants with the biggest and most athletic pair of inside linebackers the organization has had in a long time. The two were all over the field during spring practices, making plays in the backfield, at the line of scrimmage, and in coverage. It's easy to see that the two new linebackers have already made a strong impression on one of the defense's veteran leaders.

"I have never seen that," outside linebacker Brian Burns said about the two new inside backers. "Yeah, these are going to be the biggest [inside] linebackers I've ever played with. … It does a ton [for the defense], honestly, and then they are two guys that can move sideline to sideline, great speed, closing speed, able to play in space, cover. So, it does a lot honestly because the run defense should be better with them because they're able to take on these blocks that's climbing up to them, as well as the versatility that we're going to have with this defense as far as blitzing and getting to different fronts just because of the size that they are."

It can't be ignored that the unit did lose defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, whose trade led to the Giants drafting offensive Francis "Sisi" Mauigoa at No. 10 overall.

To help fill the void, the Giants added veterans DJ Reader, Shelby Harris, Leki Fotu and Zacch Pickens. While the group up front will need a few of these veterans to step up this season, the run defense should be aided with the vast improvement on the second level. Then in the secondary, the additions of Greg Newsome II and Colton Hood, along with Paulson Adebo being one year further removed from his serious leg injury suffered in 2024, should hopefully help the defensive backfield improve from last year. Wilson's history as a defensive backs coach should provide this group with a boost, as well.

The talent is there on the defensive side of the ball. If the unit plays up to its potential, the Giants have a very good chance of having a successful season.