After a 3-14 season, the Giants' Brian Daboll & Joe Schoen face a pivotal 2025. Can a top-ranked D-line with Lawrence & Thibodeaux save their jobs?
StatPro NFL Beat Reporter
The summer air in East Rutherford feels thick with anticipation, but it's the intense pressure that's truly palpable. After a disastrous 3-14 finish in 2024, Head Coach Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen are entering the 2025 season on the hottest of seats. Their jobs likely depend on a dramatic turnaround, and they've pushed all their chips to the middle of the table with a bold draft and a reliance on developing stars.
Pro Football Focus ranked the New York Giants' defensive line as the third-best in the NFL entering the 2025 season.
The brightest spot for Big Blue is a defensive front that has opposing quarterbacks on notice before a single snap has been played. Pro Football Focus has stamped this unit with a No. 3 overall ranking in the entire league, a testament to the core of Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Thibodeaux. The hype reached a new level with the addition of No. 3 overall pick Abdul Carter, the explosive edge rusher from Penn State, who is expected to create havoc immediately. This group isn't just good; it's expected to be the engine that drives the entire team.
While the defense looks formidable, the offense is riddled with crucial questions. The front office is banking on third-year center John Michael Schmitz to finally become the anchor of a perennially shaky offensive line, but he's already limited in practice with a shin issue. Meanwhile, last year's top pick, wide receiver Malik Nabers, is sidelined with a toe injury. Coach Daboll remains optimistic, expecting Nabers to be ready for camp on July 22, but starting the year with two critical young offensive pieces on the mend is a nerve-wracking proposition for a team that desperately needs more firepower.
GM Joe Schoen's biggest gamble came in the 2025 NFL Draft. After securing pass-rusher Abdul Carter, the Giants traded back into the first round to select Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart at No. 25. This move signals a potential shift under center and adds a fascinating dynamic to training camp. The class also brought in talent across the board, including cornerback Darius Alexander and running back Cam Skattebo, but all eyes will be on Dart and whether he can be the long-term answer the franchise has been seeking.
The Giants officially released their 2025 training camp schedule, giving fans 11 opportunities to see this high-stakes drama unfold in person, starting July 23. These practices, culminating in a joint session with the Jets on August 13, won't just be about Xs and Os. They'll be a daily referendum on the Daboll-Schoen era. Every healthy return, every rookie flash, and every veteran step-up will be scrutinized as the team tries to build a winner.
The battle lines for the 2025 season are drawn. The Giants have an elite defense on paper, a potential franchise quarterback waiting in the wings, and a leadership duo coaching for their jobs. The questions are many: Can the offense stay healthy and find its footing? Will Thibodeaux remain a Giant? Can Jaxson Dart live up to the hype? The answers will start to emerge when the team hits the field for training camp, kicking off one of the most consequential preseasons in recent memory.
