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Giants news, 11/12: Coaching candidates, Andrew Thomas, Jaxson Dart, more headlines

Good morning, New York Giants fans!

From Big Blue View

Other Giant observations

“They have real players at some of the premium positions that are hardest to find. They have a borderline All-Pro left tackle when he’s healthy (Andrew Thomas), who’s played at an extremely high level since he came back this year. You have a really, really talented receiver (Nabers) who has a torn ACL right now that will be coming back. You have multiple pass rushers,” Mays says. “Like, you have three potential building blocks on the defensive line with Abdul Carter, Dexter Lawrence and Brian Burns.”

Insider says Giants will be considered a top job this year

Brian Daboll Crashed Out. Now Can the Giants Cash In? | The Ringer

For the first time in years, New York has a truly talented young core. Dart, Nabers, and pass rusher Abdul Carter are all 22 years old. All-Pro left tackle Andrew Thomas is 26. Defensive end Brian Burns, who coleads the NFL in sacks with Myles Garrett, is 27, and deeply overqualified rotational pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, the former fifth pick in the draft, is 24. All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence is having a down season but is just 27 and the oldest member of this group. New York has a promising quarterback on a rookie contract, an elite-looking receiver on a rookie contract, a stalwart left tackle, and a loaded defensive line.

They need cornerbacks and may need to upgrade the majority of their offensive line, but the most important—and expensive—positions on the roster are already accounted for. Worst-to-first divisional turnarounds have been spawned from much less.

“It’s up there,” said a coach who expects to receive significant interest this cycle, when asked where the Giants’ vacancy ranks. “The quarterback is going to be really good. You have an elite defensive line. Nabers. (Cam) Skattebo. There’s talent. That defense, with the right system, is top five immediately. The offense can grow into something pretty cool. The rest is easy to piece together.”

Why NY Giants can’t lose sightings of main priority, Jaxson Dart, in search for next coach | The Record

Here’s what the New York Giants must consider as the most important factor with team brass set to begin the search for Brian Daboll’s replacement as head coach:

If the next head coach does not have a legitimate plan for how to get the most out of Jaxson Dart, then he can’t be the Giants’ next head coach.

Unpacking the Brian Daboll firing, what’s next for the Giants and recapping MNF | The Athletic

A few years ago, The Athletic shared 10 guidelines to follow when hiring a head coach. I urge Giants ownership to give it a read. Despite the seemingly shallow pool, the key criteria should be an offensive-minded coach, or at least one with a plan, and not just because Dart’s development is a priority.

Since 2014, guess how many of the 44 teams in conference championship games had offenses that ranked outside the league’s top 12 in yards per play? Just three. Defense? Eighteen. Someone with a plan for sustained offensive success is a must. It’s probably a fantasy to think the Giants handle this right, though.

Tiki: No one should be considered safe

Bill Belichick responds to Giants speculation after Brian Daboll firing | New York Post

The 73-year-old, currently in his first season as UNC’s head coach, addressed the possibility of coaching the Giants during a press conference on Tuesday. Predictably, he said he was focused on the Tar Heels’ upcoming opponent.

“Getting ready for Wake Forest, that’s all I got this week,” Belichick said. “I’ve been asked about [an NFL return] from time to time. Look, I’ve been down this road before. I’m focused on Wake Forest, that’s it. That’s my commitment to this team. Next week it’ll be to our next opponent and so forth. I’m here to do the best I can for this team.”

Ralph Vacchiano’s list includes Mike Tomlin, Lane Kiffin, Bill Belichick, Mike McCarthy, Kevin Stefanski, Matt Nagy, Kliff Kingsbury, Klint Kubiak, Jeff Hafley, and Lou Anarumo.

New York Giants view Mike Kafka’s next seven games as a test | USAToday.com

It only makes sense that the Giants give Kafka a shot here. He’ll be employed in some capacity in the NFL next year, so why not give him a trial run as your coach and see what he can do before you let him go? No matter how well Kafka does, and with this battered roster, not much is expected, the Giants will still have an open casting call after the season for their next head coach. But until then, Kafka will get his chance.

Here’s what Giants’ new coach told team after Brian Daboll firing | NJ.com

“The essence of his message was that this was not easy for anyone, that Daboll was the reason he and so many of the players were in that room. Kafka also stressed the need to stick together and the opportunity in front of them all these next two months.”

Four things Giants’ Mike Kafka can do to distinguish himself — starting with this QB shakeup | New York Post

If Jameis Winston is ahead of Russell Wilson on the depth chart Wednesday, then Mike Kafka will have made his first big splash as interim head coach of the Giants before his first kickoff.

Baldy: Dart taking too many hits

Jameis Winston has to be Giants’ starting QB with Jaxson Dart out | New York Daily News

Jameis Winston isn’t the hero the Giants wanted, but he is the hero they need. Interim head coach Mike Kafka must make Winston the Giants’ starting quarterback for Sunday’s home game against the Green Bay Packers.

There is no reason to start rookie Jaxson Dart (concussion). Dart needs to rest. His long-term health is more important than rushing back from a mishandled head injury to lead a 2-8 team that just fired its head coach.

There is no reason to start Russell Wilson, either. Wilson was a major reason for the Giants’ 0-3 start to the season. He turtles in the pocket. He threw the ball away on fourth down in the red zone against the Chiefs in Week 3 rather than risk an interception. He just played a significant role in the Giants’ latest catastrophic collapse in Chicago once Dart left the game at the start of the fourth quarter.

But Julian Love was the first in what has become a recognizable pattern over the past 3½ years with the Giants. The players who left the organization steadily improved at their new landing spots.

This is as much a failure of the personnel office as it is of Daboll and the coaching staff. A big part of any general manager’s job is seeing players’ talent through the fog of their schematic responsibilities, poor teammates or miscast roles. The fact that so many good players escaped New York to prosper elsewhere proves that Schoen failed in that regard.

2026 NFL draft order projections: Titans, Browns, Jets at top | ESPN.com

6 (last week: 8). New York Giants (2-8)

Average draft position: 7.4

FPI chance to earn top-five pick: 33.9%

FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 79.1%

Best- and Worst-Case Scenarios in Race for No. 1 Pick in 2026 NFL Draft Order | Bleacher Report

Although no team wants to bottom out, Big Blue would be in a perfect position to capitalize on earning their first No. 1 overall pick in over six decades. That top pick could set up this organization to contend for the foreseeable future.

Due to the potential to earn multiple first-rounders and other premium picks that the new regime can retool the roster with, New York will need to think long and hard before standing pat at the top of the 2026 draft. The team could still end up filling positions of need with top-tier prospects like wideout Jordyn Tyson and offensive lineman Spencer Fano while collecting a slew of additional capital for its trouble.

This week’s opponent

Their contracts run through 2026. Policy said they would not get new deals until after the current season. Policy also downplayed the idea that either LaFleur or Gutekunst would work as lame ducks next year, saying such an approach “creates a lot of issues.”

That’s the good news, for each of them. The bad news is that the Packers suddenly aren’t good enough, with an offense that lacks rhythm or punch or unpredictability. So, yes, the next eight games will be a factor in what happens next, especially if the Packers don’t happen to make it to the postseason for only the second time this decade.

Packers place Elgton Jenkins on IR, bring up Kristian Welch | Acme Packing Company

The Green Bay Packers have officially put center Elgton Jenkins on the injured reserve after he fractured his lower leg in the Monday Night Football loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Without Jenkins, Sean Rhyan, who was previously rotating in at right guard, will start for the Packers at center.

In a corresponding roster move, Green Bay also brought up special teams contributor Kristian Welch up to the 53-man roster. Welch was initially brought up to the 53-man roster when Nick Neimann was placed on the injured reserve two weeks ago, but Welch was brought back down to the practice squad last week.

Non-QB MVP: Edge Micah Parsons. It might have been Tucker Kraft, who was on pace to set franchise tight end receiving records until he tore his ACL in Week 9. But Parsons’ impact on defense has been just as significant. Not only has he made plays for himself, leading the NFL with 34 quarterback pressures, but he has also helped others find success. Defensive end Rashan Gary equaled his 2024 sack total of 7.5 in the first eight games of this season. Gary appears to be on the way to his first season with double-digit sacks.