The start of the 2026 NFL free agency period is just around the corner, and it promises to be a significant one for the New York Giants. We don’t know precisely what the Giants’ plan for free agency is, though we’ll find out soon enough.
The Giants’ draft will almost certainly be influenced, if not outright determined, by free agency. For instance, the decision to release linebacker Bobby Okereke creates a need that could be filled by players like Sonny Styles or Jacob Rodriguez.
It’s significant then, that the Giants have important free agents at the premium positions of offensive tackle, wide receiver, and cornerback — not to mention the importance of tight end in John Harbaugh’s Baltimore teams. So what happens with right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, cornerback Cor’Dale Flott, and tight end Daniel Bellinger will have a big impact on the Giants’ draft.
Giants fans believe that Eluemunor is the most likely to return among the top free agents.
Eluemunor is over the age of 30 and is a good — but not great — starter, but he still might be the Giants’ most important starter. Losing Eluemunor creates a massive hole that the Giants need to fill, but their options could be limited.
The free agent pool at offensive tackle — let alone specifically right tackle — is limited this year. If the Giants cant retain Eluemunor and the pool dries up, the Giants would be forced to turn to the draft. Unfortunately, this year’s tackle class isn’t great either. The top two tackles in the class, Francis Mauigoa and Spencer Fano, might not even be tackles at the NFL level.
Three years from now, we might find that only one or two starting tackles came out of this class.
Robinson and Bellinger are probably the Giants’ two most reliable receiving options, while Flott is coming off of a breakout year at cornerback. However, each of those positions are also easier to fill this year between free agency and the draft.
John Harbaugh has established winning the NFC East as the standard for the Giants in 2026, even though the Giants are currently the least-favored team to win the division per FanDuel.
