Long gone are the days of Lawrence Taylor, Carl Banks, and Harry Carson—Antonio Pierce deserves mention in that group as well. In recent years, the New York Giants have struggled to find consistent excellence at the linebacker position. While both Blake Martinez and Bobby Okereke turned in solid individual seasons, the defense has lacked dynamic, playmaking talent at the second level, a deficiency that has plagued the Giants for far too long.
Pro Football Focus graded the Giants’ run defense as the worst in the NFL in 2025 (tied with the San Francisco 49ers). The personnel issues regarding run defense were compounded by Micah McFadden’s Week 1 injury, leaving veteran Bobby Okereke with a combination of second-year linebacker Darius Muasau and special teamers Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles and Chris Board.
The structure of Shane Bowen’s defense placed a heavier burden on the weakened personnel, and the result was one of the league’s worst run defenses, one that routinely failed to fit the backside, largely due to poor linebacker decisions.
2025 season in review
Bobby Okereke, Darius Muasau, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, Zaire Barnes, Swayze Bozeman, Chris Board, Micah McFadden, Neville Hewitt
The original plan of Okereke and McFadden at linebacker was foiled by McFadden’s right foot injury in the first half of Week 1. McFadden underwent surgery and missed the remainder of the year, leaving the Giants with a weak linebacking corps behind a solid but declining veteran in Okereke. Second-year sixth-rounder Darius Muasau received the first opportunity behind McFadden.
Muasau was guilty of gap integrity issues, specifically on the back side. He ended the season with 453 total defensive snaps, with 41 tackles (six missed, 12.8%), with 16 STOPs, seven pressures, and a sack. Muasau did have some flash plays throughout the year, but the issues significantly dimmed the flash. Muasau was placed on I.R. after Week 9 with an ankle injury but returned in Week 15 to finish the season.
Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles played 225 snaps next to Okereke, who led the team with 1,104 defensive snaps. Flannigan-Fowles brought solid physicality to the position, but he was routinely out of position in coverage. He finished with 25 tackles (four missed, 13.8%) and nine STOPs. Like with Muasau, issues in run defense and a lack of overall defensive trust continued to affect the Giants.
The Giants had to rotate Zaire Barnes, Neville Hewitt, and Swayze Bozeman into their rotation due to various nagging injuries to Flannigan-Fowles, and while Muasau was on I.R., Chris Board played 14 snaps in Week 2 against Dallas, but suffered a significant chest injury that landed him on the I.R.
Injuries bombarded the Giants’ linebacking corps, but Bobby Okereke remained healthy for the season, and he was by far and away the team’s top linebacker, although Okereke did seem to lose a step athletically. Still, Okereke is durable and reliable. He amassed over 1,000 defensive snaps with 140 total tackles, 47 of which were STOPs. Okereke missed 21 tackles, which was 13%.
Okereke also had two interceptions. Okereke is an easy punching bag on social media, but he had to play with several backups throughout the year, which forced him to over-pursue and over-compensate. Okereke hasn’t played up to his 2023 level in Bowen’s defense, but he’s still a capable linebacker.
Grade: D
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2026 outlook
The Giants need an infusion of young talent at linebacker. Firstly, McFadden is an unrestricted free agent. The Giants should attempt to lock up the linebacker in the short-term. He’s developed since his rookie season and entered this season with hype, but an unfortunate injury ruined his season. Locking the 25-year-old up would be a wise — ahead of the market — deal, if the Giants believe in his work ethic, especially if the incoming defensive coordinator can use a player of McFadden’s archetype.
Okereke is entering the final year of his contract, and he’s taking up 4.74% of the Giants’ 2026 cap. His cap hit is $14.4 million; New York could move on from his contract with a $5.5 million dead cap, which, given the current position group, does not sound wise, but might be necessary.
The Giants have just $5.23 million in cap space heading into the off-season, and New York can gain $9 million by releasing Okereke to eat the $5.5 million in the future. The Giants could also restructure contracts and push cap down the road, now that they have a quarterback on a rookie contract.
The Giants could opt to select a linebacker early in the draft — the team could use the upgrade! Ohio State’s Arvell Reese or Sonny Styles on Day 1, or Cincinnati’s Jake Golday or Georgia’s CJ Allen could be an option early on Day 2.
New York needs a lot in the upcoming draft, and they only possess seven picks (three are sixth-round picks), with just two selections in the first 100 picks of the draft, which leads me to the free agency period that will occur a month and a half before the NFL Draft.
I can see GM Joe Schoen spending up on Jaguars’ linebacker Devin Lloyd. Spotrac.com has Lloyd listed with the highest market value of the position — $20.1-million; for reference, Fred Warner currently tops the market with an average of $21-million per year, so Lloyd would become the second-highest-paid linebacker in the league, just north of the Ravens’ Roquan Smith ($20 million per season).
Other cheaper options include Nakobe Dean (PHI), Quay Walker (GB), Leo Chenal (KC), and Quincy Williams (NYJ). New York could look to go the veteran linebacker route and attempt to sign a Matt Milano, Devin Bush, Bobby Wagner, or a Demario Davis as well. New York did sign Swaze Bozeman and OLB/EDGE Trace Ford to reserve/future contracts after the 2025 season.
There are options on free agency at linebacker who could step onto the Giants and be the best linebacker, which would relegate Okereke to a more manageable role, if he’s still on the roster. Either way, the Giants must address the linebacker position and strengthen the defense’s spine.
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