EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — The ground shifted at 1925 Giants Drive this winter. General Manager Joe Schoen no longer operates at the undisputed peak of the football hierarchy. Newly hired head coach John Harbaugh now reports directly to ownership, sharing the exact same tier of authority as Schoen.
To complicate the math, Dawn Aponte steps in to manage the financial gymnastics, a responsibility previously sitting on Schoen’s desk. She reports directly to Harbaugh. The power structure has fundamentally changed, and with the Giants holding the No. 5 overall pick in the upcoming April draft, the pressure inside the building is reaching a boiling point.
The Free Agency Math Problem
March brings the first massive test for this new trio. We are weeks away from seeing exactly how Aponte attacks the salary cap. Will she and Harbaugh leverage void years to aggressively acquire veteran talent? Schoen historically avoided that trap, save for his messy first year cleaning up Dave Gettleman’s ledger. But Harbaugh operates with a win-now urgency. He spent years in Baltimore building aggressive, physical rosters, and he wants his players now.
If the Giants attack free agency heavily to fill their glaring holes, it clears the deck for the draft. Harbaugh wants a “gold jacket” player at No. 5. He does not want to draft for sheer need; he wants a generational talent.
Evaluating Schoen’s Draft Board Hit Rate
To figure out who the Giants might take, we have to look back at how Schoen evaluates “Best Player Available.” The results are a mixed bag of spectacular hits and brutal misses.
- 2022 (Picks 5 & 7): Kayvon Thibodeaux and Evan Neal. Fans threw a parade when these two fell to New York. Thibodeaux flashes dominance but disappears in spurts, sitting at a respectable but quiet wAV of 15 (adjusted for injury). Neal, widely considered a safe bet at the time, completely unraveled as a pro.
- 2023 (Pick 24): Deonte Banks. Schoen traded up slightly to grab Banks as defensive backs and receivers flew off the board. Banks showed early promise but struggled heavily in Wink Martindale’s system and beyond. Meanwhile, Joey Porter Jr., drafted shortly after, grew into a shutdown force with a 76.6 PFF coverage grade in 2025.
- 2024 (Pick 6): Malik Nabers. A massive hit. After striking out on trading up for Drake Maye, Schoen stayed patient. Nabers is an electric playmaker and arguably the most explosive weapon the Giants have drafted since Odell Beckham Jr.
- 2025 (Picks 3 & 25): Abdul Carter and Jaxson Dart. Schoen ignored the crowded edge rusher room and took Carter, leaning purely into value. Later, he aggressively traded back into the first round for Dart. Dart immediately jolted the offense, leading all 2025 rookies in Approximate Value (wAV of 7).
The 2026 Conundrum
Harbaugh is a wild card. In his extensive tenure with the Ravens, his teams drafted in the top 10 exactly once—taking Ronnie Stanley at No. 6 in 2016. Looking at the early consensus big board for 2026, the talent pool heavily favors non-premium positions at the very top. Names like Arvell Reese (Linebacker), Jeremiyah Love (Running Back), and Caleb Downs (Safety) dominate the top eight.
Schoen rarely drafts linebackers or running backs in the top five. But Schoen isn’t making this call alone anymore. Harbaugh’s physical philosophy will heavily influence the card turned in to the commissioner. The tension between positional value and pure gridiron talent will dictate the Giants’ future.
“Harbaugh wants a gold jacket player at five. He isn’t interested in a five-year rebuild. He needs guys who can step onto the turf in September and immediately dictate the violence of the game.”
— NFL Front Office Executive
Playoff Implications / What’s Next
The NFL Scouting Combine kicks off soon, followed by Top 30 visits. Every move Aponte makes in March will telegraph Harbaugh and Schoen’s draft strategy. If they sign veteran secondary help or secure offensive line reinforcements, expect them to swing for the fences at No. 5—perhaps taking the nastiest defensive player on the board regardless of positional value. If they strike out in free agency, they may be backed into a corner, forced to draft for need and leaving better talent on the table.
