In an exclusive interview with Bolavip, Banks reflected on his NFL career and shared his thoughts on the current state of the Giants. Selected third overall in the 1984 NFL Draft, Banks was well aware his draft position would matter little if he couldn’t prove he belonged in the league. Fortunately, he landed in the lap of a great head coach, Bill Parcells, and a young yet meticulous linebackers coach named Bill Belichick, who would go on to become defensive coordinator before ultimately making a name for himself as a head coach.

Banks knows what it takes to win. More importantly, he knows what it takes to win in a market like New York. Four decades have passed since Banks, Parcells, Belichick, Lawrence Taylor, Phil Simms, and company hoisted the franchise’s first Super Bowl, but the lessons taught then remain relevant today.

Although it still feels like yesterday to Banks, he understands that it has been far too long since New York enjoyed success. Banks loves the fact that he is still honored by the organization and will continue to be for years to come. Yet he comprehends better than anyone that fans deserve better than to cling to nostalgia. Perhaps, on the 40th anniversary of the Super Bowl XXI, the Giants will party like it’s 1987 now that John Harbaugh took charge of the team.

Banks on Bill Parcells changing Giants’ culture

Bolavip: You were recently at the New York Giants’ Town Hall event. How was that? And what’s it like to still be a part of the Giants organization so much time later?

Carl Banks: It’s always an honor to be a part of the Giants organization. To be able to continue to carry the torch for the legacy that I helped build. So, being a part of that and being an ambassador to what Giants football is and to be someone who was a part of bringing the first ever Super Bowl championship to the organization is quite an honor for me and I am very humbled that they asked me to participate in events like that.

Bolavip: You joined the organization in 1984. They had never won a Super Bowl and had too many losing seasons in a row. You really were a part of the change. What did it take to make it happen?

Carl Banks: Well, it took a culture change. We had to focus on the things that were important, the little things. Coach [Bill] Parcels was in his second year and he was not sure if he would make it through the season if he didn’t win. So, we were all in for him and we wanted to do whatever it took, not only for the coach, but for each other. We wanted to make sure that we held each other accountable and we played a brand of football that was tough, very physical, and very disciplined.

Bolavip: Being coached by Bill Parcels, what did he teach you? What did you take from him, one of the greats in Giants history?

Banks: You used two words, coach and teach. I think the one thing that if you ask any of my teammates, they will tell you [Parcells] was a great teacher as a coach. Our entire coaching staff were great teachers. They taught great fundamentals. They taught us what the important things were in order to create a winner and to be a consistent winner.

And he was very insistent upon that as a coach to make sure that we constantly did the little things right. He was a nag sometimes. He was very persistent in making sure that we did all the little things. We didn’t take any shortcuts. And I’m, again, grateful for that experience because the things that he taught us as a coach were things that I took into life after football, into my businesses, and allowed me to be a great leader in business.

Bill Belichick’s impact

Bolavip: You were also coached by Bill Belichick as defensive coordinator. Did you expect Belichick to have as much success as he did as a head coach too?

Banks: So, I first had Coach Belichick as a linebacker coach and then he became defensive coordinator. He was another person who was really detail-oriented, but he was also a coach who could take feedback and create solutions in real time. So I knew that the way he processed information and was able to transfer that or communicate that in a simplified way that players could go out and be productive, [it all] told me he had the ingredients to be a great head coach.

When he left the Giants and became the head coach of the Cleveland Browns, it was not an easy situation for him. Two years after I left the Giants, I joined Coach Belichick—myself and Thomas “Pepper” Johnson, but Pepper went a year before me—to help convey his message and how winning football was supposed to be played.

Cleveland had an abundance of talent and they just didn’t want to adapt to the principles of winning. Having someone like myself and Pepper Johnson, who had been a part of what Coach Belichick was doing and having that success, made it easier for us to communicate with our teammates in Cleveland.

We went on to have two very exciting years and had a historical defense one year. So that kind of laid the groundwork. Those successes laid the groundwork for him to then transition to the Patriots and become the greatest coach of all time.

Belichick’s first-ballot Hall of Fame snub

Bolavip: How shocked were you to learn [Belichick] wasn’t named a first-ballot Hall of Famer?

Banks: I would say I was shocked if I didn’t think all of this was premeditated. I’m more disappointed than I am shocked. I think you have journalists who are on the selection committee that decided to settle grievances in an out-of-context way. There was no way anyone could justly state that the greatest coach of all time should not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

[Belichick] did not have a lot of favor in the press. He treated everyone equally, but he was just not the used-car salesman that always had a story to tell. He was always about football. So I guess those in the media decided that they wanted to pay him back for that and it just wasn’t the right environment to do so.

The disdain that some in the media and some of his contemporaries had for him. They just thought this was a way to, I don’t know, knock him down a peg or whatever. But it does not diminish his accomplishments. He’s still the greatest coach of all time. Whether you put him in on the first ballot or the last ballot, his record and his résumé speak for itself.

Bolavip: What do you think, does it really matter? First-ballot? At the end of the day, he’s going to go to the Hall of Fame.

Banks: He’s going to go to the Hall of Fame. It is established that he is the greatest coach in the history of the NFL. It doesn’t matter where he goes in. Whenever he does go into the Hall of Fame, he will go in as the greatest coach in the history of the NFL.

John Harbaugh’s arrival in New York

Bolavip: With John Harbaugh just coming in. He gets such a good draft class for the Giants. What do you expect from this head coach who won a Super Bowl, can he be the one who takes New York back to the promised land?

Banks: I am very confident that he can do that. His résumé speaks for itself. He has been a consistent winner. His teams have a profile and they don’t deviate from the style of football that they play. That style of football is similar to the style that I played or that my teams played. They were big, they were fast, they were physical, they were smart. When you look at all of Coach Harbaugh’s teams, no matter who the personnel was, they all fit that profile. That’s why he won so many games.

Bolavip: This team with Harbaugh can really try to imitate or be quite similar to the ones that took the Giants organization to the next level. It has a lot of similarities that the fans, I guess, must be really excited about.

Banks: Yes, [fans should be] really excited.

Bolavip: Do you think the sky is the limit right now for New York?

Banks: Yes. I think they have to stay healthy. But I do believe that there’s a great opportunity ahead for this team if and when they really get the little things that are required to be an elite football team. When they get those things ingrained in them, then you’ll see an immediate shift to a different type of football than you have been seeing the last five, six, seven years from the Giants.

Bolavip: And do you see any player on today’s roster that has a similar skill set or mentality to you?

Banks: Well, I think it’s more about the mentality than the skill set. The requirements of today’s NFL player are a little different than when I played. However, I see a tremendous amount of talent at the linebacker position for the Giants. Each and every one of those players can be elite.

Brian Burns is already an elite player. Abdul Carter is going to develop into something that’s unblockable. I think maybe one player that’s kind of similar to me, because of his ability to play the run, and that’s Kayvon Thibodeaux, but he has a very unique skill set too. Those players [in New York] have an opportunity to really take it to the next level.

Carl Banks praises Arvell Reese

Banks: And then they drafted Arvell Reese, who is a linebacker by description, but he’s going to be such a utility defender. They can do a lot with him. He’s a big, fast kid, but he’s going to develop into kind of an ultimate weapon.

Tremaine Edmunds, who is 6-foot-5 and really good as an inside linebacker. They’ve got players that will have an opportunity to really put their skill sets on display with Dennard Wilson’s scheme because it’s similar to Don “Wink” Martindale’s scheme where guys are playing aggressive and not thinking a lot. That’s going to be to the benefit of guys with their skill sets.

Bolavip: Coming off as a rookie, third overall pick, what’s it like with the expectations set on you? How did you manage them? And what’s your message to this year’s Giants rookie class with Arvell Reese, playing the linebacker position like you did?

Banks: The expectations for me were a little different than a normal number-three pick. I came to the team and they had four All-Pro linebackers already there. So the expectation was high because I had to prove that I was worthy of being part of one of the most elite groups of linebackers in the NFL.

Myself and Gary Reasons were drafted that year and then they traded Brad Van Pelt and Brian Kelley and we replaced them. Once we replaced those players, especially me in particular because Brad Van Pelt was such an incredible football player and he was very close, they were a very close-knit group, people really wanted to know if I could live up to expectations. I didn’t feel pressure in the sense of, ‘I’ve got to prove myself’. The thing that I wanted to do was show that I had what it takes to be an elite player.

Playing alongside Lawrence Taylor

Banks: When you step on the field with Lawrence Taylor, you see instantly that whatever you were doing is not as good as what he is. So you have a barometer, you have a level that you have to strive for in order to get on the same plain as Lawrence Taylor. His effort, his speed, his tenacity. So in order to be an elite player, you’ve got to come close to what he is.

Nobody’s ever matched what he is, but you can come close and you can perfect the things that you do well at an elite level. That was kind of my goal. Once I took the field and practiced with Lawrence Taylor, it was like, ‘I’ve got to be elite at something and perfect my responsibilities.’

Bolavip: What would you say was your eliteness coming from? What did you perfect?

Banks: Hard work. You know, I had the good fortune of being tutored in my last college season by the great Hall of Famer Jack Ham. He taught me some of the ins and outs of playing the position and then from there I incorporated that into my skill set. It was just a matter of implementing it at the professional football level.

I did that and continued to work at it. I continued to study myself and how I could get better at every technique, every little thing, and it made me the most dominant strong-side linebacker during my career.

Working for the Jets and the rivalry in NY

Bolavip: Heading to the other team in New York, the Jets, you worked for them as a director of player development. How was that change from one organization to the other in the same city? Did the fans let you know about the decision?

Banks: I don’t think I got too much negativity from the fans and I think that’s because Bill Parcels was there as the head coach and president. Because he has credibility, I have credibility. We were there to do a job. People probably weren’t happy with it, but they understood why I was there and the respect that I had in New York as a champion and as a person certainly helped with fans not being so angry.

Bolavip: Is the Giants-Jets rivalry really a rivalry with the NFL’s scheduling of them so in between? Is there a lost opportunity to have a real battle for New York?

Banks: I think the inner-city or inner-state rivalries are not as strong as they used to be. The Jets have to deal with Buffalo [Bills]. That’s their rival. They’re in the division. The Giants have to deal with Philadelphia [Eagles] and Washington [Commanders]. That’s their rival.

Bragging rights for who is the best team in the city is just not determined if you win that game, a preseason game against the Jets. Back when I played, it was more important to the fans, but I think in the last 20 years the Giants have had better teams and obviously have won two Super Bowls since. The rivalry aspect of it just really doesn’t make much sense.

The NFC East rivalries

Bolavip: You mentioned Philadelphia and Washington. Is Dallas really a strong rival? But it feels far away geographically speaking, right?

Banks: The [Cowboys] are a rival, but traditionally for the Giants, the teams that really gave them and give them problems are: Philadelphia. Because Philadelphia is the gold standard of the NFC East. Dallas is striving to be better than Philly, but most in the division believe that as talented as the Dallas Cowboys are, they’re still beatable. They’re a team that you feel you can go in and play and beat.

With Philadelphia, a true rival, you’re striving to be as good as them. You’re striving to knock them off the throne. Obviously you have to respect the Dallas Cowboys because they have so much talent and their quarterback is elite. They have really elite wide receivers, but when you play the Dallas Cowboys, you always find yourself with an opportunity. That’s not always the case when you play Philadelphia. Philadelphia is just so dominant. And so that is where, in my opinion, you kind of define what a rivalry is.

And then Washington has always been that team, ever since I played, that you love to beat. And it’s great competition. You love the competition against Washington. I don’t know for whatever reason. Our fan bases are super respectful of each other while really cheering vigorously against us, right? Washington fans have always been respectful of our teams, but they cheered so hard against us. I think the same thing applies to Giants fans when it comes to Washington. There’s this lovable hatred.

Whereas the Philadelphia fans are just so ruthless, so you want to get to a point where you can knock them out and then have ultimate bragging rights. Eagles fans have vitriol toward everybody. They don’t like anybody.

Banks sees Dak Prescott as the best QB in the NFC’

Bolavip: Being in a division with so many good quarterbacks, like nowadays in the NFC East every team has their franchise quarterback figured out, from a defensive standpoint what’s it like? Do you want to prove it wrong? What’s the message?

Banks: Washington has a very elite quarterback in Jayden Daniels. Dak Prescott is the best quarterback in the conference, not just in the NFC East. He’s the best quarterback in the conference. Jalen Hurts is a very good quarterback and I think doesn’t get enough credit for the things that he can do. And then, now the Giants have Jaxson Dart.

When you have that type of talent at the quarterback position on every team in the division, you have to look at how you can take advantage of other areas. Take advantage of offensive lines. If the offensive line is weak. I think Washington’s offensive line is not the best in the division. Philadelphia had the best offensive line, but with Lane Johnson not there, they took a step back.

Dallas had a really good offensive line, they took a step back a little bit. So, if you can have a defense that can really control the line of scrimmage, you have a chance to neutralize some of the talents of the quarterback.

Bolavip: Do you think the division is truly up for grabs for New York this season?

Banks: Well, it’s up for grabs if you can compete. The Giants have to be able to compete. They can win any game within the division. They have to compete, and that’s something they’re trying to get to. They’re building the right type of personnel that will allow them to physically compete. And then now it comes down to execution.

40th anniversary of Super Bowl XXI

Bolavip: It will surely be a special season for the Giants. For you as well, the 40th anniversary of the first Super Bowl win in the organization’s history. Does it feel that long ago when you hear it’s been 40 years now?

Banks: No, you really don’t think it was that long ago because the memories are always so fresh. I guess when it’s been so long in between really strong seasons, fans tend to reflect back on the great times of the Giants.

Both of our Super Bowls and then the two after that, is where fans really want to see the team get back to. When you don’t have a lot to look forward to, you kind of look back and cling to the good times. So hopefully, obviously those Super Bowls will never be forgotten, but hopefully the fans have things to look forward to as well.

Bolavip: You were named the 17th greatest Giant of all time. What does it mean to you?

Banks: It’s an honor. It’s an honor to be a part of basically the ultimate Giants team. If I’m in that top 20, that’s a beautiful thing. My satisfaction and the happiness that I get is from being part of winning. Being part of bringing the first championship to New York and the fans really approving of the job that you did, the performance that you gave them, the satisfaction that you gave the fans.

That’s the thing that really matters to me more so than where I rank amongst top Giants. As long as I know I gave my best and I was able to help bring a championship to a city that never had one.

Bolavip: You were at the Giants Town Hall with Phil Simms. What’s your relationship with Phil? Do you still talk with one another 40 years later?

Banks: Yeah, Phil and I are really good friends. We still talk to each other. We text, message a lot about things we see in football and we talk a lot of X’s and O’s. It’s a lot of fun spending time with him.

The hardest QBs Banks faced

Bolavip: You played against a lot of great quarterbacks. Who was the hardest one to figure out, to get down or reach?

Banks: Well, I think Joe Montana will go down as one of the greatest of all times and he was very difficult to play against. He didn’t run a lot, but he ran enough. He made great decisions and he’s just a winner. He’s just so talented.

In terms of who was the hardest quarterback to deal with, it’s probably Randall Cunningham because he was a player that you really couldn’t game-plan for. You just had to go into the game and adjust to what he was doing because he was so good and so athletic.

He was just not predictable on what was going to happen in the game. He’s not like a typical quarterback where you can look at film and say, ‘Okay, we’re going to do these types of things.’ With him, it was just whatever happens on game day, that’s how you would have to adjust. Big headache, big headache.

Bolavip: When you played, was Philadelphia the team you wanted to beat the most, especially on the road? Which was the toughest to deal with?

Banks: Yeah, the [Eagles] were tough. Washington was a team, though, that we needed to beat in order to be in the Super Bowl.

The interesting thing about the era that I played in, especially in the 1980s, there were three teams that won all the Super Bowls except one. It was New York, Washington, and San Francisco. Chicago won one championship in the 1980s [1986] and the rest of the Super Bowls were won by New York, Washington, and San Francisco.

Being that Washington was in your division, you knew that if you could beat Washington, win your division, you had a pretty good chance of going and beating the 49ers or playing the 49ers for a chance to go to the Super Bowl.

Keys behind Super Bowl XXV win

Bolavip: And there was also a team in Buffalo that went to the Super Bowl but couldn’t win it four times in a row. And you beat them with a missed field goal. What’s it like being outside, on the sidelines and knowing your destiny, your fate, and the Super Bowl is hanging on somebody else and you can do nothing about it?

Banks: Well, I was on the field during that kick, but I think the way that game was going, if they hit that field goal, we would have all taken our helmets off, shook their hands, and said, ‘Great game.’

It was just such a hard-fought game. But I think the key to that missed field goal was probably orchestrated before Buffalo even took the field. Sean Landeta’s punt. If his punt was 10 yards shorter and Buffalo started with field position with 10 more yards than they started, we could’ve all done the same thing and they would have kicked the field goal and won it. I think Sean Landeta had a great deal to do with how that series began and how it ended.

Bolavip: Does winning bring you together as a team, or do you think the team was already united before you won the Super Bowl?

Banks: Well, the journey brings you together because you have to be really connected in order to achieve anything in sport, in a team sport. You forge a bond where it’s one for all and all for one. We just continue to fight for each other and we become very close as a result of that. That bond is never broken.

In sports, egos come, but I think in order to win, you’ve got to put egos aside. That doesn’t mean you put your pride aside. It doesn’t mean you put your identity aside. But you understand that no one is bigger than the collective. You have stars within the collective and you always acknowledge and give deference to that. But when you have a guy as great as Lawrence Taylor, who was one of the best teammates you could ever have, that just tells you the ego is not part of it.

Bolavip: Did you feel unbeatable whenever Lawrence Taylor was on the field?

Banks: We, as a team, felt unbeatable. Lawrence made us that much more formidable. It was one of the greatest teams of all time.

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH CARL BANKS ON BOLAVIP US:

That stability is important for a franchise hoping to support young quarterback Jaxson Dart and take another step forward offensively. While training camp battles will emerge across the roster, there currently appears to be little uncertainty at several spots along the offensive line.

According to Giants insider Dan Duggan, there is no meaningful competition at center or left guard at this stage of the offseason. “I don’t see any real competition for Schmitz at center, and Runyan is the heavy favorite at left guard. Runyan got every first-team rep in the only open practice reporters have viewed so far this spring; there’s no competition until someone else gets reps with the starters.”

Could Giants cut Jon Runyan?

Even though Jon Runyan currently looks locked into as starter for the New York Giants, Duggan believes there is one scenario worth monitoring as the offseason progresses.

If another lineman emerges and proves capable of handling a starting role, the Giants could be tempted to make a difficult financial decision before the regular season begins.

“The scenario in the back of my mind is that if someone emerges, Harbaugh’s favorite Daniel Faalele is the obvious candidate, Runyan could land on the chopping block for cap savings ($9.25 million) around cut day.”

“John Harbaugh just said that Jason Sanders’ kicking style wasn’t a ‘perfect fit’ for the winds out here,” New York Post reporter Ryan Dunleavy stated on X.

As Dunleavy noted, Harbaugh and New York’s explanation for why Sanders wasn’t a good fit is one that was immediately put into question. Are the winds blowing through the Giants‘ facilities in East Rutherford any different than the gusts at Florham Park, the Jets‘ home? A 40-minute drive separates the two New York teams’ training grounds, and it’s hard to imagine the climatic conditions can be any different.

Sanders could prove Giants wrong

If Sanders struggles to establish himself with the Jets, however, then Harbaugh and the Giants may be proven right. If not, and on the contrary, Sanders goes on to make Gang Green’s 53-man roster for the 2026 NFL season and has a strong year while the G-Men’s kicking crew struggles (like last year), then it could be the first swing and a miss on Harbaugh’s strike count in the Big Apple.

Regardless, Harbaugh has been around special teams his entire coaching career. At the very least, he deserves the benefit of the doubt. If there’s something about Sanders’ kicking style that bugs him in the beautiful days of spring, those concerns would only grow bigger deep into the season in the tundra-like environment that MetLife Stadium will become.

Moreover, the Jets have been on the wrong end of wagers way too many times not to imagine they could make a mistake again. If it comes down to it, the odds will favor the Giants to get the decision right and the Jets to slip up.

Kicking competitions on Giants and Jets

Cutting Sanders is only one step along the way for the G-Men. Big Blue has two young kickers competing for the starting job, Dominic Zvada and Ben Sauls. Based on the reports out of their first day of competition, it’s safe to say who is leading the race.

As reported by Giants insiders, Zvada went 13-for-13 on field-goal attempts during the team’s practice on Tuesday, whereas Sauls struggled, connecting on four of 10 on Wednesday. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, but Sauls must pick up the pace if he wants to come away with the job.

As for the Jets, the signing of Sanders came hand in hand with the release of Younghoe Koo, also a former New York Giant. As it stands, Aaron Glenn’s team is setting up a head-to-head competition between Cade York and Jason Sanders.

The news, reported by Jordan Raanan on his X account, represents a no-risk financial proposition for the Giants. In this way, they are adding talent at a low cost, an ideal scenario in New York.

It will ultimately be a matter of seeing, during this preparation process, what decision John Harbaugh will finally make. The serious injury to Gunner Olszewski presents a major opportunity for other players to earn a spot on the 53-man roster.

What’s next for the Giants?

As the New York Giants approach their final offseason push, all eyes are on the upcoming veterans minicamp scheduled for June 8-10, 2026. Following this mandatory three-day session, the team will transition to training camp later this summer, which will be uniquely held in West Virginia due to facility upgrades in East Rutherford.

These crucial preparation dates will be the ultimate proving ground for a trio of newly signed wide receivers: Odell Beckham Jr., JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Braxton Berrios. Having just joined the roster in early June, these proven veterans must quickly master the playbook and showcase their unique skill sets during camp to convince head coach John Harbaugh that they deserve a highly competitive spot on the final 53-man roster.

New York releases one of its kickers

In an unexpected roster cut to officially add JuJu Smith-Schuster, the New York Giants released veteran kicker Jason Sanders. This surprise move frees up the necessary roster space and financial flexibility to integrate the experienced wide receiver into the offense just ahead of the team’s upcoming minicamp.

The experienced nose tackle arrived in the NFL in 2017 as an undrafted player, with the Cincinnati Bengals becoming his first team as a professional. He spent six seasons there before joining the Raven Flock, and later had a stint with the Indianapolis Colts.

Tupou already knows Harbaugh and his physical work methodology firsthand. His most recent experience in the league came on the Ravens’ practice squad, and now he arrives in East Rutherford to strengthen the trenches for the G-Men.

Tupou joins an NFC contender

Since breaking into the NFL, Josh Tupou has carved out a solid role as a dependable interior presence and a key asset on special teams. Utilizing his imposing 6-foot-3, 350-pound frame, the Colorado product nose tackle excels at plugging up the middle, racking up 94 total tackles and 3.0 sacks throughout his career.

While his dirty work in the trenches doesn’t always grab headlines, his knack for absorbing double-teams and shutting down rushing lanes makes him an incredibly valuable, selfless piece for any defensive front.

More options for Harbaugh at the position

John Harbaugh has assembled a deeply physical and highly versatile mix of options at nose tackle, perfectly tailored to anchor the interior of the defensive front line. Locking down the starting role is veteran powerhouse DJ Reader, a premier, elite space-eater whose rare knack for absorbing double-teams and shutting down rushing lanes serves as the ultimate anchor for the run defense.

Providing high-upside rotational depth behind him is Leki Fotu, an imposing 6-foot-5, 317-pound journeyman coming off a active 2025 campaign across Las Vegas and Houston where he continued to prove his reliability as a heavy interior presence. Adding massive, young talent to the rotation are rookies Bobby Jamison-Travis—a highly productive 328-pound Auburn standout who racked up a career-high 36 tackles in 2025—and the towering 6-foot-5, 340-pound Anquin Barnes Jr. out of Colorado.

Together, this specialized rotation offers Harbaugh the perfect blend of seasoned block-shedders and explosive youthful size to consistently choke out opposing run games.

“I mean, change can be good,” the running back said via The Athletic. “We’re all excited for everything. Everything is new, so we’re all just trying to learn, but also enjoying it, taking it day by day, not trying to get too overwhelmed, but just being present in the moment.”

Harbaugh left the Ravens Flock with a Super Bowl title under his belt as he heads to the NFC East. Now, Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and company will have to adapt to a new system, although the hope of remaining among the league’s top contenders is still very much alive.

What does Jesse Minter bring to Baltimore?

Jesse Minter’s return to Baltimore, replacing none other than Harbaugh, brings a highly respected, data-driven methodology that emphasizes aggressive versatility and elite game-planning. Having previously served on the Ravens’ defensive staff between 2017 and 2020 before implementing a top-tier defensive system with the Los Angeles Chargers, Minter relies on a teaching-heavy, collaborative working style that players absolutely love to play for.

Because he is a defensive-minded head coach, his arrival won’t directly alter the offensive play-calling mechanics, meaning he won’t be micro-managing the ground game to artificially boost Derrick Henry’s stats.

However, Minter’s signature ability to field a suffocating defense will inevitably hand the ball back to the offense with excellent field position, creating plenty of clock-killing opportunities that could indirectly keep King Henry’s rushing numbers sky-high.

Henry’s outstanding 2025 season the Ravens

Derrick Henry put up absolute monster numbers in 2025, racking up 1,595 rushing yards and crushing 16 touchdowns on 307 carries. To take things to the next level, the goal isn’t just about forcing a higher volume of touches, but heavily capitalizing on efficiency and capitalizing on ideal field position.

By letting the offense wear down tired defensive lines late in games, King Henry is in a prime position to break even longer runs, maximize his yards per carry, and easily shatter his previous regular-season benchmarks.

The safety’s declarations were part of a detailed report by Patricia Traina for Sports Illustrated. “His demeanor and how he kind of cultivates the group… His message was very direct. You can tell that he has a plan for how he introduces things day in and day out, and it’s very streamlined, so it’s nice,” Holland explained. This new environment is so attractive that reports suggest the Giants could sign DeAndre Hopkins.

Holland further emphasized that the “streamlined” approach helps players focus entirely on execution rather than learning complex instructions. This professional environment is a significant change for a Giants team that struggled with consistency and late-game execution during the previous regime.

Does Andrew Thomas also speak about the Harbaugh way?

Left tackle Andrew Thomas shared the same excitement regarding the arrival of the winningest coach in Ravens history. “Very excited. Obviously, his reputation speaks for itself. A true ball coach, so I was excited that he’s going to come here and hopefully get things going in the right direction,” Thomas said.

Thomas highlighted that the most impactful part of the new system is how Harbaugh prioritizes personal growth. “I would say first is just empowering us as players… Like a lot of our team meetings aren’t just about football in general. It’s just about life, and we talk about principles and just how you approach every day as a man,” the tackle revealed.

Thomas, who is currently managing his recovery to be ready for the season opener, feels that this mentorship style creates a stronger bond among the players. With a “true ball coach” at the helm, the Giants are hoping that this blend will finally lead them back to a deep NFL playoff run.

Schmitz was a second round pick in 2023, and has not delivered as expected. However, he had an average season in 2025, but now that Harbaugh and Nagy are in the building, he is having to adjust once again.

Per Dan Duggan of The Athletic, “The centers pulled a lot during drills early in practice. It makes sense that’s a featured part of the offense considering Harbaugh had the athletic Tyler Linderbaum at center for the past four seasons. It will be interesting to see whether Schmitz can thrive in this scheme,” noted Duggan.

Harbaugh is looking for one thing only

The Giants want to run the ball. Plain and simple, Harbaugh likes to put a modern twist but in an old school football scheme. He likes running the football, and for that, his offensive line must be agile, mobile but very strong.

In fact, Nagy was not the only hire, as Harbaugh hired Mike Bloomgren to be the offensive line coach. The Giants also drafted Francis Mauigoa to add explosiveness to their offensive line. Things are changing and players must adapt or they will be let go.

The running backs also have to deliver

Cam Skattebo was having a great rookie season, but a season-ending ankle injury is now putting doubts over his sophomore season. He must play great. Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary must do their part too because the Giants want to stay ahead of the chains.

Hence, establishing the run is imperative. That also allows quarterback Jaxson Dart to play more freely and avoid running himself. He can take more care of himself while having plenty of support.

The situation regarding his knee health still remains uncertain. Although reports out of East Rutherford suggest confidence in seeing the WR available for Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys, the coach remains cautious and expectant about the situation.

“I’m told [Nabers] has been a fixture in the building. He’s been trying to rehab that thing. The Giants don’t quite know yet whether he’s going to be ready for training camp or when,” the insider Jeremy Fowler reported Saturday on ESPN.

“The hope is still Week 1, but that is not a guarantee. John Harbaugh, the head coach, said this week that it’s just a tricky injury because he had that second surgery, dealing with some of that scar tissue, cleaning that up, and so they like where he is trending, but it’s just one of those situations where they don’t know when he’s going to get on the field.”

A before and after for Malik Nabers

Malik Nabers suffered a season-ending torn ACL and meniscus during a Week 4 victory against the Los Angeles Chargers last 2025 season, after landing awkwardly during a deep-pass attempt in the second quarter. Following an initial surgery in late October, Nabers underwent a second minor “clean-up” procedure early this offseason to remove scar tissue that was causing stiffness in his right knee.

He is currently working hard every day in the facility through the “grind” of his rehabilitation, and while the Giants remain hopeful that he can return in time for training camp or the Week 1 opener against the Dallas Cowboys, his exact recovery timeline remains uncertain.

Different options for John Harbaugh in the WR room

It is well known everything Malik Nabers can bring to the New York Giants offense, and how much Jaxson Dart’s numbers could be affected without him on the field. The good news for John Harbaugh and the rest of the Giants is that they still have several high-level options capable of breaking down opposing defenses through the air.

Early challenges for New York

• Week 1, vs Dallas Cowboys (SNF)
• Week 2, at Los Angeles Rams (MNF)
• Week 3, vs Tennessee Titans
• Week 4, vs Arizona Cardinals
• Week 5, at Washington Commanders

It was reported just before the 2026 NFL Draft that the Giants could part ways with Joe Schoen soon after the draft ended. However, now those rumors have been put to utter silence, ending a possible route for drama against the team.

The extension, reported by Jordan Raanan of ESPN, could possibly come from the good chemistry between Schoen and Harbaugh. This comes despite Harbaugh’s desire to not answer to Schoen. Per Schoen, “We were aligned from Day 1. So, it’s been great. It has been a really good offseason for us.“

NY Giants are making things right

Bringing a certified winner head coach like John Harbaugh was the first step. Giving him a young, talented core to work with was also key. Jaxson Dart as a quarterback, Cam Skattebo as running back, and Malik Nabers as wide receiver are highly-talented and haven’t got to their primes yet.

Then, establish a direct line of work with Harbaugh and Schoen is also a great step. Having stability from the front office down to the roster is key for success. The Giants have done everything right so far.

Schoen’s track record isn’t great, but recent moves might have saved him

It would be a lie to say that Schoen has been hitting home run after home run since being appointed as the Giants GM. He gave an undeserved huge contract to Daniel Jones. Then, as collateral damage, he let star RB Saquon Barkley go to divisional rivals Eagles and have a historic, Super Bowl-winning season.

However, he’s shown a good eye for scouting, drafting good young prospects, especially in the last couple of years. That might have been what saved his job, but he’s got to improve in other areas still.

Dropped passes may be something the team has to work on going forward. At least, that was an aspect that caught Harbaugh’s attention and the Super Bowl-winning coach couldn’t get out of his mind. As he addressed media after practice, he made that clear.

“[In OTAs] the football shouldn’t hit the ground too often,” Harbaugh said, via Ryan Dunleavy of New York Post. Considering drops tend to drive coaches crazy—and fans, as well—Harbaugh did come up with a subtle way to let his players know it’s something that needs fixing.

Giants’ drops in 2025

Though it appears to have been an area New York struggled with during its open-to-the-public practice session, drops were not exactly a headache last season. Considering not much went the Giants’ way in 2025, it is noteworthy that they were far from the worst team in the league at securing possession.

According to Pro Football Reference, the Giants registered 19 drops throughout the 2025 NFL campaign. That is not too bad considering the Jacksonville Jaguars led the league with 45 dropped passes, while the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots had the safest hands with just 13 drops each.

Big Blue’s receivers dropped just 3.6% of their targets, recording 19 drops on 526 targets. Moreover, 9.4% of the team’s incompletions were the result of dropped passes, with the Giants totaling 203 incompletions overall. The remaining 90.6% can be blamed on the throw or credited to the defense.

NY Giants’ revamped WR room

Even though their numbers from a year ago—actually, just months ago—are quite encouraging, the Giants are looking quite different. Harbaugh has brought in several new weapons, and the wideouts room, as well as the depth additions to the running back and tight end groups, mean these are not the same G-Men from the 2025 NFL campaign.

Furthermore, players like Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, and Cam Skattebo continue to recover from injuries and were all missing from action during OTAs. Thus, Big Blue’s receiving corps featured new faces, many of whom have yet to prove themselves to the Giants.

Perhaps the current group is indeed one that has trouble keeping the pigskin off the dirt. If that is the case, it might be wise on Harbaugh’s part to tackle the issue head-on.