NY Giants 2025 free agent report card: Joe Schoen didn’t get what he paid for

The New York Giants limped to an abysmal four-win finish in the 2025 season, landing at the back end of the top five in the 2026 NFL Draft. The 2025 offseason brought yet another spending spree, as Joe Schoen tried to patch a weak secondary for then–defensive coordinator Shane Bowen — an effort that ultimately failed in year one, but that doesn’t mean it will fail with a new coordinator.

Schoen also added veteran quarterbacks and front-seven pieces for the defense, and he took a jab at swing tackle. Some of these contracts worked out better in year one than others. Schoen also resigned WR Darius Slayton to a three-year, $36 million contract, and Slayton followed it up with his worst season as a Giant; the veteran receiver caught 37 of 60 passes for 538 yards with a touchdown and six drops, most in critical situations.

Schoen also resigned Greg Van Roten, Tommy DeVito, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Jamie Gillan, and Aaron Stinnie. For the returnees in year one, the Giants will receive a C- with Van Roten’s quality contributions bearing most of the weight. Here are the rest of the grades for the 2025 Giants’ free agent class.

CB Paulson Adebo

Three years, $54-million, $38.5-million guarnteed ($18-million AAV)

Adebo played 759 defensive snaps for the Giants and missed five games with a knee injury. He was their number one cornerback with Cor’Dale Flott operating as a competent number two. The 26-year-old allowed a catch on 66.2% of his targets (49 of 74) for 532 yards (10.9 YPC) and 164 yards allowed after the catch. Adebo surrendered two touchdowns, had three penalties, five passes defensed, and intercepted one pass.

He was MUCH better than Tae Banks in run support, which says nothing, but he was a solid run defender who missed only 9% of his tackle attempts. He finished with 64 tackles and 11 STOPs. Adebo handled the opposing number one wide receivers and executed solid positioning with his zone technique, while staying in phase throughout man coverage.

However, he didn’t make game-changing plays, which was one reason he earned his massive contract. I believe Adebo is a good football player and a capable enough cornerback, one who would ideally be a cornerback two. Still, the defense was worse without Adebo; the Giants surrendered 380 yards (49ers), 391 (Bears), 296 (Packers), and 494 (Lions) yards without Adebo. It may not seem like it, but he was more indispensable than his statistical impact would suggest.

Grade:B

S Jevon Holland

Three years, $45.3-million, $30.3-million guaranteed ($15.1-million AAV)

Schoen’s process of repairing the Giants’ safety position is a massive indictment of the often-besmirched general manager. Schoen let Julian Love walk out the door for $6-million a year, and then Xavier McKinney signed a four-year $67-million contract with the Green Bay Packers. The contract with Holland and McKinney is comparable, and Holland’s was reactionary to losing Love and McKinney. The problem — Xavier McKinney is much better than Jevon Holland.

The process was a major issue, compounded by Tyler Nubin’s second-year struggles; the Giants need more from the 2024 second-round pick. However, this has little to do with Jevon Holland’s play on the field. Holland played 835 snaps with 43 tackles (10.9% missed tackle rate), nine STOPs, and a 60% completion rate (18 of 30).

Holland wasn’t necessarily a bad player for the Giants, but he failed to make any impactful plays. He was susceptible to losing leverage in coverage a few times, which led to big offensive plays, and he surrendered two touchdowns while committing four penalties, with three passes defensed and one interception. He did have a massive pick-six negated by an Abdul Carter offside that was inconsequential to the play. Overall, we need to get more from Jevon Holland — and that’s well within the range of possibility with a new defensive coordinator. Still, year one was not great.

Grade:D+

QB Russell Wilson

One year, $10.5-million, fully guaranteed

There is something unquantifiable about Wilson’s leadership with the young players on the team, but the end result of Wilson’s tenure as a Giant was a stain on both his and the Giants’ resumes. Wilson started three games and finished with 69 completions (58%) for 831 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions; 450 of those yards came against a terrible Matt Eberflus coached Dallas defense. Wilson also completed three passes against Chicago and one against the Chargers.

Wilson was later benched a second time in favor of Jameis Winston when Jaxson Dart was in the concussion protocol, and Winston moved the offense and provided an explosive element to the team. The offense was stagnant and unwatchable under Wilson, who operated the first-team offense all throughout training camp, effectively taking those snaps from Jaxson Dart and Winston. Luckily, it was a one-year deal; that, plus the Dallas game, prevented this from earning an F.

Grade:D-

OT James Hudson III

Two years, $12-million, $6-million guaranteed($6-million AAV)

Hudson confused football with boxing throughout training camp. The tackle was constantly fighting the defense and getting into skirmishes. If he wasn’t fighting, he was committing false start penalties. This all culminated in Week 2 against Dallas, when Hudson committed four penalties on the first drive of the game and was benched for the day in favor of third-round rookie Marcus Mbow. The fact that Hudson III received one million dollars less than Jermaine Eleumunor one off-season later should be studied.

Grade:F

QB Jameis Winston

Two years, $8-million, $5.3-million guaranteed($4-million AAV)

Jameis Winston is the GOOD VIBES guy, and he played adequately when he received a chance. He finished 37 of 66 (56.1%) for 567 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Winston went punch-for-punch with the Detroit Lions, throwing for 366 yards with a 10.2 yards per attempt number. The offense moved and did not stall with Winston as it did with Wilson. Also, Winston’s impact on the young players is invaluable:

Winston’s energy is very important during this dismal season, and the Giants were in desperate need of a quarterback room upgrade. What I appreciate most about the Winston signing is the second year; he will spend a second season assisting Jaxson Dart while providing a reliable option for the Giants to call upon.

Grade:A+

EDGE Chauncey Golston

Three years, $18-million, $12-million guaranteed ($6-million AAV)

The 27-year-old spent much of the 2025 season injured. He initially hurt his ankle and missed three games, and then injured his neck against Philadelphia, which led to a five-game absence. He played just 173 snaps for the Giants, earning five pressures, a sack, and ten STOPs. Golston is a physical edge who provided a quality presence against the run down the stretch of the season. His best days as a Giant are ahead of him, but year one was marred by multiple injuries.

Grade:C–

DL Roy Robertson-Harris

(Two years, $9-million, $5.3-million guaranteed ($4.5-million AAV)

Roy Robertson-Harris played 627 snaps across 17 games for the Giants’ defense. He earned 21 pressures and had 35 tackles — 19 of which were STOPs. Robertson-Harris flashed consistently on tape and would make for a quality depth piece along the defensive line at this stage of his career. But, due to the dearth of talent at the position, he started every game. Still, he was a contributor who did more than the statistics would suggest.

Grade:B-

LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles

One-year, $1.33-million, $442.5-thousand guaranteed

The Giants signed Flannigan-Fowles to be a special teams ace, but an early injury to Micah McFadden, plus injuries to Darius Muasau and Chris Board, forced him to play 225 defensive snaps on top of his 105 special teams snaps. He recorded four pressures, a sack, and 16 tackles — 9 of which were STOPs. He was a cheap one-year investment who filled a role out of necessity. Ideally, he shouldn’t have started three games for the Giants, but injuries and a lack of long-term plan at linebacker rendered the Giants in that exact position. He was fine for the cost.

Grade: B-

Final thoughts

Schoen spent aggressively in free agency, but it failed to deliver the desired results. Another season ended in despair, with just four wins to show. Still, there is reason to believe upside remains. Players like Paulson Adebo, Jevon Holland, and even Chauncey Golston have the tools to provide meaningful returns in a more stable defensive environment.

Winston’s presence is invaluable for both Jaxson Dart and the Giants; his experience provides a safety net and developmental support. Should anything happen to Dart, Winston is more than capable of seizing the day. Roy Robertson-Harris offers adequate depth along the defensive line, but shouldn’t be the starter heading into 2026.

Ultimately, the 2025 free-agent class was underwhelming and largely disappointing. However, that narrative could shift if the secondary pieces develop as expected and the defense functions within a more cohesive, well-structured system.

Overall Grade: C–