ESPN recently released its future power rankings and the New York Giants landed at 22nd overall with a score of 75.3. That translates to average at best, and it paints a clear picture of a franchise that still has a long way to go before it becomes a legitimate contender.

Some context on how this works: The future rankings are composed by a panel of four analysts: Louis Riddick, Aaron Schatz, Ben Solak, and Seth Walder. They rate each team’s quarterback situation, remaining non-quarterback roster makeup, front office, and coaching staff.

The scoring scale breaks down like this:

• 100 is elite (A+)
• 90 to 99 is great (A)
• 80 to 89 is very good (B)
• 70 to 79 is average (C)
• 51 to 69 is very bad (D)
• 50 or below is disastrous (F)

The measured window is from 2027-2029, as well. So, now that we have all that in tow, let’s dive in.

ESPN ranks Giants’ front office as the worst in the NFL

This is what immediately stands out and it’s pretty damning. Joe Schoen and the Giants front office ranked dead last in this exercise and Schoen even caught a stray in the “reason for hope” category of ESPN’s breakdown.

It really raises the question of how can the Giants really improve this ranking, because obviously, a team’s general manager and front office are the driving forces behind building the roster.

If they can’t evaluate correctly, then everything is messed up from the jump. This is clearly a big year for Schoen and Co. and it’ll be intriguing to see how everything plays out. Especially after a draft that netted two top-10 picks.

The reasons for hope are real, but they come with caveats

ESPN points to quarterback Jaxson Dart and coach John Harbaugh as the main reasons for optimism, and it makes sense. Harbaugh has had a ton of success as a head coach, and Dart looked promising during his rookie year. However, Dart has to avoid the unnecessary hits that led to his concussion issues and injuries in 2025. That’s a legitimate concern that will follow him until he proves he can stay healthy.

ESPN’s hope column also includes wide receiver Malik Nabers and edge rusher Abdul Carter, who give the Giants a good foundation on both sides of the ball. As mentioned earlier, Schoen is mentioned as well, but not in a positive light.

Injuries are an underlying concern heading into the next few years

The reasons for concern center around the health of Cam Skattebo, Nabers, and Dart. All three players have to bounce back from their respective injuries if the Giants want to get back to playoff-caliber status, and that remains to be seen.

Skattebo’s leg injury was pretty brutal, and you have to wonder how it’s going to affect him overall. The outlook on Nabers is a lot more positive than it was a few months ago, but it always takes time to come back from an ACL.

There’s also the question of whether Nabers can replicate what he showed in Year 1. Just look at Brian Thomas from Year 1 to Year 2 for a reminder that productive rookie seasons don’t always lead to consistently elite play. 

Seth Walder also predicted offensive tackle Andrew Thomas would win Protector of the Year at some point between 2027 and 2029. That’s an interesting take because Thomas is a good player, but he hasn’t broken into that elite mold just yet. If he does win the award at some point, though, that would be a major boon for a Giants offensive line that has seen its fair share of struggles, and it would give them another foundational piece.

The category-by-category breakdown is telling

Here’s how the Giants scored across the board:

• Roster (excluding QB): 70.5 (29th in the NFL)
• Quarterback: 80.25 (18th)
• Coaching: 84.25 (14th)
• Front office: 68.25 (32nd)

That tells me a lot. When you rank below average in every single category except coaching, it means you still have a ton of work to do. 

Coaching is the one bright spot, and Harbaugh’s 84.25 score at 14th overall is the only category where the Giants grade out as “very good.” Everything else falls into average or worse territory. The quarterback score at 18th isn’t bad, but it’s contingent on Dart staying healthy and continuing to develop. The roster ranking at 29th is a clear indictment of the talent surrounding him.

The front office score is the one that should raise the most eyebrows. Ranking 32nd out of 32 teams means ESPN’s panel has zero confidence in Schoen’s ability to build this roster into a contender. Only time will tell if he proves them wrong both in 2026 and potentially the future.