Which Projected Top 2025 Free Agents Could Help Giants Most?

These three free agents would make sense for the Giants in the offseason.

Oct 31, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets cornerback D.J. Reed (4) reacts after sacking Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Giants are going to need to address some key areas in the offseason. The draft will take up most of the attention, as the Giants are slated to have another premium pick. However, they're going to have a significant amount of money to play with once free agency opens up.

As of now, the Giants are expected to have $42.3 million in cap space, according to OvertheCap. That's without the expected $19 million they'll save by releasing Daniel Jones, so they'll likely be above $60 million with other potential cuts in store. There are some obvious positions they need to upgrade, and they should start planning from now.

Pro Football Focus released its 2025 free agent rankings. Here are a few players the Giants should look at in free agency from this list.

CB D.J. Reed

The Giants' hopes of Deonte Banks becoming a No.1 cornerback have not come to fruition, as he's clearly better suited to be a complement to a shutdown option opposite of him. They had a cornerback issue on the outside coming into the season but didn't really do much to address it. They drafted Andru Phillips in the third round, but he's excelled in the slot and will continue in that role.

They should spend money on a proven cornerback, which is where Reed comes in. He's allowed zero touchdowns on just 12 catches while also collecting eight passes defended. 

Reed has been a staple opposite of Sauce Gardner in the Jets' defensive system. Seeing as the Giants desperately need a veteran presence in the cornerback room, it'd be wise to splurge on one in free agency. Reed makes a lot of sense, and all he'll have to do is switch locker rooms in the same stadium.

DL Alim McNeill

Another major deficiency for the Giants has been on the defensive line. They obviously have Dexter Lawrence, who's the best nose tackle in the league. However, they don't have a viable option next to him. The Giants rushing defense has been absolutely terrible for the last few seasons, 2024 being no different.

Rakeem Nuñez-Roches, DJ Davidson, and Elijah Chatman have been the major three linemen rotated in next to Lawrence, but they haven't been able to get the job done. 

Enter McNeill, one of the league's young up-and-coming interior linemen. It wouldn't be surprising if Detroit signs him to an extension before he hits the market, but McNeill should be on the Giants' list if they want to bolster their defensive line. He has 3.5 sacks and six tackles for a loss, but he has missed only one tackle this season.

G James Daniels

The Giants' offensive line was playing well up until the season-ending injury of Andrew Thomas. One area in the unit they'll need to look at is guard, specifically right guard. Greg Van Roten has been a fine fill-in but clearly isn't the long-term answer.

Daniels is going to be coming off of a torn Achilles by the time next season rolls around. The 27-year-old has 55 starts at left guard, 17 at right guard, and eight at center, proving his versatility all over the interior.

"Daniels was turning in a career year, but unfortunately, he tore his Achilles in Week 4. The 27-year-old was solid in his first two years with the Steelers, recording overall grades above 61.0, but showed some liabilities in run-blocking. There should be quite a market, given Daniels’ age and experience (already seven years)."

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