The New York Giants will head into the 2026 regular season with high hopes under a new coaching staff led by John Harbaugh. Harbaugh signed on as the 21st head coach in franchise history earlier in the offseason, with the young talent on the roster likely playing a significant role in luring the former Super Bowl-winning coach to New York.
Pro Football Network released its list of the top 100 players in the NFL ahead of the 2026 season. The rankings include three Giants who form part of the team’s strong foundation.
LB Brian Burns, No. 43
Though he was coming off a down year when the Giants acquired him after the 2023 season, Brian Burns has found new life in New York. In each of his two seasons with the team, he’s graded in at least the top eight in PFN EDGE Impact Scoring, landing at No. 3 overall with a 90.9 score in 2025.
Not only did Burns’ 16.5 sacks last year mark a career high for him, but they also ranked second in the entire NFL. Since he entered the league back in 2019, his 71.0 sacks are the fifth-most of any player in that span. He’s a certified sack artist who also placed sixth among edge rushers with an 86.0 run-defense score last year.
Burns is coming off his strongest season as a pass rusher, recording a career-best 16.5 sacks.
The next Giant on the list arrived a few spots later on the opposite side of the trenches.
OL Andrew Thomas, No. 46
Availability has been a concern with Andrew Thomas over the years, as he missed a combined 18 games between 2023 and 2024. He missed four games in 2025, but that improved availability and elite play rightfully earn him a high spot in our rankings. His 86.4 PFN OL Impact Score ranked fourth among all offensive tackles and second among all left tackles in 2025.
Since 2022, Thomas has placed in the top four among all offensive tackles twice. He allowed just one sack in 448 pass-blocking snaps last season, and his 88.4 run-blocking score ranked sixth at his position. When healthy, he’s one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL today.
Thomas has battled injuries throughout his career, but when healthy, he ranks among the very best at his position.
The final Giants player to make the list was a young star wide receiver.
WR Malik Nabers, No. 85
Malik Nabers’ rookie season was nothing short of phenomenal in 2024, even in spite of the quarterback mess the New York Giants had going on that year. His 2025 wasn’t as lucky, as he unfortunately suffered a torn ACL late in September that ended his season after just four games.
Nabers put up 109 receptions and 1,204 receiving yards as a rookie, earning him Pro Bowl recognition in his first year in the NFL. It remains to be seen how he fares coming back from injury, but he looked like a true WR1 for the Giants in 2024. With Jaxson Dart now in the fold, there’s no telling how high Nabers’ ceiling is in 2026.
Nabers’ sophomore season was cut short by a serious knee injury that created uncertainty around the start of his 2026 campaign. He played less than a half of football alongside Jaxson Dart, leaving fans eager to see how the two can elevate each other’s games.
Former Giants players on the list include Leonard Williams (No. 25), Xavier McKinney (No. 67), and Saquon Barkley (No. 72). The Giants’ NFC East rival, the Philadelphia Eagles, led the league with nine players on the list. Notably absent was former Giants nose tackle Dexter Lawrence.
The Giants feature a solid core of established players along with several promising young talents from recent drafts who could develop into stars. When this list is released next year, more Giants could appear on it, potentially including quarterback Jaxson Dart.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: 3 New York Giants named to PFSN’s top 100 players of 2026 list
Reporting by Tyler Henry, Giants Wire / Giants Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Tyler Henry, Giants Wire | USA TODAY Network
