Pro Football Focus has ranked the New York Giants’ secondary 27th among all NFL defensive backfields heading into the 2026 season, underscoring persistent questions about the unit’s ability to improve after a difficult 2025 campaign.
The ranking highlights a group that struggled in multiple areas a year ago and returns largely intact for the upcoming season under new head coach John Harbaugh.
Run defense was a major concern for the Giants whenever the front seven defenders were taken out of the equation. New York finished with the lowest PFF run-defense grade of any secondary last year. The Giants also committed the second-most penalties of any defensive backs group. They’re practically rolling out the same underwhelming group in 2026, with the exception of newcomer Greg Newsome II. Now on his third franchise in four years, Newsome is badly out of form. No cornerback in the league allowed more receptions in coverage between Week 14 and Jacksonville’s wild-card round exit.
The evaluation from PFF leaves little room for optimism in the short term. Newsome’s arrival marks the primary change to a secondary that ranked near the bottom in both run support and discipline last season. His recent production raises further doubt about whether the unit can climb the rankings without significant internal improvement.
As the Giants prepare for the 2026 season, the secondary’s ability to address those longstanding issues will play a major role in the defense’s overall trajectory.
For now, the PFF ranking places New York’s defensive backs among the league’s weakest groups.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants’ secondary ranked among worst in NFL
Reporting by Dan Benton, Giants Wire / Giants Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Dan Benton, Giants Wire | USA TODAY Network
