Cover 3: How free agency will affect the draft

The Giants.com crew members discuss how the moves in free agency will affect the draft next month.

Mar. 24, 2026 at 10:31pm

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The Giants.com crew discusses how free agency moves will impact the upcoming NFL draft. They note the Giants have flexibility to take the best players available, regardless of position, after addressing some needs in free agency. The team can focus on talent acquisition rather than filling specific holes, with the goal of finding impact players on both sides of the ball.

Why it matters

The Giants' approach in free agency has given them more options in the draft, allowing them to focus on adding the most talented players rather than reaching to fill specific needs. This could lead to the team landing difference-makers who can help them improve on the field in both the short and long term.

The details

The Giants did not enter free agency needing to address one glaring weakness on their roster. While they still have needs, particularly on the offensive and defensive lines, those can be filled by veteran free agents later on. This gives the team the freedom to simply select the best players available in the draft, rather than feeling compelled to target specific positions. The Giants can focus on acquiring talent that will help them both this season and in the years to come, as they have several key players entering the final year of their contracts.

  • The NFL Annual Meeting is scheduled for next week in Phoenix, Arizona.

The players

John Schmeelk

Giants.com crew member.

Dan Salomone

Giants.com crew member.

Matt Citak

Giants.com crew member.

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What they’re saying

“To me, the number one thing is we have to have guys that love football. You just have to. It's football. What are we here for? What do we do? What is this building for? It's for football. This is a football team.”

— John Harbaugh

“The real value of a player is if he can help his team walk off the field on Sundays with more points than the opponent.”

— Dan Salomone, Giants.com crew member

“In an ideal world, teams want to address needs during free agency in order to free them up to simply take the best player available during the draft.”

— Matt Citak, Giants.com crew member

What’s next

The Giants will have the opportunity to add an impact player with the 5th overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.

The takeaway

The Giants' approach in free agency has given them flexibility in the draft, allowing them to focus on acquiring the most talented players available rather than feeling compelled to fill specific needs. This could lead to the team landing difference-makers who can help them improve both in the short and long term.