The New York Giants fired Head Coach Brian Daboll on Monday, setting the table for the fifth HC search in the last 10 years. One of the individuals slated to be a part of that search is General Manager Joe Schoen. However, the lack of improvement in Schoen’s four-year tenure calls into question whether or not the team should be looking for a new GM as well.
One of Schoen’s most glaring faults has been his failure to fix the interior defensive line beside All-Pro Dexter Lawrence. In the two seasons prior to Schoen’s arrival (2020 and 2021), the Giants’ defense allowed the 10th and 17th least rushing yards in the league, respectively. In comparison, the Giants finished in the bottom six of the league in rushing yards allowed in each of Schoen’s first three seasons.
The Giants have been through two defensive coordinators in that time: Don “Wink” Martindale and Shane Bowen. While some have criticized Martindale’s blitz-happy approach and have blamed the Giants’ multiple fourth quarter collapses on Bowen, it’s hard to put the brunt of the blame for the poor run defense on their shoulders.
When Martindale took over the DC role in 2022, the veteran coach was coming off a role as Baltimore’s DC. The 2021 Ravens defense let up the least rushing yards to opposing offenses in the league that season. When Martindale and Daboll had a falling out in 2023, Bowen took over. Bowen had spent the previous three seasons as Tennessee’s DC. In his first season with the Titans, the team allowed the second least rushing yards in the league. In his second, they allowed the least.
Why then, have the 2025 Giants allowed the most rushing yards of any defense in the NFL? The common link amongst all four seasons has been a lack of starter-caliber additions to the interior defensive line.
The biggest move Schoen has made regarding the position involved trading away Pro Bowler Leonard Williams to Seattle in 2023. The deal was a smart decision, but Schoen has not filled the hole Williams’ departure left. Low investment deals for Rakeem Nuñez-Roches and Roy Robertson-Harris would have made fine depth, but both have been thrust into starting roles. Schoen selected Darius Alexander in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but it’s foolhardy to rely on a mid-round rookie to reverse a trend built over multiple seasons.
Schoen has also neglected to build depth, especially defensive. When linebacker Micah McFadden went down with injury, 2024 sixth rounder Darius Muasau was forced into a starting role. When Muasau suffered a concussion, career special teamer Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles found himself starting on defense.
When cornerback Paulson Adebo got injured, first-round bust Deonte Banks and seventh-round rookie Korie Black were among those left to clean the mess.
Even when Schoen has struck a balance between starters and depth, the players he has chosen haven’t made much of an improvement.
In Schoen and Daboll’s first year at the helm, 28 of the players on the initial 53-man roster were holdovers from former GM Dave Gettleman’s regime. Led by a breakout season for quarterback Daniel Jones and a healthy comeback campaign for running back Saquon Barkley (both Gettleman selections), the Giants played to a 9-7-1 record and won a Wild Card playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings.
The number of Gettleman leftovers declined each of the next three seasons. It may not be a coincidence that the team’s record has declined in each of the last two full seasons. While Gettleman never led the Giants to a winning record, it’s hard to feel confident the roster has improved under Schoen’s management. That may be a hard evaluation, but it was Giants co-owner John Mara who gave it.
“I’m not sure I am all that confident that it’s that much better,” Mara said during his end of the season media availability following 2024. Part of the reason for this is that many of New York’s top players are comprised of the final five Gettleman holdovers on the 2025 roster. Tackle Andrew Thomas and wide receiver Darius Slayton posted the Giants’ two highest PFF grades on offense, while Lawrence came in second on defense.
Schoen has suffered multiple high profile draft misses to this point. His selection of offensive tackle Evan Neal is hard to hold against him, given the consensus evaluation on Neal as a prospect. Still, misses within the first three rounds include Banks, center John Michael Schmitz (2023 second round), offensive lineman Joshua Ezeudu (2022 third round) and a trade up wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (2023 third round). Safety Tyler Nubin (2024 second round) is trending towards being another addition to that list if his ability to create turnovers doesn’t increase.
Outside of LB Kayvon Thibodeaux, wide receiver Malik Nabers, OLB Abdul Carter and quarterback Jaxson Dart (all first rounders), no other Schoen draft selection has proven indispensable.
It can even be argued how much credit Schoen should get for the Dart selection.
“Nobody’s going to remember a third-round pick if you’re right,” said Schoen, talking to Daboll in a video posted by the team from inside the Giants’ draft room during the 2025 Draft. “So, you guys are convicted in him, you believe in him. We did the process. He checked all the boxes. Let’s f—ing roll the dice.”
It better not take too long because I’ve just about run out of patience
Giants co-owner John Mara
Schoen wanting to “roll the dice” hardly paints the picture of a GM who felt the same conviction in Dart as the rest of the coaching staff.
Schoen has even been incapable of consistently retaining homegrown talent. The Saquon Barkley saga led to the fan favorite playing for the rival Philadelphia Eagles on a 3-year, $37.75 million deal. The Giants filled the hole with Devin Singletary on a three-year, $16.5 million contract. An offseason later, Slayton received 3-years and $36 million from the Giants. The Giants spent more collective money on two offensive weapons that couldn’t combine for Barkley’s overall production in 2024. Barkley currently has more receptions this season than Slayton does.
Safety Xavier McKinney was allowed to depart in free agency to the Green Bay Packers on a 4-year, $67 million deal. Nubin was drafted in an attempt to replace him. McKinney had an All-Pro season and Schoen gave fellow safety Jevon Holland 3-years, $45.3 million contract the following offseason, The tendency for Schoen in free agency has been to let star players walk, realize the mistake and then fill the holes with lesser talent.
Schoen’s reign hasn’t been all bad. His move to acquire and extend LB Brian Burns from Carolina while not giving up a first-round selection in the deal proved to be a stroke of genius, with Burns currently in the running for 2025 Defensive Player of the Year. Schoen also extended Gettleman selections Lawrence and Thomas long-term.
However, those moves do not make up for the dismal roster building, draft decisions and ability to retain homegrown stars.
“It better not take too long because I’ve just about run out of patience,” Mara said in the press conference of how long Schoen and Daboll had to turn around the product. It seems that his patience for Daboll has run out, and one must wonder how much is left for Schoen.