Whoever is in charge of the Giants’ front office in 2026, fixing the run defense must be the priority. The Giants have a legitimate quarterback. They have finally built a solid offensive line with decent weapons around Jaxson Dart, although another receiver would be ideal and they must decide on r e-signing or replacing players such as right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor and wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson. Defensively, they have — on paper — one of the best collections of pass-rushers. On paper because it’s hard to manifest pressure up front when you can’t stop the run. And they haven’t done that well at all in GM Joe Schoen’s four-year tenure. The Giants rank dead last this year in yards allowed per carry (5.6). They were tied for 25th last year and tied for 31st in 2023 and 2022. They did actually show improvement last Sunday against the Commanders, allowing only 3.9 yards per carry (third-lowest by a Giants opponent this season) after yielding 6.9 per carry in Week 1 in Washington. Still, the Commanders didn’t have dual-threat quarterback Jayden Daniels in the second game, and one game doesn’t make a trend. The Giants will have to be ready for a two-headed rushing attack in Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones when the Vikings visit MetLife Stadium this Sunday. The point is that the Giants haven’t ranked better than 25th against the run since they allowed the eighth-fewest yards per carry (4.1) during the 2020 COVID-19 season. Since then, the Giants have had four different defensive coordinators including current interim coordinator Charlie Bullen. That tells you that this has mostly been a personnel — not a coaching — problem. It has to be maddening for the Giants and their fans because the pass rush was supposed to make this defense one of the best units in the NFL, but such a foundational issue hinders that strength. Plus, nose tackle Dexter Lawrence faces the highest rate of double teams in the league without a quality player next to him. There’s no way around it: Schoen wildly underestimated the team’s run stoppers last offseason. All he did to address that department was sign rotational defensive tackles Roy Robertson-Harris and Jeremiah Ledbetter, and Ledbetter didn’t even make the team out of training camp. Schoen also drafted defensive tackle Darius Alexander in the third round, which was incredibly the first time in four drafts that he used a Day 1 or Day 2 pick on a defensive tackle or inside linebacker (14 picks). The Giants have to get serious about signing and drafting multiple quality players for the interior defensive line this offseason. There’s a chance that they blow it up entirely at inside linebacker by cutting veteran Bobby Okereke, who has been a good locker-room presence but not much of a difference-maker in his third year with the Giants. Cutting him would create $9 million in cap savings with $5.5 million in dead money. It’s a lot for a new head coach and potentially a new GM to sort out in terms of what players will fit under the Giants’ new scheme next season, but a big player to keep an eye on in college football leading up to the draft is Ohio State middle linebacker Arvell Reese. “Reese is a hybrid linebacker who can do whatever you want in the front-seven,” The Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote recently in a scouting report. “(He plays) with violence, and his closing burst is incredible.” The Giants certainly have plenty of other issues to address. They are 2-12 for a reason. The backend of the defense needs an overhaul as well, as Schoen has misfired with signings and draft picks at cornerback and safety. But the next step in rebuilding this franchise into a winner again must be to build a sufficient run defense. Greg Johnson covers the New York Giants and NFL for MediaNews Group. Reach him at [email protected]. Giants Gameday The Game: Vikings (6-8) at Giants (2-12), MetLife Stadium, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX) The Line: Minnesota by 2.5 History: The Vikings lead the all-time series, 19-13, and won the most recent matchup in the 2024 season opener in the Meadowlands, 28-6. Before that, the Giants won at Minnesota in the NFC Wild Card Round in the 2022 playoffs. Key Matchups: Giants LT Andrew Thomas/RT Jermaine Eluemunor vs. Vikings OLB Andrew Van Ginkel: The Giants’ offensive line has been a strength but has a tough matchup here. Van Ginkel had a pick-six in the teams’ matchup last season and leads the Vikings with seven passes defended. He also has 4.5 sacks and nine QB hits. Giants WR Darius Slayton vs. Vikings CB Byron Murphy Jr.: Slayton has been a disappointment in the first year of a three-year contract with only 460 receiving yards and one touchdown in 11 games. Murphy has five passes defended and made the Pro Bowl last season. Giants OLB Abdul Carter vs. Vikings RT Brian O’Neill: Carter had a breakout game against Washington (3 TFLs, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles), but the question is whether he can string together some consistency. O’Neill is a former second-round pick who has started 118 games in eight years but is questionable with a heel injury. The Vikings also placed LT Christian Darrisaw on IR, so they should be more vulnerable on the edges. Giants CB Paulson Adebo vs. Vikings WR Justin Jefferson: Adebo has been banged up and has struggled at times as the Giants’ No. 1 corner. Jefferson has had the worst season of his career with only 832 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 14 games. Injury Report: Giants: OUT: WR Beaux Collins (concussion/neck), DL Rakeem Nuñez-Roches (ankle), OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (shoulder), OL Evan Neck (neck/hamstring); QUESTIONABLE: LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (illness), CB Art Green (illness/hamstring), CB Rico Payton (back), OL Josh Ezeudu (calf). Vikings: OUT: OT Christian Darrisaw (knee), DL Javon Hargrave (thigh); QUESTIONABLE: OT Brian O’Neill (heel), TE Gavin Bartholomew (back), RB Ty Chandler (knee). Giant Facts: After last week’s loss to the Commanders, the Giants are 5-17-1 against the NFC East under GM Joe Schoen. … The Giants have the fifth-worst red-zone offense (50% touchdown rate) and the fourth-worst red-zone defense (66.67% opponent touchdown rate) in the NFL. … LB Abdul Carter and S Dane Belton both recorded one sack and two forced fumbles last week vs. Washington, becoming just the fourth teammate duo since 1982 to do so in the same game. The Prediction: Vikings 28, Giants 17 ...read more read less