PFF ranks Giants linebackers 17th, and the fix is scheme, not a new player
PFF's linebacker ranking exposes a familiar problem for Tremaine Edmunds. The Giants are betting on scheme, not a new player, to fix it.
PFF ranked the Giants' linebackers 17th of 32 teams entering the 2026 season, driven largely by Tremaine Edmunds' 52.9 coverage grade, the outlet reported Aug. 25.
The Giants are not responding with a personnel move. They're responding with a scheme change and an unproven rookie.
Edmunds' 2025 coverage grade is not an outlier. It matches a five-year pattern: 34.6 in 2021, an unusually high 90.0 in 2022, 58.3 in 2023, 56.3 in 2024, then 52.9 last season. PFF's Jim Wyman called the 2021 mark “abysmal” at the time — the fifth-worst among linebackers who played at least 20% of their team's defensive snaps — before Edmunds' coverage grade spiked to an elite 90.0 the very next season.
The grade sits in tension with Edmunds' production. He has intercepted 14 passes and broken up 59 more since 2018, the most among NFL linebackers in that span. Seattle's Bobby Wagner posted a similar 51.1 coverage grade in 2025 and still ranked 10th on PFF's linebacker list, evidence the grade alone doesn't determine a unit's standing.
The Giants' plan centers on new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson's scheme. Wilson's Titans played man coverage on 18.0% of snaps last season and zone on 75.0%; under Shane Bowen, the 2025 Giants played man 29.7% of the time and zone 63.6%, per Sharp Football Analysis. Asked Aug. 25 what Edmunds' and Arvell Reese's length allows the defense to do, Wilson said it “clogs their windows” in zone drops — not a description of man coverage.
Reese, the No. 5 overall pick in April's draft, is the other piece. General manager Joe Schoen has said the Giants expect Reese to cover tight ends. His NFL coverage sample is 22 preseason snaps.
Edmunds signed a three-year, $36 million deal with the Giants. The team released Bobby Okereke this offseason. Darrian McFadden, recovering from a foot injury, is currently listed behind Edmunds on the unofficial depth chart.
The Giants play the Jets Friday in their preseason finale, cut their roster to 53 players Sunday, and open the regular season Sept. 13 against Dallas — the first real test of whether the scheme change closes the gap PFF's ranking identified.