Which 3 Giants players are most underrated heading into 2026?

Art Stapleton, NorthJersey.comSun, Jul 5, 2026·5 min read

Editor's note: This is Part 3 of 26 in Art Stapleton's New York Giants summer series Q&A

The New York Giants have a Super Bowl winner and possible Hall of Famer at head coach in John Harbaugh, with whom the entire team can strive for a championship standard the franchise has failed to meet for far too long now.

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The standing ovation for Harbaugh from the assembled Giants fans inside Beacon Theatre back in May for the team's Town Hall event was only just the beginning.

And Harbaugh, their head coach set to usher in yet another new era for the franchise in its 102nd year, certainly knew how to play to his audience moments later.

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Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart points after defeating the Los Angeles Chargers. (Yannick Peterhans / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

Giants QB Jaxson Dart, from SoCal to the Deep South to the Big Apple

With chants of "Cowboys suck" ringing out around him, Harbaugh was asked by a fan if he could promise the Giants were done being kicked around by their NFC rivals and most hated foes: the Dallas Cowboys, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Commanders.

That's when Harbaugh with 193 career victories rallied a fan base with a pledge that felt an awful lot like a battle cry he will repeatedly deliver between now and the start of the season.

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"I could [not] care less about what's happened last year or the year before that or 10 years before that," Harbaugh said. "All I care about is tomorrow's practice, because if tomorrow's practice is the way it's supposed to be, that will be one more step in the direction of being a good enough football team to kick the Cowboys' ass."

26 QUESTIONS: See our growing list of Giants questions for 2026 season

For now, there are far more questions than answers. But we hope to set the table for the summer and beyond with 26 questions that will define the 2026 Giants season.

Question #3:Which 3 Giants are most underrated heading into 2026?

Thibodeaux has certainly experienced the extremes here with the Giants. The expectations were extremely high when he was drafted No. 5 overall, and for several years now, the screaming and yelling over how overrated Thibodeaux is grew loudest. Funny how things tend to change when the mob leads the pack down one road.

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Here's the reality: Thibodeaux is a much more valuable player to the Giants than some would like you to believe. He plays with a toughness and an edge that was not necessarily there prior to last season.

Trade rumors have been swirling around Thibodeaux going back to the 2025 NFL deadline last Halloween, and again this offseason, with misleading reports in late April that he was on the verge of being dealt to the Saints for a third round pick.

That never happened, and as Harbaugh began turning this team into one that embodied what he believes a winner must have, there was an unforeseen and unexpected revelation: the coach with 193 career wins and a Super Bowl ring who knows something about players and success hit it off with Thibodeaux.

Brian Burns and Abdul Carter are projected as starters, but the 25-year-old Thibodeaux is an X-factor with how he is carrying himself on and off the field.

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He’s a solid player who has adapted his game to the personnel and approach of those calling the shots. There is value in that.

The Giants have spent a decade trying to build their offensive line. Now that Big Blue is coming off a solid season up front, they could not afford to lose pieces, and Eluemunor played a big role in that group.

The 31-year-old Eluemunor is a bit of a cautionary tale in the NFL when it comes to any prospect, but offensive linemen in particular, and giving up on players too soon. Whether it's players giving up on themselves or teams giving up on young players too soon, there were far too many moments when Eluemunor could have thrown in the white flag - and several did the same on him.

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His calming presence off the field and fiery demeanor between the lines adds stability and a steadiness to an offensive line that had been maligned for nearly a decade. To be able to count on Eluemunor at right tackle and Andrew Thomas at left tackle, leaving Marcus Mbow as the swing tackle heading into his second season, the decision to bring Eluemunor back was huge.

Eluemunor has excelled in pass protection, forming one of the best tackle duos in the NFL with Thomas in that respect. It will be interesting to see how he fits in what promises to be a more physical run scheme, but make no mistake: Eluemunor is an asset on this team, especially with rookie Francis "Sisi" Mauigoa set to start next to him at right guard.

Underappreciated in part because of his age and the fact that it has taken time for consistency to develop in his game, that should be viewed as a strength. Eluemunor is a worker and you know what you are going to get - with a chance to get even more.

Most of the attention at inside linebacker will be paid to rookie Arvell Reese, and rightfully so. That too often has come with a lack of appreciation for the value in what Edmunds brings to the pairing.

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The 28-year-old former Buffalo Bill led the Bears with 112 tackles last season to go along with nine passes defensed, four interceptions, one sack and a fumble recovery despite missing four games with a groin injury. He also tallied 13 tackles in Chicago's two playoff games.

Edmunds has been a full-time starter in his first eight seasons, having entered the league as a first-round pick of Buffalo prior to his 20th birthday. He commands respect with length, speed, range and knockback, and in coverage, the 6-foot-4, 251-pound Edmunds' wingspan helps him protect the rim in the middle of the defense, so to speak, especially in zone coverage.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Which 3 Giants players are most underrated heading into 2026?

Story byThe Bergen Record