Giants’ 2026 roster review turns to running backs as New York resets after 4-13 season

The New York Giants are in the thick of an offseason reset, and a new Yahoo Sports position-by-position series is aimed at clarifying what the team’s 2026 depth chart is likely to look like. The first installment in the sequence focuses on the running back group, using the team’s disappointing 2025 finish as the backdrop: New York went 4-13 and, as reported, head coach Brian Daboll was fired midway through that year.

While the running back breakdown is the featured stop this time, the series concept is broader than one position group. The franchise-wide message, consistent across team evaluations, is that the Giants need to build a functional, repeatable identity across multiple phases of the roster. In a league where roster continuity and role clarity can affect everything from play-calling to pass protection and late-game execution, outlining the depth chart is one of the first steps toward seeing whether the organization is truly pivoting or simply shuffling pieces.

The Yahoo Sports report also situates this exercise as part of an ongoing effort to understand how specific players profile at each spot. That includes the ways backs fit into the Giants’ run scheme and how they may contribute in passing situations, where modern usage often determines whether a running back becomes an every-week starter or a specialized option.

A separate companion version of the series has also been published through SNY under the same Giants 2026 “position breakdown” umbrella, indicating the franchise discussion is being tracked across local and national outlets. Taken together, the publication cycle underscores that the conversation around New York is not limited to broad narratives like “rebuilding” or “change,” but is narrowing toward the practical question of who is expected to do what in 2026.

Still, it is important to treat depth-chart exercises as projections rather than official determinations. These series typically read like informed scouting and roster-building forecasts, not final commitments. Without an official Giants depth chart or a complete, verified roster list tied to the running back group, readers should view any implied order of responsibilities as subject to change with training camp, preseason reps, and coaching preferences.

For what to watch next, the running back group will be a useful lens on the Giants’ larger plan. In particular, the way New York handles roles like between-the-tackles running, receiving out of the backfield, and short-yardage usage can reveal whether the team is aiming for a balanced approach or trying to reshape its identity around a particular type of runner.

As the season moves closer, the Giants’ front office and coaching staff will also be judged by whether they can turn offseason intentions into consistent execution. The position-by-position approach suggests that New York is trying to provide a clearer internal story for how 2026 should work, and the running backs are often where that story becomes easiest to test on the field.