NY Giants NFL free agency 2026: Grades for New York’s Day 1 moves

If there was one position the Giants were desperate to upgrade on defense, it was linebacker. And when they cut veteran Bobby Okereke, it was clear they wanted to get younger, too.

The 27-year-old Edmunds fills that need and gives the Giants a strong leader in the middle, who still has the sideline-to-sideline speed to help against the run. He may not be a Pro Bowler anymore, but he’s topped 100 tackles in each of his eight NFL seasons. Also, at three years and $36 million, he’s affordable and came cheaper than he would have in a trade.