NFL franchise tag window opens Tuesday, February 17thAnd despite the New York Giants having several key free agents, don't expect them to designate their franchise tag.
The Giants' three biggest free agents are receiver Wan'Dale Robinson, right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor and corner Cor'Dell Floet. Although all three had their best seasons with Big Blue in 2025, all three will be unrestricted free agents when free agency begins on March 11.th.
In an ideal world, the team would like to bring back all three, but the NFL is not an ideal world, and the franchise tag for each position is expensive. The projected franchise tag for a receiver is $28.8 million, the projected tag for an offensive lineman is $27.9 million, and the projected tag for a corner is $21.4 million.
All three are talented players, but they aren't elite and aren't guaranteed to be among the highest-paid players at their respective positions for 2026, especially considering the team is only projected to have $6.9 million in cap space. General manager Joe Schoen can cut players and restructure contracts to free up cap space, but it still wouldn't be in his best interest to overpay one of his free agents, even if it's just for one season.
New York will try conservatively in contract negotiations to retain all three, but knows that the chances of keeping all three are slim. But with the fifth overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, the team is equipped to move on from at least one of its free agents.
First-round picks who could replace veteran free agents
There have been several mock drafts where teams address each position of their top free agents in the first round. It wouldn't surprise anyone if the team let one of its free agents leave in free agency and replaced him with a top college prospect.
As for wide receiver, Big Blue has been linked to Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate, Arizona State wideout Jordan Tyson and USC receiver Makai Lemon. Lemon was named first-team All-American, while Tate received second-team honors, and Tyson was named first-team All-Big 12.
It was clear that the receiver position was an issue when Malik Nabors was lost for the season in Week 4, as Robinson was the only reliable target to throw to Jackson Dart.
But there's a good chance the team could lose Robinson in free agency, as it's rumored he's seeking a four-year deal that would pay him around $17 million annually. That price may be higher than what teams are willing to pay for a 5-8, 185-pound slot receiver.
Drafting one of the college prospects would be a cheaper option for New York, and since all three are bigger than Robinson, they provide more of a threat on the outside, which the team will especially need if Nabors gets injured again.
University of Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa has also been linked as a possible option for the Giants at pick number five. The 6'6 315-pound Mauigoa appeared in 42 games in his three years at Miami and was rated as one of the best right tackles in the country. In 2025, he was a consensus first-team All-American, and he fits all the measurables you need in a tackle.
Another player who has been linked to New York is LSU Tiger cornerback Mansur Delaney. Delaney spent his first three years at Virginia Tech before transferring to LSU in 2005. He was a unanimous All-American and recorded 45 tackles, 11 passes defensed and two interceptions. The six-foot, 190-pound corner is very good in press coverage and would be ready to step in as the Week 1 starter if drafted.
How the Giants handle their free agents will provide insight into what direction they may go with their first pick in the draft. We should take a look at these prospects during the NFL Combine this week.
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