The Giants are 2-10 this season, and coach Pat Shurmur is 7-21 since he took over in 2018.

So he is well on his way to being fired after this season (if not sooner, considering his team has lost eight straight games, one shy of the franchise record).

With that in mind, let’s rank the top replacement candidates to watch, starting with the “worst” and moving up to the “best.” It’s all subjective, of course.

(One big thing we factored in here — how likely the candidate is to leave his current job. So remember that while checking out this list.)

15. Dan Campbell, Saints tight ends coach: He has received head coaching buzz in recent offseasons. And his experience under Sean Payton in New Orleans is a plus. Remember, Mara knows Payton because he worked for the Giants from 1999-2002. Campbell, 43, is a legit, young leader. He started his playing career with the Giants, from 1999-2002. But does Mara want to hire a coach with zero coordinator or quarterback-developing experience? Daniel Jones’ development will be a huge factor in this head coaching hire.

14. Shane Waldron, Rams quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator: Will the Zac Taylor mess in Cincinnati scare teams away from Waldron? Taylor, 36, is 1-11 as the Bengals’ first-year head coach, after being the Rams’ quarterbacks coach. Waldron, 40, replaced Taylor in that role with the Rams. Waldron has zero NFL or college play-calling experience, in terms of being a full-time offensive coordinator. That’s probably less than ideal.

13. Mike McCarthy, former Packers head coach: A retread candidate. His tenure in Green Bay ended disastrously. And with the way the Packers and Aaron Rodgers are performing this season, just one year after McCarthy’s final season, you have to wonder just how big of a problem his presence and coaching style really were. (It seems like they were a large problem.) Then again, he made the playoffs nine times in 13 seasons with the Packers, and won a Super Bowl.

12. Mike Tomlin, Steelers head coach: The Steelers, one of the NFL’s models of consistency, could be looking to move on from Tomlin. And a change of scenery could work wonders for both parties. But the Ben Roethlisberger-less Steelers are 7-5 this season, with six wins in their past seven games. So it seems possible that Tomlin sticks around. If he is canned, he could help the Giants, with his winning culture and physical brand of football. The Giants currently lack a clear identity, particularly on defense, and Tomlin’s track record — along with his championship pedigree — would be a welcome addition.

11. Lincoln Riley, University of Oklahoma head coach: Seems unlikely for any NFL team at this point. Oklahoma just gave him a lucrative new contract this past offseason. He is making $6 million this season. In a lot of cases, high-profile college coaches earn more money than NFL coaches. His offensive chops are intriguing, even though he is just 36. But we can’t put him higher on this list simply because it seems unrealistic that he leaves Oklahoma.

10. Jim Harbaugh, University of Michigan head coach: Another guy who probably won’t leave his high-paying college job. But you never know. And unlike Riley, Harbaugh got a taste of NFL coaching (and success) during his four seasons with the 49ers, from 2011-14. He made the playoffs three times, reaching the NFC Championship Game each time, and lost a Super Bowl. His NFL head coaching record is impressive — 44-19-1. And he is an offensive-minded coach, which is probably what the Giants need, to mold Jones.

9. David Shaw, Stanford University head coach: We’ll throw him in this group with Harbaugh and Riley. Shaw has a very good gig at Stanford. Would he want to deal with the stress of coaching a rebuilding Giants team that lacks talent? Still, his offensive outlook could be attractive to NFL teams seeking a head coach next offseason. Shaw is 86-34 at Stanford, but is coming off the worst season of his nine-year tenure — a 4-8 record.

8. Nick Sirianni, Colts offensive coordinator: He has ascended fast, considering what the Colts have done, post-Andrew Luck. Yes, head coach Frank Reich obviously deserves a huge amount of credit. But so does Sirianni. He is in his second season as Reich’s offensive coordinator. Sirianni, 38, was the Chargers’ quarterbacks coach from 2014-15. An intriguing young name to watch.

7. Sean Payton, Saints head coach: Could it actually happen? This would be a shocker, but also a huge splash for John Mara, if Payton wants to leave New Orleans (presumably after Drew Brees calls it quits). It seems like an annual rite of passage in recent years: Payton trade rumors. If the Payton rumor mill starts spinning again, Giants general manager Dave Gettleman should absolutely pick up the phone. Payton’s track record of consistent excellence and offensive dominance is intriguing. Payton owns a Super Bowl ring and .627 winning percentage. He was the Giants’ offensive coordinator from 2000-2002. Should Payton be available, the Giants would be wise to try to reunite. It would be worth the hefty trade price.

6. Eric Bieniemy, Chiefs offensive coordinator: Andy Reid has a highly successful coaching tree. Bieniemy could be the next branch. Bieniemy helped oversee the development of MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Last season, with Bieniemy’s input (though he doesn’t call plays), the Chiefs gained 425.6 yards per game. Imagine what Bieniemy could do with Saquon Barkley, Sterling Shepard, Golden Tate and Evan Engram as weapons for Jones.

5. Robert Saleh, 49ers defensive coordinator: He is rocketing up coaching candidate lists. Would the Giants really want to hire a defensive-minded coach, though? Saleh has been one of the keys to success in San Francisco this season, and he is a well-respected leader. This hire could work if Saleh is able to bring in an offensive guru as coordinator — a guy plenty capable of developing Jones.

4. Greg Roman, Ravens offensive coordinator: He has made a habit of creating interesting formations that move weapons around the field, to open up opportunities for mobile quarterbacks like Colin Kaepernick and Lamar Jackson. If anyone can figure out how to scheme Barkley open in space — and maximize Jones’ mobility — it’s Roman.

3. Josh McDaniels, Patriots offensive coordinator: Bill Belichick assistants often struggle to replicate the Patriot Way when they leave. But McDaniels might be the exception, because this wouldn’t be his first NFL head coaching job. He went 11-17 in Denver, then returned to New England — and (most recently) jilted the Colts, who wanted him to be their head coach. Could McDaniels do with Jones what former Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien has done with Deshaun Watson in Houston?

2. Matt Rhule, Baylor University head coach: He has galvanized Baylor’s program, following a sexual assault scandal. Before that, a strong run at Temple made him a hot coaching commodity in college and the NFL. Last offseason, Rhule interviewed for the Jets’ vacancy. He was a finalist for the Colts’ job the previous year. His experience on Tom Coughlin’s staff and impressive recent track record likely will vault him onto the Giants’ short list.

1. Jason Garrett, Cowboys head coach: Remember, we’re factoring likely availability into these rankings. It’s not a lock that a guy like Payton would be available. But Garrett could be, if the Cowboys fire him. The Giants can only pick from the coaches available to them, of course. NFL Network reported last week that there would be mutual interest between Garrett and the Giants, if Garrett is canned. Garrett has proven capable of developing a young quarterback, Dak Prescott, and won the NFC East three of the past five years. Plus, his scheme would fit the Giants’ key offensive players. A former Giants quarterback, Garrett understands how to navigate the New York market’s noise — after all, he has worked for Jerry Jones — and would certainly have a chip on his shoulder, to stick it to his former employer twice a year. If Shurmur is fired and Garrett is available, don’t be surprised if he is Mara’s top target.

NFL analyst Darryl Slater may be reached at dslater@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DarrylSlater.

Matt Lombardo may be reached at MLombardo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattLombardoNFL.