The New York Giants are the most interesting team heading into the 2026 NFL Draft. They’re the only team that has two of the top 10 picks, and nobody seems certain what they intend to do with those picks.
That’s just how the Giants brass wants it as they head into their first draft under new head coach John Harbaugh. Although we’re over four months from the regular season, New York is always competing against 31 other teams, and you never want your opponents to know your plans.
For months, speculation has run wild over what the team will do with the fifth overall pick. With the draft just hours away, opinions and mock drafts still vary on who will be the newest Giant.
The players who have generated the most buzz are Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, Ohio State Buckeyes Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs, Carnell Tate, and Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa. But there have also been speculations that the team is not as high on them as some people believe.
Harbaugh, general manager Joe Schoen, and senior Vice President of Football operations Dawn Aponte have done an excellent job of disguising which direction the team might go with their first pick. This is a stark contrast to the past two drafts, where it was clear New York was eyeing Malik Nabers in 2024 and Abdul Carter last year.
After acquiring the 10th overall pick from the Cincinnati Bengals in the Dexter Lawrence trade, nobody is certain who the Giants might take with their second pick. If Downs and Mauigoa are still available, some feel the team won’t pass on both players a second time. In addition, there’s a thought that they could take LSU corner Mansoor Delane. But over the last few days, there’s been buzz that the team is high on Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson.
Of the receivers in this draft class, the 6’2 203-pound Tyson is viewed as the player with the highest ceiling as he has the speed and size to be a dynamic player. However, he has a history of knee, collarbone, and hamstring injuries, and there are concerns about how his body will hold up playing on the MetLife Stadium turf.
There are reports that the team would consider trading down from 10 to the middle or late first round and acquire more picks since the team is without a third-round pick. The belief is they would use the mid or late round one pick and take a defensive tackle to replace Lawrence.
The bottom line is, nobody outside the Giants organization knows for certain how they’ll approach the first round of the draft, and you have to give credit to everyone involved for putting up smoke screens. In the previous build-ups to the draft, the team operated like they were playing checkers; this year, they’re playing chess and have everyone guessing which move they’ll make.
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