The New York Giants entered the 2026 NFL draft with two picks in the top 10 (Nos. 5 and 10) and with hopes that the night would be as fruitful as last year’s first round when they came away with linebacker Abdul Carter and quarterback Jaxson Dart.
This is the first draft under the Giants’ new front office hierarchy led by the trio of general manager Joe Schoen, head coach John Harbaugh, and senior vice president of football operations and strategy Dawn Aponte.
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Since the first NFL draft in 1936, the Giants have made multiple picks in the first round six times. Three of those have come in the last seven drafts, and two since Schoen took over as the general manager in 2022.
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Dallas Cowboys (home, away)
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New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys: Best photos from Week 18
Dallas Cowboys (home, away)
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New York Giants’ 2026 opponents
Washington Commanders (home, away)
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New York Giants’ 2026 opponents
Philadelphia Eagles (home, away)
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New York Giants’ 2026 opponents
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New York Giants’ 2026 opponents
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New York Giants’ 2026 opponents
Jacksonville Jaguars (home)
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New York Giants’ 2026 opponents
New Orleans Saints (home)
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New York Giants’ 2026 opponents
San Francisco 49ers (home)
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New York Giants’ 2026 opponents
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New York Giants’ 2026 opponents
Indianapolis Colts (road)
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New York Giants’ 2026 opponents
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New York Giants’ 2026 opponents
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New York Giants’ 2026 opponents
Here’s a recap and analysis of every pick made by the Giants in the 2026 NFL draft.
Round 1, No. 5: Arvell Reese, EDGE, Ohio State
With Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love and Ohio State wideout Carnell Tate both off the board, Big Blue was faced with the unlikely scenario of choosing between all three of Ohio State’s defensive game changers: Linebacker Sonny Styles, safety Caleb Downs, and edge rusher Arvell Reese.
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They went with Reese, who was the least likely to be on the board at No. 5.
Reese, who stands at a sliver over 6-foot-4 and weighs in at 241 pounds, is just 20 years old and has a lot of room to both grow and mature. He ran a 4.46 40 at this year’s NFL Combine. His athleticism is off the charts. Wind him up and watch him go. Reese can open up so many things for the Giants’ defense.
Reese will join an already potent pass rush that contains Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux, should the Giants retain him. The Giants will use Reese in multiple ways, as a stay-at-home linebacker, pass rusher, and overall game-wrecker. Not the pick many Giant fans wanted or expected, but they got themselves a force here in Reese.
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Round 1, No. 10: Francis Mauigoa, OL, Miami
With both wide receivers (Tate and Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson) off the board, the Giants had a choice between Mauigoa and Caleb Downs. Mauigoa won out as one of the goals is to do as much as possible to surround Jaxson Dart with talent.
Mauigoa is nearly 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds and is a prototypical NFL right tackle. Where he fits on Day 1 with the Giants remains to be seen. Andrew Thomas will play the left side, and the Giants brought back Jermaine Eluemunor to play the right side. They said that Marcus Mbow would serve as the swing tackle.
Does that mean Mauigoa is going to play guard this year and then move to tackle down the road? Perhaps. Either way, he’ll help the Giants pound the rock and keep defenders off Dart. A tough customer to fill a major need up front.
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This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants 2026 NFL draft recap: Pick-by-pick analysis