The optimistic view of the Giants\u2019 draft class is that they landed two of the top-five players on their big board, their No. 1-ranked available player entering the second round and multiple starters on both sides of the ball.<\/p>\n
The pessimistic view is that the Giants drafted an edge to play linebacker, a tackle to play guard and traded away too much for a part-time receiver.<\/p>\n
So, which is it? <\/p>\n
Draft weekend is a time for optimism, right?<\/p>\n
Here are The Post\u2019s pick-by-pick grades for the Giants\u2019 draft class:<\/p>\n
Round 1, No. 5 overall: Arvell Reese (LB, Ohio State)<\/p>\n
The Giants\u2019 management felt like they hit the lottery when Reese \u2014 the top-rated non-quarterback on their board \u2014 was available. <\/p>\n
Not too many simulations resulted in that outcome.<\/p>\n
Reese was a one-year starter<\/a> as Ohio State\u2019s high-upside chess piece. <\/p>\n He is NFL-respected coordinator Matt Patricia\u2019s developmental brainchild.<\/p>\n New York Giants draft pick Arvell Reese speaks to the media during his introduction at Quest Diagnostics Training Center, Friday, April 24, 2026, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST<\/p>\n Many teams project Reese as an edge<\/a>, but the Giants are in the perfect position to let him learn NFL game speed while playing his natural position (weakside linebacker) \u2014 next to Tremaine Edmunds, as the better block-shedder of the two \u2014 while using Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter off the edge. <\/p>\n He can blitz, roam the field (10 tackles for loss) and mirror tight ends in coverage.<\/p>\n Once Reese learns how to bend the edge and if Thibodeaux leaves in 2027 free agency, he can change positions if that\u2019s a better fit. <\/p>\n But there\u2019s nothing wrong with a Pro Bowl-caliber inside linebacker.<\/p>\n Grade:\u00a0A<\/p>\n Round 1, No. 10 overall: Francis Mauigoa (OG, Miami)<\/p>\n Again, the Giants were better suited to make this pick<\/a> than other teams.<\/p>\n Why? <\/p>\n Because new head trainer Adam Bennett came from Miami, so no one knows Mauigoa\u2019s medical records better.<\/p>\n New York Giants draft picks Francis Mauigoa (2nd from r.) and Arvell Reese (2nd from l.) hold up their jerseys with Head Coach John Harbaugh (l.) General Manager Joe Schoen (r.) during their introduction at Quest Diagnostics Training Center, Friday, April 24, 2026, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST<\/p>\n While other teams might have been scared into one of the other eight offensive linemen drafted in the first round because of the herniated disc in Mauigoa\u2019s back and the potential need for surgery, the Giants saw the final piece to build their best offensive line in 15 years.<\/p>\n Mauigoa is willingly moving from tackle, where he spent his whole career, to guard.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tGo behind the scenes with Big Blue\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSign up for Inside the Giants by Paul Schwartz, a weekly Sports+ exclusive.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThank you\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Maybe Mauigoa goes back to right tackle in 2029 if the Giants move on from Jermaine Eluemunor, but the projection is he can be a Pro Bowl-caliber guard, which the Giants haven\u2019t had since Chris Snee in 2012.<\/p>\n Mauigoa allowed a 1.1 percent pressure rate last season (ranked No. 3 in FBS).<\/p>\n Letting safety Caleb Downs fall to the Cowboys was a tough subplot to making this pick.<\/p>\n Grade:\u00a0A-<\/p>\n Round 2, No. 37 overall: Colton Hood (CB, Tennessee)<\/p>\n Everyone who thought the Giants were sweating out a defensive tackle\u2019s availability at No. 37 \u2014 especially Ohio State\u2019s Kayden McDonald \u2014 was wrong. <\/p>\n The Texans traded up to No. 36 for McDonald, which was fine with the Giants, who had Hood as No. 1 on their board entering Day 2.<\/p>\n \u201cShocked\u201d is how one NFL executive put it when asked about Hood slipping out of the first round. <\/p>\n He was the consensus No. 2 cornerback in the class.<\/p>\n Hood fits the John Harbaugh prototype as a willing tackler on the perimeter. <\/p>\n Oh yeah, he didn\u2019t allow a touchdown catch last season, either, because he has the 4.44-second speed to carry vertical routes.<\/p>\n Harbaugh expects Hood to \u201ccompete to start.\u201d <\/p>\n The depth chart is wide open after Paulson Adebo, with bargain free-agent signing Greg Newsome and Deonte Banks \u2014 two former first-round picks \u2014 taking the reps during the first practices last week.<\/p>\n Grade:\u00a0A+<\/p>\n Round 3, No. 74 overall: Malachi Fields (WR, Notre Dame)<\/p>\n Fields was getting late first-round hype at the Senior Bowl, where Giants scouts reported back that he was the best receiver on site, per general manager Joe Schoen.<\/p>\n Then came a disappointing NFL Combine, where he had some drops and ran a slowish 4.61-second 40-yard dash.<\/p>\n Notre Dame Fighting Irish Wide Receiver Malachi Fields (0) reacts to scoring a touchdown during the second half of the College Football game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Pittsburgh Panthers on November 15, 2025, at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images<\/p>\n