We are going in a completely different direction in this week’s four-round New York Giants mock draft. Uncharted territory, if you will. A scenario we have not yet explored, and a very different result. Let’s get to it.

I am using the Pro Football and Sports Network simulator for this mock draft.

Round 1 (No. 5) — TRADE!!

Giants get: Picks 9 and 40 (Value: 536 points, per the Rich Hill trade chart)
Kansas City Chiefs get: Pick 5 (Value: 468 points)

Full disclosure: Linebacker Sonny Styles, running back, Julian Love, and safety Caleb Downs were all on the board here. In the real world, there is almost no chance I am not picking Styles here. I’d be happy with Downs, too, if Styles was off the board.

We are proposing scenarios here, though. The draft is still six weeks away, and we are looking at ways it “could” turn out rather than trying to peg exactly how it “will” turn out.

So, I am leaving the Big 3 on the board here to explore another path and see how it turns out.

Round 1 (No. 9) — TRADE!!

Giants get: Picks 13 and 61 (Value: 422 points)
Rams get: Pick 9 (Value: 387 points)

Yes, I am trading down AGAIN.

Full disclosure: Styles was, somehow, still on the board here. Love, too. If Styles was still available in the real world here I would run to the podium to select him. There is no chance Styles falls all the way to No. 9, though. So, I am closing my eyes, pretending I did not see his name still on the board, and moving ahead with my scenario.

As I type this I can guarantee that there will be cries of “you have to take Styles there” in the comments. If you are one of those people, you are completely missing the point of the exercise being undertaken.

Anyway, what the pair of trades down have netted me are picks 40 and 61 in Round 2. That means I picks 37, 40, and 61 in the second round. That more than removes the sting of not having a third-round pick.

Round 1 (No. 13) — Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State

In all honesty, I was hopeful that LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane would still be here. I did, however, take a long look at the board before making the move down from No. 9 to No. 13 and understand that there were several players who would likely be available that I would be happy selecting. Look at my ‘other players considered’ list below for players I had in mind.

I look at this pick as an awesome marriage of need and value. Many draft analysts consider Ioane the best offensive lineman in the class, and the fact that he is not a tackle is the only reason he isn’t in the discussion to be selected much earlier than this.

The Giants as of now have a massive at right guard. Ioane has played both left and right at Penn State. Watch the highlights below, though, and tell me you would not happily add this to the Giants’ offensive line:

Here is part of Chris Pflum’s Ioane prospect profile:

“Vega Ioane is a powerful, athletic, and skilled blocker who’s capable in run blocking and pass protection. And it also just so happens that the New York Giants could use a young, long-term solution at one of their guard positions.

“Vega Ioane projects as a starting guard with scheme diversity, positional versatility, and All Pro upside at the NFL level.

“Ioane is one of the cleanest prospects in this year’s drafts and has very, very few negatives in his game. He’s a plug-and-play starter with experience at both left and right guard, and who should be a mainstay for a decade or more. He’ll draw plenty of comparisons to Quentin Nelson, though he isn’t quite the same caliber of prospect. However, Ioane is a very good prospect in his own right and might be the best offensive lineman to come out of this draft class.”

Other players considered: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee; Francis Muaigoa, OT, Miami; Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon; Makai Lemon, WR USC

Round 2 (No. 37) — Caleb Banks, DT, Florida

Look at this! Guard and defensive tackle with the first two picks in the draft! So much for not adding talent in the trenches.

I was really tempted by Louisville wide receiver Chris Bell here. He went with the next pick to the Houston Texans. I could not, though, pass up on the chance to grab a player many consider one of the two best defensive tackle prospects in the 2026 draft class.

Here are some of Banks’ reps at the Senior Bowl:

Banks is Daniel Jeremiah’s 36th-ranked draft prospect. Jeremiah says:

Banks is a tall, long and athletic defensive tackle. His 2024 tape was impressive, but he played just three games in ‘25, missing time with a broken foot. As a pass rusher, he displays a lot of twitch in his feet and hands. He can win with a quick club move or collapse the pocket with power. He’s very disruptive but struggles to finish with production. He’s frustrating to watch against the run. He flashes knock-back power on the front side and range on the back side. However, there are long dry stretches where he hangs on blocks or gets washed down the line of scrimmage. Overall, Banks has a lot of talent, but his injury history and inconsistency could slide him down the board on draft day.

Considering the need to find a running mate for Dexter Lawrence, I think this is a risk worth taking.

Other players considered: Chris Bell, WR, Louisville; Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina; Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State; Christen Miller, DT, Georgia; Denzel Boston, WR, Washington; Chris Brazzell II, WR, Tennessee; Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas

Round 2 (No. 40) — Chris Brazzell II, WR, Tennessee

The Jalin Hyatt Experience could understandably make anyone squeamish about using a premium draft selection on a Tennessee wide receiver. The Volunteers’ offense does require an adjustment for wide receivers coming to the NFL. I am trying, though, not to let Hyatt’s failure impact the evaluation of Brazzell.

Here is part of Chris Pflum’s Brazzell prospect profile:

“Brazzell’s size, athleticism, and ball skills all suggest a starting receiver who can be a big contributor early in his career. However, his inexperience with NFL passing concepts could make him a bit more of a developmental prospect than if he had gone to another school. Brazzell shows enough savvy in his routes, as well as his surprising quickness and agility, to give confidence that he can get there.

“The big question is just how long he needs to hone his craft as a receiver. It could matter to teams whether he’ll be able to win a starting job as a rookie or if he’ll need a year as a role player before emerging.

“Brazzell has the potential to be a true Big Play Threat whose size and speed allows him to ‘Moss’ defenders as well as a dependable option if he develops well. He’ll likely be a high second-round pick with the potential to sneak into the bottom of the first round based on his traits.”

Other players considered: Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State; Christen Miller, DT, Georgia; Denzel Boston, WR, Washington; Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas; Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State

Round 2 (No. 61) — Jake Golday, LB, Cincinnati

I have to be honest. On the PFSN draft board, Golday is a bit of a reach. He is the No. 83-ranked prospect. I had my fingers crossed that Arkansas cornerback Julian Neal, a player I really like, would still be on the board here. Neal, though, was taken 48th by the Houston Texans.

Golday fills a need for competition with Micah McFadden at the off-ball linebacker spot, and Chris Pflum’s prospect profile indicates attractive degrees of athleticism and upside. Chris writes:

“Golday projects as a starting off-ball linebacker at the NFL level. He has the size to be an inside linebacker, however he also has experience as a WILL linebacker as well as covering the slot.

“Golday is still only scratching the surface of his upside as long as he can improve his technique taking on blocks and play a bit faster when he doesn’t have a defined read. He flies to the ball when his read is defined, and he’s a very useful player against a mobile quarterback. Likewise, his upside is apparent when playing coverage or tracking down a running back. The moments before triggering from the second level, however, stand out. His athleticism made up for any hesitation at the collegiate level, but he won’t have the same margins for error at the NFL level.

“He has the upside to be a good every-down player with scheme diversity if he can fill in those gaps.”

Other players considered: Treydan Stukes, CB, Arizona; Sam Hecht, OC, Kansas State; Gennings Dunker, G, Iowa; Emmett Johnson, RB, Nebraska; Davison Igbinosun, CB, Ohio State

Round 4 (No. 105) — Isaiah World, OT, Oregon

Understanding that I took an offensive lineman in the first round, and that the Giants have Jermaine Eluemunor and Marcus Mbow already, I still could not pass on World in this spot. John Harbaugh and his staff love mammoth offensive linemen enough that they are actually excited about trying to get something from Evan Neal. Well, World is a 6-foot-7⅝, 309-pound ball of clay who could either be a long-term right tackle or slide inside to guard. Remember, Jon Runyan is in the last year of his contract.

World suffered a torn ACL in January, so selecting him would be a long-term play.

Here is Chris’s projection for World:

“World projects best as a developmental tackle at the NFL level. He primarily played left tackle in college, but has some experience on the right side and should be able to convert with some work. He mostly needs to work on maintaining his leverage throughout the rep, as well as dealing with speed without resorting to lunging.

“That said, his draft stock is going to be very difficult to predict due to his injury. That will likely delay his development by a year, while his prognosis and recovery will play a huge role in his development. World’s traits could have seen him drafted somewhere around the end of the third round, however his injury could drop him well into Day 3.

“His best outcome could be to land with a team that has veteran bookend tackles in place, allowing him to take the time to let him recover and develop off the field.”

Other players considered: Zachariah Branch, WR, Georgia; Bud Clark, S, TCU

How did I do this week, Giants fans? Jump into the comments and let me know!