The New York Giants are heading into the 2026 NFL Draft in a strong position, holding two top-ten picks, but significant roster holes still need to be addressed. General manager Joe Schoen and head coach John Harbaugh will look to reshape the team in line with their vision. Here\u2019s my take on how that process could unfold, in my lone mock draft of the season.<\/p>\n
Giants receive Washington\u2019s 7th and 71st pick!<\/p>\n
Fernando Mendoza went to the Raiders, followed by Rueben Bain Jr. (Jets), Sonny Styles (Cardinals), and Arvell Reese (Titans) went off the board, leaving me \u2014 General Manager\/Decision Maker for the New York Giants \u2014 in a great position. I considered Mauigoa, Downs, and Jeremiyah Love, but the in-divisonal trade was the best value, given the circumstances of the board.<\/p>\n
Washington selected Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate, and the Browns took Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, giving me the opportunity to select a player I was perfectly comfortable with selecting at five.<\/p>\n
Round 1 (No. 7 \u2026 from Commanders):<\/p>\n
Caleb Downs, SAF, Ohio State<\/p>\n
Caleb Downs is a defensive weapon who will quickly assume a leadership role due to his overall acumen and traits. Downs can play the post, fit the run, and his football IQ is elite. There\u2019s so much to appreciate about his habits and his quick play speed. Downs will become a cornerstone blue-chip defensive player a la Brian Branch, Jalen Pitre, or Kyle Hamilton. Here\u2019s my scouting report on Downs:<\/p>\n
Caleb Downs is an elite processing safety with elite field vision and reactive quickness to eliminate throwing windows as they\u2019re opening. His ability to perceive offensive intentions, and react accordingly, is second to none. Downs possesses an immediate ability to explode from a stagnant stance and disrupt routes underneath him, while also leveraging that short-area-quickness to trigger downhill to be an A+ asset in run support.<\/p>\n
The addition of a player like Caleb Downs, due to his ability to fit the run from depth and operate around the line of scrimmage, will give a defense the ability to play lighter up front, enticing defenses to run the football. Downs is reliable and can allow defenses to potentially steal gaps while preventing offensive explosive passing plays. His discernment and reactive quickness are weapons sharper than many players who operate the safety position at the NFL level.<\/p>\n
Downs possesses elite spatial awareness and football IQ at all three levels of the field. He can impact the game deep with his eyes and range, while being a deceptive defender in zone to bait quarterbacks into mistakes over the middle of the field. He also impacts the game well at the line of scrimmage, which keeps the offense honest \u2013 all while being excellent in run support. I understand taking a safety in the top five without elite size\/AA is unconventional and risky, but Caleb Downs is an outlier I would be willing to bet on.<\/p>\n
Olavavega Ioane, IOL Penn State<\/p>\n
The New York Giants want to play a tougher, more physical brand of football. Ioane is an ass kicker who played 1,879 career snaps at left guard as a Nittany Lion. The Giants have a need at right guard in year one, and no long-term plan on the interior offensive line \u2014 John Michael Schmitz and Jon Runyan Jr. are both free agents at the position, as are Evan Neal, Jake Kubas, and Josh Ezeudu.<\/p>\n
New York has an immediate and long-term need at right guard, and Ioane fits the exact prototype that would appeal to John Harbaugh, Greg Roman, and the Giants. Here is my scouting report of Ioane:<\/p>\n
Olaivavega Ioane is a broad, dense guard who hits like a Mack truck, pairing overwhelming power with surprisingly nimble feet and crushing, vice-like hands. His strength shows up immediately on tape\u2014he overwhelms defenders on down blocks and double teams in the run game, and in pass protection, he\u2019s a constant problem to disengage from. Ioane explodes off the ball with force that consistently sets the tone at the line of scrimmage, exactly the kind of physical presence a team like the Giants needs.<\/p>\n
He generally plays with solid leverage, though his lower-body stiffness limits his ability to consistently maximize that advantage. While those mobility constraints may cap his ultimate ceiling, they shouldn\u2019t prevent him from becoming a high-quality starting guard at the next level. Overall, Ioane is a technically sound \u2013 POWER \u2013 blocker who brings a punishing edge and establishes a clear physical identity. His traits should translate into a long, productive NFL career.<\/p>\n
Christen Miller, IDL, Georgia<\/p>\n
The Giants have a massive need on their defensive line. Sure, they\u2019ll likely sign DJ Reader, Calais Campbell, and\/or Shelby Harris after the draft, but the long-term standing of the Giants\u2019 defensive line room is much weaker today than it was last week. A deep defensive line rotation would be wise to establish, and Miller would be the perfect eventual DT1 to anchor the defense on run downs. Here is my scouting report on Christen Miller:<\/p>\n
Christen Miller possesses an excellent combination of foot quickness and knockback power in an elite defensive linemen\u2019s build. His quickness + strength + football IQ make him an exceptional run defender against any rushing scheme. His lack of upside as a pass rusher hinders his ceiling, but Miller\u2019s floor is a reliable starting two-down defensive lineman that will affect the offense\u2019s ability to establish the run. Miller would be an elite addition next to Dexter Lawrence, and the presence of Darius Alexander could be the third down option. He\u2019s a good football player with high character; he shouldn\u2019t wait long to hear his name called.<\/p>\n
Round 3 (No. 71 \u2026 from Commanders)<\/p>\n
Ted Hurst, WR, Georgia State<\/p>\n
Hurst is a developmental selection that possesses a rare blend of size, speed, and fluidity. He has an elite ability to smoothly transition\/break on routes within the vertical plane (comeback\/curl); he has great hip bend and explodes out of his breaks with above-average suddenness. Hurst has traits that any WR coach would love to develop + his ball skills are great. He\u2019s a developmental option with a high ceiling, but his route running, timing, and ability to consistently beat NFL athletes must be refined and\/or proven. He\u2019s a high upside traits pick that could be an ideal fit for Jaxson Dart.<\/p>\n
Will Lee III, CB, Texas A&M<\/p>\n
Will Lee III started every game for the Aggies over two seasons. He allowed an impressive 47.2% catch rate in 2024 and a 54.2% catch rate this season. He committed six penalties in 2025 and five in 2024. Will Lee III had just an 11.6% missed tackle rate in college. Lee played both boundary and field side corner for the Aggies, with just 55 total snaps over the slot.<\/p>\n
The Giants don\u2019t have a long-term solution at cornerback. Tae Banks is likely on his last year, and Greg Newsome III signed a one-year contract to join Paulson Adebo as the presumed starter. With Flott gone, and Dru Phillips manning the slot, more competent players are needed on the outside \u2014 Will Lee III can be that player. Here is a scouting report on Will Lee III:<\/p>\n
Will Lee III is an excellent blend of athletic ability, length, and smoothness, which allow him to thrive as a man coverage defender; these skills are coupled with excellent football IQ and a disruptive nature that allows him to effectively harass opposing receivers. He\u2019s a controlled mover in coverage with excellent man coverage upside and he\u2019s solid in zone; he could stand to be less grabby in man coverage when it\u2019s unnecessary.<\/p>\n
Will Lee III is not a liability in run defense, but there were instances where he took questionable angles downhill and he\u2019s a big throw my shoulder low into you type of tackler, which led to missed attempts, albeit he is aggressive when he attacks downhill. Overall, Will Lee III has the requisite coverage skills, athletic upside, mentality, and technique to start in the NFL<\/p>\n
We are double-dipping on the offensive line, specifically at guard. Campbell started 43 games at right guard for the Longhorns; Ioane played mostly left guard. Campbell was a highly touted five-star recruit who was solid in college. He is a high pedigree bet with traits that is an effective run and pass blocker who has the upside to be an average starting right guard in the NFL.<\/p>\n
He has excellent competitive toughness, good overall core strength, and solid control when he is on the move. He provides pop on his down blocks, solid force\/leverage when engaged in base blocks, and his large hands allow him to control when he does fit them tightly. However, he is a bit erratic with his hands, which hinders his ability to sustain blocks, despite his solid mirroring skills. Campbell is a long-term move on the offensive line that will provide necessary depth with developmental upside.<\/p>\n
Jimmy Rolder, LB, Michigan<\/p>\n
Rolder will compete with Micah McFadden for a starting opportunity next to Tremaine Edmunds. Rolder is a physical linebacker who had 73 tackles and 7 for a loss in 2025 with the Wolverines. He only has eleven career starts, but his tape in 2025 suggests a player worth selecting at this point of the draft, especially since we haven\u2019t addressed linebacker yet.<\/p>\n
Tyler Onyedim, DL Texas A&M<\/p>\n
A second defensive lineman is selected here in Onyedim to join Christen Miller from earlier. Onyedim is a solid overall prospect who can generate interior pressure and defend the run. He has good measurables and would be a solid developmental pick at a position of need. The Iowa State transfer has played in multiple defenses and figures to compete in a deep defensive line rotation.<\/p>\n
The Giants will likely run heavier personnel packages, and their tight end room is full, making for an exciting training camp competition. Isaiah Likely and Theo Johnson will be the dynamic duo, with Chris Manhertz assisting in the run game. Delp would compete with Thomas Fidone II<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The New York Giants are heading into the 2026 NFL Draft in a strong position, holding two top-ten…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":598106,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[189201,189202,349,99],"class_list":{"0":"post-598105","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl","8":"tag-new-york-giants-draft","9":"tag-new-york-giants-mock-draft","10":"tag-nfl","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/598105","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=598105"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/598105\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/598106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=598105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=598105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=598105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}