The Giants had two selections in the top 10 to begin the John Harbuagh era, and the draft seemed to set the tone for how he wants to build the team. What would we have done differently using our board?
Actual selections
1.05: LB Arvell Reese
1.10: G Francis Mauigoa
2.37: CB Colton Hood
3.74: WR Malachi Fields
6.186: DL Bobby Jamison-Travis
6.192: OT J.C. Davis
6.193: LB Jack Kelly
Wolf Sports selections
1.05: S Caleb Downs
1.10: CB D’Angelo Ponds
2.37: WR Germie Bernard
3.74: CB Jermod McCoy
6.186: G DJ Campbell
6.192: LB Harold Perkins Jr.
6.193: TE John Michael Gyllenborg
Thoughts
New York came away with our No. 5, No. 7, and No. 8 overall prospects in Arvell Reese, Francis Mauigoa, and Colton Hood—so it’s safe to say they added high-end talent with three premium selections to work with. However, we should keep in mind that Mauigoa was essentially a swap for Dexter Lawrence II after the superstar defender wanted out, and the Giants need results on the field starting in 2026.
Digging deeper into the first two picks, we evaluated Reese as an off-ball linebacker, and New York clearly felt the same way; he’ll be used in a versatile role that also allows him to rush the passer, drop in coverage, and operate as a quarterback spy. For Mauigoa, we have some questions about how natural of a transition he will have at guard, as the rookie has already brought up how things happen quicker inside, and the hand placement needs to be cleaned up—especially versus guys like Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, Quinnen Williams, and Kenny Clark in the division.
Just as Malik Nabers wished was the case, we would have taken Caleb Downs at No. 5, and the Giants passing on him twice will be a decision that could come under fire as soon as the Week 1 opener when Dallas comes to town. With the No. 10 overall pick, a trade down would have been preferable (and really, a slight trade down at No. 5 would have made sense, too)—but D’Angelo Ponds was the choice either way as our top cornerback and No. 4 overall prospect.
In the second round, Colton Hood is a physical, aggressive cornerback who can play press coverage, and the cornerback group for New York looks a lot better with him and Paulson Adebo on the perimeter. But since we would have already drafted Ponds, the tiebreaker went to Germie Bernard—our No. 9 overall prospect—as the perfect complement to Malik Nabers.
The third round saw the Giants get aggressive to trade up for Malachi Fields, but Jermod McCoy was the better value for us, and a cornerback trio of Adebo and McCoy on the outside with Ponds moving into the slot would really be a lockdown group—particularly behind Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux. In reality, New York is banking on Fields to make plays as a prototypical X receiver.
With the trio of sixth-round selections, New York took Bobby Jamison-Travis as one of the many pieces in trying to replace Dexter Lawrence II, J.C. Davis profiles as a backup at either tackle or guard, and Jack Kelly can be a key special teamer in Year 1. Two of our would-be selections in the sixth round happened to be “cheap” alternatives to Reese (with Harold Perkins Jr.) and Mauigoa (with DJ Campbell)—but we’ll see if wins start to come for the Giants in 2026 based on how they attacked this year’s draft.