Giants’ 2026 NFL Mock Draft roundup post-Super Bowl as draft season ramps up

The New York Giants are heading into a new era under John Harbaugh this season. They have the quarterback in Jaxson Dart and used a top draft pick on edge rusher Abdul Carter last year. So, who will the Giants pick at number five overall in the NFL Draft, according to the leading mock drafts?

Carnell Tate, Ohio State Wide Receiver

Danny Kelly: The Ringer, Ryan Wilson: CBS Sports, Matthew Freedman: Matthew Berry’s Fantasy Life

Three of the seven mock drafts assessed have the Giants selecting Carnell Tate out of Ohio State. With Wan’Dale Robinson hitting free agency and Malik Nabers coming off a grizzly knee injury, they could use the playmaker on the offensive side. When Harbaugh was with the Ravens, they went too many years without having a top receiver for Lamar Jackson. He won’t make the same mistake with Dart.

Tate had 875 receiving yards and nine touchdowns for the Buckeyes this season as one of their many elite wideouts. Danny Kelly of The Ringer says Tate’s hands make him a top-end draft prospect. “Tate is a wily route technician with excellent length and body control and damn near automatic hands that he uses to dominate at the catch point.”

Caleb Downs, Ohio State Safety

Field Yates: ESPN

ESPN’s Field Yates is the only mock drafter of this sample to give the Giants Caleb Downs out of Ohio State. One of the best defensive players in the country, Downs, is getting hurt by positional value. Some believe that safeties are not valuable enough to be taken in the top five of the NFL Draft. But others, like Yates, think Downs is good enough to power through all of that noise.

Harbaugh was with the Ravens when they took Kyle Hamilton 14th overall in 2022. Hamilton has been the key to that defense and would have been worth a top-five pick. If defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson thinks he can use Downs in the same way that Mike Macdonald used Hamilton as a rookie, this will be a worthy selection.

Francis Mauigoa, Miami Offensive Tackle

Tim Crean: ClutchPoints, Dan Parr: NFL.com

Back to the offense, multiple mock drafts have the Giants selecting Francis Mauigoa out of Miami. Andrew Thomas is locked in as the left tackle, but Jermaine Eluemunor is a free agent, and they could use this pick to replace him. Protecting Dart must be their top priority, so beefing up the offensive line is a great use of the fifth overall pick.

Last year, the biggest storyline around Dart was his health. After spending plenty of time in concussion protocol, Dart needs to stay healthy for the Giants to have any chance of making the playoffs in 2026. Improving the offensive line is a great place to start, but the most important development is Dart’s style of play. If Mauigoa can help teach Dart how to slide, this could be the best pick of the draft. But even without that, it’s a solid selection.

Sonny Styles, Ohio State Linebacker

Mike Renner: CBS Sports

There are plenty of mock drafters giving an Ohio State Buckeye to the Giants here at number five. And that’s not because of any front office connection; that’s just how many great Buckeyes will be available in April. Sonny Styles is the pick by Mike Renner of CBS Sports, who played 53 games in four seasons in Columbus.

Styles transitioned from safety to linebacker during his college career and responded by racking up six sacks during the National Championship season. The Giants need playmakers on their defense, and Styles has shown his ability at multiple positions. Taking him fifth overall is rich compared to his position in other mocks, but anything is possible in the NFL Draft.

Who should the Giants select in the NFL Draft? With a quarterback in tow, they are not impacted by the lack of signal-callers available in this year’s draft. But that does not mean there is a consensus on who they will select.

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