Who Should the Giants Draft in the First Round?

The New York Giants once again have premier draft capital, holding the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Given how the draft order shaped up this year, the G-Men will likely be able to take the player at the top of their board. Ahead of them, many of the picks will likely be used on edge rushers and quarterbacks, two positions the Giants don’t need.

With this in mind, New York will have an interesting choice about who to take, with clear blue-chip talent likely available for various needed positions.

Jordyn Tyson, WR

The former Arizona State Sun Devil is one of the three elite wide receiver prospects of this draft. Tyson is an athletic freak. At 6-foot-2, he has a chance to dominate at the combine with his blazing speed, long strides, and high-flying ability.

Along with his athleticism, Tyson’s receiving ability is superb. He’s great at catching through contact, coming down with 43.8% of his contested targets and only one drop in the 2025 season, according to PFF.

His route running is another strong point; he has lightning-quick breaks, creating a ton of space, and his get-off is also an incredible sight. At the end of his routes, he also excels at recognizing scramble situations and either blocking for a quarterback run or trying to create an easy dump-off pass.

His all-around game would make an excellent pairing with Malik Nabers and give Jaxson Dart one of the best receiver duos in the league.

Sonny Styles, LB

The 6-foot-5 Ohio State Buckeye is a force of nature. At his height, Styles is a brick wall in the middle of the defense. He has very fluid movement for his height, allowing him to sniff out outside running plays and to keep up with any tight end or running back.

Additionally, Styles’ block shedding in the run game is exceptional. He blew up countless run plays against the national champion Indiana Hoosiers, taking up all the space in the A-gap and absorbing blockers.

Styles is a very aggressive player, and with that comes some setbacks. He can occasionally be fooled on play action and trick plays.

Despite allowing 29 completions on 34 targets, he is a very solid pass defender. He held those completions to just 168 yards for zero touchdowns and he allowed just a 75.8 passer rating. 

With his special size and exceptional run defense, coming into a New York linebacker room that lacks depth would do wonders.

Caleb Downs, S

Downs’ extraordinary feel and downhill excellence made him stand out on a historic Ohio State defense. He could destroy any screen on his own, going through blockers, tackling the receiver just as he catches the ball.

To go along with his dominance in the run and short game, he is also elite in coverage. He was only targeted 36 times on the season, allowing 136 yards, zero touchdowns, and a 47.9 passer rating.

But with his bullet-train play style, he can get overaggressive in tackling, with six missed tackles this season. 

Arguably the most complete player in the entire draft, Downs would be a home run selection.

Mansoor Delane, CB

The LSU star defensive back is a true lockdown corner. 

In 2025, he allowed just 14 receptions on 35 targets, seven pass breakups, and a 31.3 passer rating. He is super physical at the catch point, constantly getting his hands into the receiver. Despite his aggressiveness, he had no penalties in the year. 

Because of his quick hip flips, timing, and overall feel, he can guard anyone in man or zone. 

His one question is how much his physical profile will be an issue. Although he is a capable open-field tackler and has decent size at 6-foot-0, he can sometimes get removed from screen plays and overwhelmed when facing blockers.

Due to the extremely underwhelming play of the cornerback room for the Giants last season, Delane would be a very good fit.

Who Should They Draft?

With many exceptional prospects available, Caleb Downs is the best option. 

Downs fills one of New York’s biggest holes: the safety position. Additionally, he is one of the most complete safety prospects in recent memory and will make an immediate, significant impact. 

Right now, it seems like it will be hard for the New York Giants to go wrong at fifth, but Downs would be a game-breaker for Big Blue.