The 2026 NFL Draft has officially come and gone. The New York Giants went into Thursday night with two picks in the top 10 and absolutely crushed the weekend. From first-round steals to late-round gems, here are grades for every pick Big Blue made this weekend.
Going into the first round, Ohio State’s Arvell Reese was projected to be a top-three pick. Most mock drafts had him going to the New York Jets second overall. He’s regarded as the best linebacker in this class, and the odds of him falling to New York were slim.
The Jets opted for Texas A&M’s David Bailey, a supremely talented edge rusher. The Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans took Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love and OSU’s Carnell Tate. The top five picks were suddenly shaken up in a way that few expected.
Reese is a 6’4”, 240-pound monster with incredible sideline-to-sideline speed. His versatility allows him to play off the ball or as an edge rusher. Through 36 games at Ohio State, he’s recorded 112 combined tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss (TFL), and seven sacks.
Reese is only 20 years old and still has room to grow as a defensive force. He’ll join Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Tremaine Edmunds in a revamped Giants defense. This is an absolute home run pick that every Big Blue fan should be thrilled about.
New York landed another unexpected prospect when they drafted Miami’s Francis Mauigoa 10th overall. This was a bit polarizing, as they allowed Ohio State’s safety, Caleb Downs, to fall to the Dallas Cowboys.
I was torn on this pick, but the value here is incredible. Mauigoa was touted as the best offensive lineman in the Draft. He’s ranked seventh on PFF’s big board and was widely expected to be taken before the Giants’ first pick at fifth overall.
Mauigoa is 6’5” and 329 pounds of pure strength. He was a five-star recruit coming out of high school and a three-year starter at Miami. He’s an offensive tackle looking to switch to guard, which is exactly what New York needs.
Mauigoa has played a handful of guard reps in college, but he practiced at the position nearly every day. He has exceptional core strength, and he keeps his balance incredibly well.
Passing up on Downs is unfortunate, but landing the best lineman in the class is nothing to complain about. Mauigoa joins Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eluemunor on an offensive line that ranked ninth in the NFL last season. This is a terrific move for Jaxson Dart’s development in year two.
The Giants continued their trend of drafting prospects at tremendous value. Tennessee’s cornerback, Colton Hood, was a first-round prospect who somehow fell to pick 37.
After passing on Downs, the Giants still needed to address their secondary. Hood is exactly what the doctor ordered for John Harbaugh’s team. He’s a bully in press-man coverage and practically lives in receivers’ pockets. He’s exceptional as a box-safety and at the line of scrimmage.
Similar to Reese, Hood is a physical presence who plays hard and fast, unafraid to make a play on the ball carrier. He’s aggressive with his hands, which could lead to penalties early on. He shows plenty of discipline, though, so that shouldn’t be an issue for long.
Over the last two years at Colorado and Tennessee, Hood recorded 54 solo tackles, 5.5 TFLs, and three interceptions. He’s 5’11” and 193 pounds, and still only 21 years old. His ceiling is sky high, and he’ll be an impactful player for a struggling Giants defense.
The Giants didn’t have a third-round pick ahead of this Draft. They traded it away last year to the Houston Texans in order to move up and take Dart 25th overall. They traded back into the third round at pick 74, sending picks 105 and 145, along with a 2027 fourth-rounder, to the Cleveland Browns.
New York has needed another wide receiver in the room to pair with Malik Nabers, and Notre Dame’s Malachi Fields may be the answer. The 6’4”, 218-pound receiver brings size and strength to a team that desperately needs it.
Fields, like Hood, is a bully to his opponents. His size allows him to dominate at the catch point, and he excels as a run blocker. He played his first four years at Virginia before transferring to Notre Dame in 2025.
Over the last three seasons, Fields has recorded 149 receptions for 2,249 yards and 15 touchdowns. He can be a slow starter on his release, but once he’s moving, he can get over any defender to bring the ball down.
The Giants needed another big-bodied receiver to take the tops off defenses. Fields has the ability to do just that. He may not be an immediate force, but he has all the tools to be an incredible WR2 alongside Nabers.
After trading out of the fourth and fifth rounds, the Giants’ next pick came at 186th overall. In these late rounds, depth is the name of the game, and they understood the assignment. They drafted Auburn defensive tackle Bobby Jamison-Travis in the sixth round.
New York traded Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals for the 10th overall pick. There is speculation that they’ll sign D.J. Reader or Shelby Harris to fill that hole. They also have Roy Robertson-Harris and Darius Alexander on the interior defensive line.
Taking a high-end DT in this draft wasn’t realistic, especially with the plethora of needs New York already had. This position will likely be a rotational committee in 2026, with a long-term search coming next year.
Jamison-Travis is 6’3” and 328 pounds, continuing the Giants’ trend of taking big, physical players. He’s not expected to be a starter and may see limited snaps, but adding a 300-pound DT to a historically bad run defense is never a bad idea.
In another move to build the trenches, the Giants drafted Illinois offensive tackle J.C. Davis, 192nd overall. He was a four-year starter for New Mexico and Illinois, appearing in 47 games.
Davis allowed four sacks on 387 pass block attempts in 2025 and played 740 snaps at left tackle. He’s 6’4” and 322 pounds and 34 ¼” arms. His footwork needs improvement, but his size and strength could be beneficial in the run game.
Davis will likely find himself as a swing tackle along with second-year lineman Marcus Mbow. His size in the run game could allow him to play guard as well. This is a smart move for New York to keep bodies available on the offensive line.
New York had back-to-back picks in the second round, and its final pick was for BYU linebacker Jack Kelly. With Micah McFadden coming off a season-ending injury, this is a good move for more depth at a position that needs it.
Kelly is 6’1” and 240 pounds with adequate sideline-to-sideline speed. He plays tough with a “nasty demeanor,” and he has strong hands when punching for the ball. He was also a two-time team captain in college.
Over the last two years at BYU, Kelly recorded 75 solo tackles, 23.5 TFLs, 15 sacks, and one interception. He has average reaction time, but he’s quick to close on the pass-catcher and make a tackle. He has the traits of a late-round steal if he can develop in the NFL.
The Giants started the draft incredibly well and followed that up with some great value picks. Reese and Mauigoa are immediate impact players, while Hood and Fields have terrific playmaking potential. The final four picks are strong depth options, with Kelly having the potential to be a standout when he hits the field.
There isn’t much to complain about here with New York. John Harbaugh loves physical players, and he’s loaded up on them. The Giants are already expected to have a major turnaround, and this Draft class only strengthens that argument.
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to our newsletter here. Check out Stadium Rant Original shows on our Youtube channel and subscribe! Give our socials Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok a follow for more great content!
