- Ohio State star Caleb Downs joins the Giants' secondary: Downs has allowed just 134 total yards this season, and opposing quarterbacks have managed a passer rating of only 50.8 when targeting his coverage.
- The Giants need a bigger playmaker opposite Malik Nabers: Malachi Fields has broken out since Notre Dame’s Week 9 bye, hauling in 13 catches on 18 targets for 248 yards and three touchdowns over his last three games. In that stretch, he has secured six of his eight contested targets with an average depth of target of 17.5 yards.
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For many fans, the writing is already on the wall for their teams’ seasons, and it’s time to look to the future. That means getting an early look at the 2026 NFL Draft class, and PFF is here to help.
Each week, we’ll mock draft for two new teams, and now the New York Giants are on the clock. Their current record slots them inside the top three, so we’ll be making their selections from the No. 3 spot.
This is not meant to be a predictive exercise — we aren’t close to knowing the actual draft order — but rather an introduction to expected team needs and potential targets. Think of it this way: this is the one series you can afford to wait on for your team, because the longer it takes for them to appear, the better they are performing on the field this season.
Round 1, Pick 3: S Caleb Downs, Ohio State
The Giants find themselves in the rare position of drafting inside the top five without glaring needs at quarterback, offensive tackle or edge. Receiver would certainly be a justifiable direction, but for this exercise, we’ll bolster the secondary with a potentially generational prospect who can impact the game at every level of the defense.
Downs has allowed just 134 total yards this season, and opposing quarterbacks have managed a passer rating of only 50.8 when targeting his coverage.
Round 2, Pick 35: CB Colton Hood, Tennessee
I love the team-building philosophy of flooding positions of weakness until they become strengths, so in this mock, we’ll continue adding talent to the Giants' secondary. Hood has enjoyed a breakout season for the Volunteers, holding opposing quarterbacks to a 50.0% completion rate in his coverage with one interception, eight forced incompletions and just one touchdown allowed.
Round 4, Pick 103: WR Malachi Fields, Notre Dame
The Giants need a bigger playmaker opposite Malik Nabers, and Fields certainly fits that profile at 6-foot-4 and 222 pounds. He has broken out since Notre Dame’s Week 9 bye, hauling in 13 catches on 18 targets for 248 yards and three touchdowns over his last three games. In that stretch, he has secured six of his eight contested targets with an average depth of target of 17.5 yards.
Round 5, Pick 142: G Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech
Day 3 is often the best place to target interior offensive linemen, and Rutledge’s play at Georgia Tech this season suggests he has the traits to make the jump. Across 300 pass-blocking snaps, he has allowed just one sack and three total pressures, and he pairs that with a strong 76.3 run-blocking grade.
Round 6, Pick 182: LB Sammy Omisigho, Oklahoma
Omosigho has been a standout run defender for Oklahoma this season, going the entire year without a missed tackle and recording only three negatively graded plays in run support. He has also allowed just 116 total yards in coverage and hasn’t surrendered a touchdown.
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