The New York Giants will have the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.
The Giants finished the 2025 NFL season with a 4-13 record and are looking to turn things around in 2026, especially after hiring John Harbaugh to be their new head coach. Harbaugh was let go by the Ravens after their season ended, and the Giants scooped him up right after.
The Giants have a lot of needs going into the 2026 season, and they'll have a chance to fill one of them when they pick early in the first round of the draft.
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With that in mind, ESPN's Field Yates released his third mock draft alongside Mel Kiper Jr. and has the Giants selecting safety Caleb Downs with the fifth overall pick.
"I say near and dear to your heart, Mel, because of course, it's John Harbaugh, the 18-year head coach for the Baltimore Ravens, who has known what it's like to have an elite safety," Yates said. "I would say moreso than any coach in NFL history between Ed Reed and more recently Kyle Hamilton. A gold jacket player and a potential gold jacket player down the line after Hamilton's career."
Kiper Jr. added his thoughts after Yates finished up.
"Kyle Hamilton is a special entity with his size, his athletic prowess, and the way they move him around. Caleb Downs, not that type of talent, so is that going to be a guy you look at over a wide receiver like Carnell Tate, his teammate at Ohio State?" Kiper said. "That to me is the debate."
Downs was one of the best defensive players in college football during the 2025 season, finishing with 68 total tackles, two passes defended, a sack, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions.
This was his second season at Ohio State after he helped the program win a national title in 2024, finishing that year with 82 total tackles, six passes defended, and two interceptions. He started his collegiate career at Alabama before finishing at Ohio State.
The 2026 NFL Draft will take place in Pittsburgh from Apr. 23-25.