As the Giants look ahead to 2026, this is worth noting after Sunday’s loss to Green Bay: At 2-9, They are now second in the draft order.
The only team ahead of them is the 1-9 Titans. Neither team needs a quarterback, of course, because Tennessee drafted Cam Ward first last year, and the Giants picked Jaxson Dart 25th.
We’ll see how the rest of the draft order shakes out in the coming weeks — especially in terms of where the quarterback-needy teams end up — but for now, let’s presume that the Titans and Giants don’t trade down.
What, then, might the Giants do at No. 2 to help Dart, while getting their second choice of prized non-quarterback prospects?
Some of that depends on whether Joe Schoen is still their general manager. He currently remains in that role, even after coach Brian Daboll’s firing this past week.
Schoen is running the search for Daboll’s replacement as co-owner John Mara battles cancer. But that doesn’t mean Schoen definitely will return in 2026, which is scheduled to be the final year of his contract.
The Giants drafted third overall last year. They have picked first twice (1951 and 1965) and second three times (1948, 1981, 2018).
The No. 2 pick has worked for them. They got linebacker Lawrence Taylor and running back Saquon Barkley at those spots, though you know where the latter is now.
Obviously, it’s not a lock that the Giants will remain at No. 2. They could still win a game or two down the stretch, since they play the Commanders, Vikings and Cowboys at home and the Raiders on the road.
Pro Football Focus includes just two quarterbacks in its current top 10 prospects rankings for next year’s draft: Alabama’s Ty Simpson at No. 8 and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza at No. 9.
The 10th spot belongs to USC wide receiver Makai Lemon. And the Giants do need a receiver to star opposite Malik Nabers, who they picked sixth in 2024. They also have a bunch of other needs.
Here’s what the top seven of PFF’s big board looks like: Edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. (Miami), safety Caleb Downs (Ohio State), linebacker Arvell Reese (Ohio State), defensive tackle Peter Woods (Clemson), receiver Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State), edge rusher T.J. Parker (Clemson) and running back Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame).
The Giants just took edge rusher Abdul Carter third last year, and they have Brian Burns, one of their only dominant players. They’re also surely not going to take a safety, linebacker, defensive tackle or running back at No. 2. But Tyson could be an option there, along with Lemon.
What about right tackle? Jermaine Eluemunor, a pending free agent, isn’t a long-term solution to start opposite Andrew Thomas. Schoen did whiff badly on right tackle Evan Neal at No. 7 in 2022. Would he take another shot at the position in 2026 if Mara retains him?
Well, PFF has just three tackles in its top 35 prospects — Utah’s Spencer Fano at No. 22, Miami’s Francis Mauigoa at No. 24 and Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor at No. 28.
Cornerback is another big need for the Giants. And while using the No. 2 pick on that position would not directly help Dart, it might boost the Giants’ defense, which matters.
PFF has five corners in its top 35: Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy at No. 11, LSU’s Mansoor Delane at No. 15, South Carolina’s Brandon Cisse at No. 21, Clemson’s Avieon Terrell at No. 23 and Tennessee’s Colton Hood at No. 32. That’s a fairly impressive group.
Obviously, Schoen whiffed on a first-round corner, in addition to the Neal debacle — Deonte Banks at No. 24 in 2023.
Which is part of the reason why the Giants are on track to pick high in the draft yet again, after selecting third and sixth the past two years.
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