Some position groups fall apart quietly. Others unravel so visibly that every Sunday feels like a reminder of what isn’t working. The New York Giants’ secondary has landed firmly in the second category this season, struggling with new faces, inconsistent play, and a defensive scheme that hasn’t elevated anyone on the back end.
It’s why the idea of spending another premium draft pick on the secondary keeps resurfacing, and why PFF now has the Giants selecting Ohio State star safety Caleb Downs third overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. For a team this thin on reliable playmakers, adding a blue-chip talent may be more necessity than luxury.
A defense stuck in the wrong gear
The Giants paid Jevon Holland to be a stabilizing force. To an extent, he has been. He’s played fine football, shown range, and offered leadership, but he hasn’t quite delivered the game-changing presence the Giants hoped for when they handed him a three-year, $45.3 million contract.
Jevón Holland, Giants
Credit: Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Next to him, things have been rougher.
Tyler Nubin was drafted to be a long-term starter at strong safety. He’s physical and intelligent, but right now he looks overwhelmed by the speed of the job. Bad angles, late breaks, and shaky athletic matchups have become recurring issues. In Shane Bowen’s defense, where precision and discipline are supposed to make up for a conservative structure, a struggling safety becomes a glaring problem.
That’s how the Giants ended up fielding one of the least reliable secondaries in football, and why attention has shifted toward the top of the 2026 draft board.
Why Caleb Downs fits what the Giants desperately lack
Caleb Downs has been one of the cleanest safety prospects in college football. His numbers alone paint the picture: only 134 yards allowed in coverage, two interceptions, a pass breakup, and 40 tackles with a manageable 10.9 percent missed tackle rate. But the traits behind the stats are what make evaluators think he’s a day-one difference-maker.
Downs doesn’t miss angles. He doesn’t shy from contact. He gets off blocks like a linebacker and covers space like a corner. Whether he’s tracking deep routes, squeezing throwing windows in the slot, or crashing downhill to erase screens, he plays with a blend of instinct and athleticism that very few safeties possess.
When a defense has problems everywhere, the best fix is often a player who solves more than one. Downs fits that mold. He’s fast. He’s reactive. He’s technically advanced. More importantly, he plays with the kind of confidence and physicality the Giants haven’t had on the back end in years.
Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch
Credit: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The bigger question: safety or wide receiver?
Picking in the top five almost always places a franchise at a crossroads. The Giants have multiple needs, and wide receiver sits right next to safety in terms of long-term importance. They need a bona fide number one wideout alongside Malik Nabers coming off ACL surgery — someone who can grow with Jaxson Dart and reshape the offense.
But the secondary is a weekly liability. And missing on the back end some weeks feels just as damaging as lacking a true top receiver.
Downs would give the Giants immediate stability, a foundational piece on defense, and relief from the constant coverage breakdowns that have defined the season. A top receiver would give them a clear identity on offense. The choice says a lot about where the front office believes the rebuild is heading.
If the Giants think their defensive core just needs one last premium addition, Downs is that type of player. And if they want reliability in a unit that doesn’t have much of it, he might be the cleanest path forward.
Either way, picking this high again should be motivation enough to make sure the next move counts.