inside the giants How Jeremiyah Love will test the Giants’ view of running backs in the John Harbaugh era By Paul Schwartz Published April 15, 2026, 6:20 a.m. ET Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love is widely considered the top running back available in the 2026 NFL Draft. ISI Photos via Getty Images There are all sorts of debates to be made about what position the Giants should target with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
A case can be made for the best, most impactful defensive player on the board, be it inside linebacker Sonny Styles or safety Caleb Downs. Heck, if we want to go down this road even further, what if edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. is sitting there at No. 5? Adding to that position is certainly not a need — with Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux, it is a rare position of strength for the Giants — but if Bain’s grade is significantly higher than anyone else’s at that spot, it at least must be a serious conversation.
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A case can be made for an offensive lineman, but this discussion is even murkier. The Giants are set at left tackle with Andrew Thomas, injuries his only kryptonite. There was a decision to be made at right tackle, with Jermaine Eluemunor headed to free agency, but he was re-signed to a three-year, $39 million contract with $26 million in guaranteed money. New head coach John Harbaugh signed off on this, and has familiarity with Eluemunor from their two seasons together with the Ravens (2017 and 2018). But it also must be noted that Eluemunor started a total of three games in Baltimore; his career gained a foothold with the Raiders in 2022.
The best tackle in this draft is widely considered to be Miami’s Francis Mauigoa. Is he worth the No. 5 pick? And if he is, does it make sense to get him and turn him into a guard as a rookie? It is highly unlikely the Giants would select Mauigoa and then move the 31-year old Eluemunor inside to guard, considering the money they are paying him at right tackle.
