When a stud quarterback is taken in the draft. When a proven new head coach arrives. When a new front office is put in place. When a coveted free agent star signs on.
Sometimes, these bold moves do not produce the desired effect. Sometimes, they do.
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It will be worthwhile someday to look back to April 23, 2026, to determine if what transpired that evening tilted the entire Giants operation in an upward, winning direction. They have two of the top 10 picks in the first round of the NFL draft — No. 5 and No. 10 — and if they choose wisely, they can add cornerstone pieces, two on defense, two on offense or one on each side of the ball.
It will be fascinating in the years to come to assess if the top of this draft was when the foundation was laid for John Harbaugh’s construction of the Giants. These will be his first two picks with his new team after 18 years with the Ravens. These two picks will represent how Harbaugh wants his players to look, act and perform. No matter who they are, they will possess a toughness gene. You can be sure of that.
The No. 5 pick was earned the hard way, by loss after loss after loss, adding up to a record of 4-13 in 2025. The No. 10 pick was gained when negotiations failed with nose tackle Dexter Lawrence, who made it clear he wanted out based on the tepid new contract he signed with the Bengals after the Giants shipped him to Cincinnati.
That the deal went down Saturday night gave the Giants ample time to redirect their draft strategy to include a second first-round pick. It would not be a surprise if there was a trade down with one of these picks, possibly to recoup the third-round pick that was lost when the Giants won big a year ago in the trade-up that produced quarterback Jaxson Dart. Acquiring an additional second-round pick is also an attractive option, if they can swing it.
“At some point maybe there’s a … line where there’s a drop-off and the player at eight may be the same type of player you can get at 18, so maybe there’s not a big difference in those,’’ Schoen said.
If that happens in the cluster of players on the board at No. 5 or at No. 10, the Giants could seize the opportunity to move down, if they can find a trade partner, as other teams are expected to be thinking the same way.
This year’s first-round double bonus needs to be far more invigorating than the 2022 selections of Kayvon Thibodeaux (No. 5 overall) and Evan Neal (No. 7).
On offense, the Giants need a wide receiver and they have done a great deal of work on Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson. They need a right guard and might believe that Francis Mauigoa from Miami is better suited at guard than tackle. The big decision to be made is what to do if running back Jeremiyah Love is on the board at No. 5. If he is, the time-tested positional value debate can rage on. It is believed Love is highly regarded by the Giants and that he is definitely in play at No. 5. Harbaugh wants to run the ball and Love would provide a game-breaking dimension to augment what Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy Jr. bring to the field.
On defense, the loss of Lawrence created a massive void in the interior of the line but a replacement will not be found in the first round. Two Ohio State players, linebacker Sonny Styles and safety Caleb Downs, are in play for the Giants. The feeling is Styles is ranked higher on the Giants board than Downs. Another Ohio State defender, edge rusher Arvell Reese, has piqued the interest of the Giants and he would be a strong consideration, even at the risk of some duplication with Abdul Carter, the No. 3 overall pick a year ago.
“Ideally, they line up, and the best available player is also a position of need,’’ Schoen said. “But I would say last year if you look at what we did with Abdul, we had Kayvon [Thibodeaux] and we had [Brian] Burns here and we still took Abdul. We were really strong at outside backer when we added Abdul to the roster. We’re going to stack the board, and the best player available is the direction we’ll go.’’
There is also a need for a cornerback, making LSU’s Mansoor Delane and Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy (possible knee concerns) options at No. 10.
Harbaugh has set the bar high for the No. 5 pick, saying “there’s gonna be a great one there’’ and “it’s gonna be a guy that can really help us get better, for sure.’’
Last year, the Giants took Carter and then worked the phones and sweated out an on-the-clock trade with the Texans to get pick No. 25, which they used on Dart.
“It’s almost like you play the game before the game,’’ Schoen said. “For the first-round pick we’ve had months to prepare for, so we’ll be ready.’’
Ready to change the fortunes of the franchise? That is yet to be determined.
