inside the giants Behind the scenes of the Giants’ draft board: outfielder scouting, NIL intel, ‘touch points’ By Paul Schwartz Published May 13, 2026, 6:20 a.m. ET Colton Hood celebrates after a Tennessee win over Florida on Nov. 22, 2025. Getty Images The big things — height, weight, speed, production — are fairly obvious, and the Giants see them, of course. The other 31 teams in the NFL see them as well, but do not always come to the same conclusions. Player evaluation does include plenty of subjectivity.
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So, when the Giants say they were thrilled to get two of the top five players on their draft board in the first round of the NFL draft, that is meaningful information.
They did not think linebacker Arvell Reese would be there at No. 5, and had no reason to be confident that offensive lineman Sisi Mauigoa would be there at No. 10. Their availaibilites were draft-day surprises to a front office and coaching staff all too happy to select them.
The Giants’ draft board — the way every player is graded and stacked — is a one-of-a-kind creation. Other teams graded and stacked the same players far differently. The Giants would not have taken wide receiver Carnell Tate at No. 4 — they did not see him as a top-five pick. The Titans thought otherwise and made Tate the first receiver to come off the board. That delighted the Giants because it opened the door for Reese to join their roster.
