The New York Giants (2-11) will be selecting high in the 2026 NFL draft and, since they are no longer in the market for a quarterback, will concentrate on finding a stud at another position.
In USA TODAY’s latest mock of next April’s draft, draft analyst Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz has the Giants selecting second overall, and with that pick, they make a surprising choice.
2. New York Giants – Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
The odds of a safety being selected this high are vanishingly small. But Downs might test the bounds of his position given how valuable he can be as a do-everything defender, and the Giants don’t have many compelling alternatives here. With New York’s defense short on leadership and figures who can stand up to repair the league’s worst run defense, Downs can come in and lead the charge on both fronts.
It’s not a pick the team had planned to make. They appeared to have the safety spots nailed down with 2024 second-round pick Tyler Nubin and high-priced free-agent Jevon Holland. In addition, the Giants have the versatile Dane Belton in the fold.
Nubn has taken a major step back in his second season, while the team has apparently fallen for fool’s gold in Holland. That could end up being an unfair assessment of both players, as several experts have blamed much of the poor secondary play on the fired defensive coordinator Shane Bowen’s passive scheme.
Still, Caleb Downs at No. 2? That would be an interesting decision with the opportunity to trade down and acquire more capital.