{"id":862133,"date":"2026-04-09T06:57:33","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T06:57:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/862133\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T06:57:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T06:57:33","slug":"mock-draft-tracker-9-0-draft-month-is-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/862133\/","title":{"rendered":"Mock Draft Tracker 9.0: Draft month is here"},"content":{"rendered":"

Max Chadwick, Pro Football Focus<\/a><\/p>\n

Pick: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah<\/p>\n

Analysis: “Developing and protecting quarterback Jaxson Dart should be a top priority for new head coach John Harbaugh. Fano produced a position-best 92.0 PFF overall grade over the past two seasons and would slot in seamlessly as the Giants’ right tackle opposite of Andrew Thomas.”<\/p>\n

Mike Band, Next Gen Stats<\/a><\/p>\n

Pick: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State<\/p>\n

Analysis: “Styles gives the Giants a franchise-defining playmaker whose size, range and physicality fit the mold Harbaugh has long valued in the middle of his defense, while still aligning with GM Joe Schoen’s history of betting on elite athletes with elite production.”<\/p>\n

Mason Johnstone, The Draft Network<\/a><\/p>\n

Pick: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State<\/p>\n

Analysis: “The Giants have been stacking defensive talent the past two offseasons, and there’s no better cherry on top than selecting the top defender in the class, Caleb Downs.”<\/p>\n

Garrett Podell, CBS Sports<\/a><\/p>\n

Pick: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State<\/p>\n

Analysis: “The Giants added another solid pass-catching option with the signing of Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely, but they still need another legit wide receiver opposite Malik Nabers. Carnell Tate is the safest wide receiver in the draft based on measurements and traits. He produced a nation-leading six receiving touchdowns of 30 or more air yards in 2025. He’ll help further quarterback Jaxson Dart’s growth in 2026.”<\/p>\n

Nick Baumgardner, The Athletic<\/a><\/p>\n

Pick: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame<\/p>\n

Analysis: “Throughout John Harbaugh’s run with Lamar Jackson, the head coach generally made sure his quarterback’s best friend was a powerful and dynamic run game. Love is my top-ranked player in this class \u2014 a true three-down weapon and an offensive coordinator’s dream. I believe he’s a better prospect than Ashton Jeanty was a year ago and belongs in the Bijan Robinson-Jahmyr Gibbs tier.”<\/p>\n

Trevor Sikkema, Pro Football Focus<\/a><\/p>\n

Pick: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State<\/p>\n

Analysis: “Tate had an opportunity to grab the WR1 title by the horns since both Jordyn Tyson and Makai Lemon did not do any athletic testing at the combine, but he came up short with a 4.53-second 40-yard dash. That doesn’t hurt his stock, in my opinion, but it keeps him in the conversation with the other three. Still, his range likely starts here at No. 5 to give Jaxson Dart two legitimate deep-threat receivers in 2026.”<\/p>\n

Cynthia Frelund, NFL Network<\/a><\/p>\n

Pick: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee<\/p>\n

Analysis: “McCoy tore his ACL in January 2025 (he missed all of last season), so we’ll have to see how his medical evaluations turn out during the draft process (including at the NFL Scouting Combine). But my model loves his potential and upside: He has the highest rating for a true press corner in this year’s class. Also, at just 20 years old, he’s two years younger than my No. 2 rated corner, Mansoor Delane.”<\/p>\n

Pick: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State<\/p>\n

Analysis: “Styles could be the cherry on top of a budding front seven. He’s one of the best off-ball linebacker athletes to come out in recent years, boasting a massive frame and cornerback-like movement skills.”<\/p>\n

Pick: Arvell Reese, EDGE, Ohio State<\/p>\n

Analysis: “I’ve said this before, but if the draft were the week after the Super Bowl, we wouldn’t have months to create narratives that run counter to what our collective eyeballs told us in the fall. For Reese, it’s pretty simple: he’s a rare athlete who was one of the best defenders in the country in 2025. That his pro-day bag-drill workout didn’t meet expectations shouldn’t really carry much weight. He’s a freak who is the “positionless player” prototype.”<\/p>\n

Pick: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee<\/p>\n

Analysis: “Jermod McCoy is not a prospect I have associated with New York during this process, but every year there are a few picks that make you think, “Why didn’t I think of that?” I refer to mock drafts as thought exercises because the goal is to be most accurate with the final version. McCoy has the potential to be in a tier of cornerbacks that includes Derek Stingley Jr. and Patrick Surtain II. Stingley did not play his final season of college football, either. Why not Mansoor Delane? Delane is more of a zone-heavy corner, and the Ravens have played the fifth-lowest rate of zone coverage over the past decade. The other consideration was Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate.”<\/p>\n

Connor Rogers, NBC Sports<\/a><\/p>\n

Pick: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami<\/p>\n

Analysis: “Whether it be at right tackle (where he’s started the last three seasons) or guard, Mauigoa puts more help in front of Jaxson Dart. His play strength and anchor stood out in 2025, where his improvement in pass protection was notable. Wide receiver could be in play here for the Giants, but if they bring back Wan’Dale Robinson they can address that position later in the draft.”<\/p>\n

Blake Brockermeyer, CBS Sports<\/a><\/p>\n

Pick: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah<\/p>\n

Analysis: “Spencer Fano plays with good technique and excellent feet, and I believe he can handle either tackle spot. He didn’t allow a sack this season and gave up only six hurries. His best days are still ahead, but I like his power at the point, his ability to move people in the run game and the athleticism to pull and clear defenders at the second level.”<\/p>\n

Pick: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami<\/p>\n

Analysis: “The Giants could go in any number of directions at this spot, but it’d be tough to argue with a decision to bolster the trenches. Mauigoa can drop in as the bookend for left tackle Andrew Thomas, giving New York a tough and physical blocker who can upgrade the run game while protecting Jaxson Dart.”<\/p>\n

Justin Melo, The Draft Network<\/a><\/p>\n

Pick: Francis Mauigoa, OL, Miami<\/p>\n

Analysis: “John Harbaugh and the Giants are tasked with investing in Jaxson Dart’s development this offseason.”<\/p>\n

Keith Sanchez, The Draft Network<\/a><\/p>\n

Pick: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State<\/p>\n

Analysis: “The New York Giants drafted Jaxson Dart in the first round last year, and as a rookie, he showed some promise that should have the front office optimistic about what he could develop into. But if they want Dart to take the same steps that Caleb Williams and Drake Maye took in their sophomore years, they are going to need to upgrade the receiver room and give him another weapon, especially with Malik Nabers recovering from an ACL injury. So in this spot, the Giants decide to go with Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson.”<\/p>\n

Pick: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame<\/p>\n

Analysis: “The thing about the Harbaughs is they want to run the ball. Last year, Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh selected Omarion Hampton in Round 1, and who’s to say John Harbaugh won’t take the most talented ball-carrier this April? Jaxson Dart led the Giants with nine rushing TDs last season, but that can’t happen again if the team wants to make a playoff push. Love’s rushing and receiving abilities take the offense to the next level.”<\/p>\n

Gordon McGuinness, Pro Football Focus<\/a><\/p>\n

Pick: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State<\/p>\n

Analysis: “The Giants’ free-agency signing of linebacker Tremaine Edmunds doesn’t dampen their chances of targeting Styles, in my opinion. He missed just 2.2% of his tackle attempts and earned 85.0-plus PFF grades in coverage and run defense this past season, ranking second among nearly 200 qualifying draft-eligible linebackers.”<\/p>\n

Pick: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah<\/p>\n

Analysis: “Jaxson Dart needs to protect himself from unnecessary carnage, but the Giants must do everything in their power to maintain a clean pocket.”<\/p>\n

Dalton Wasserman, Pro Football Focus<\/a><\/p>\n

Pick: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami<\/p>\n

Analysis: “Mauigoa would be an immediate starter on the right side after recording an excellent 87.0 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2025.”<\/p>\n

Luke Easterling, Athlon Sports<\/a><\/p>\n

Pick: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State<\/p>\n

Analysis: “It’s so hard to find off-ball linebackers who can do the things he can.”<\/p>\n

Nate Tice and Charles McDonald, Yahoo Sports<\/a><\/p>\n

Pick: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame<\/p>\n

Analysis: “This pick might be a shocker, but there is a strand of logic to follow here: namely, John Harbaugh and Greg Roman getting back together in New York. Matt Nagy will be calling plays, but Roman is with the Giants as a senior offensive assistant and Harbaugh has thoroughly demonstrated a desire to be a good running team through almost his entire Baltimore tenure.”<\/p>\n

Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News<\/a><\/p>\n

Pick: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State<\/p>\n

Analysis: “Downs may have dropped a little after choosing not to work out at the Combine in relation to his former Buckeyes back seven teammates Reese and Sonny Styles going off on the field. The Giants still should be eyeing him in the top five to give them a dynamic complement to Jevon Holland.”<\/p>\n

Jordan Plocher, Pro Football Focus<\/a><\/p>\n

Pick: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami<\/p>\n

Analysis: “Giving quarterback Jaxson Dart more time in the pocket, leading to fewer scrambles, will help keep him healthy and aid in his development. The 6-foot-5 and 329-pound Mauigoa is a heavy presence up front who will clear holes in the running game and help protect Dart. Mauigoa allowed only two sacks, four quarterback hits and nine hurries on his 557 pass-blocking snaps in 2025. He could be a nice addition to Dart’s array of personal protectors, and he’s open to playing guard or tackle.”<\/p>\n

Mike Band, Next Gen Stats<\/a><\/p>\n

Pick: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State<\/p>\n

Analysis: “Styles gives the Giants a franchise-defining playmaker whose size, range and physicality fit the mold Harbaugh has long valued in the middle of his defense, while still aligning with GM Joe Schoen’s history of betting on elite athletes with elite production.”<\/p>\n

Daire Carragher, Pro Football Focus<\/a><\/p>\n

Pick: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State<\/p>\n

Analysis: “Choosing between Caleb Downs and Sonny Styles is a difficult decision for the Giants at this spot, as both offer high-end impact in different ways. Previously in these kinds of situations, the Giants have typically sided with the more athletic prospect, which is clearly Styles, but it’s a new era with John Harbaugh in town. Harbaugh will admire Downs’ football intelligence and the natural leadership he exuded during his final college football season.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Max Chadwick, Pro Football Focus Pick: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah Analysis: “Developing and protecting quarterback Jaxson Dart should…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":862134,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[2067],"tags":[106658,4955,7,519,347,1917,56,2321,2469,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-862133","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york-giants","8":"tag-2026-mock-draft-tracker","9":"tag-2026-nfl-draft","10":"tag-football","11":"tag-giants","12":"tag-homepage","13":"tag-new-york","14":"tag-new-york-giants","15":"tag-newyork","16":"tag-newyorkgiants","17":"tag-nfl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116373451128539376","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/862133","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=862133"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/862133\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/862134"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=862133"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=862133"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=862133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}