The NFL Scouting Combine opens its doors in Indianapolis this week, and the New York Giants couldn’t have more riding on it. John Harbaugh is building his first Giants roster, Jaxson Dart needs weapons and protection, and a defense that underperformed all of 2025 needs an infusion of talent from the ground up.
New York holds the fifth overall pick and doesn’t have a third-round selection after trading it up for Dart last spring. Every pick between No. 37 and the late rounds carries outsized weight. That means the combine—where measurements, athleticism, and scheme fit crystallize in ways tape alone can’t always reveal—matters enormously for a team with needs at several positions and limited capital to address all of them.
Here’s who the Giants need to be watching closely, from the first round through Day 3 sleepers, with scheme fit factored in throughout.
Wide Receiver: A Deep Class, Multiple Answers
Carnell Tate, Ohio State | Day 1 | Draft Position: Top 10
Carnell Tate is a tall, long wideout with outstanding play speed and production. He has excellent suddenness to defeat press coverage, covers ground quickly with his long stride, and tracks the ball beautifully over his shoulder down the field. Multiple mock drafts already have him landing at No. 5 to the Giants, and the case for scheme fit under new offensive coordinator Matt Nagy is legitimate. He runs clean routes, wins vertically, and doesn’t need the ball forced to him to impact a game. For a Jaxson Dart offense that needs a legitimate outside threat opposite Malik Nabers, Tate is the most scheme-ready Day 1 option.
Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana | Day 2 | SLEEPER
This is the name Giants fans need to commit to memory before Thursday. Cooper finished 2025 with 69 catches, 937 yards, and 13 touchdowns while evolving from a vertical threat to a complete receiver under Fernando Mendoza’s command. His 27 broken tackles ranked fourth in all of college football — the kind of statistic that doesn’t show up in the traditional stat line but tells you everything about how this player operates after the catch. The Giants’ offense under Nagy values receivers who make things happen in space. Cooper, who is currently projected as a second-round pick on the consensus big board, could be sitting there at pick 37. That’s extraordinary value for a player with a running back’s build and a receiver’s hands.
Ted Hurst, Georgia State | Day 2-3 | Draft Position: Round 3-4 | SLEEPER
Here’s the name that’s been quietly rising since Senior Bowl week, and the Giants need to have a scout parked in his combine session. Hurst burst onto the Senior Bowl scene with a one-handed contested touchdown catch in Monday’s practice and has consistently won against top competition — quickly raising his draft stock. He’s described by analysts as having arguably the best release package in the nation, able to gain an advantage right off the snap. That last part matters enormously for scheme fit — Nagy’s offense creates leverage through pre-snap motion and quick releases, exactly the kind of system where Hurst’s release repertoire translates immediately.
The physical profile is legitimately intriguing. At a verified 6-foot-3 and 207 pounds, Hurst’s 61.1% contested catch rate ranks in the 90th percentile of FBS receivers — and that number held up at the Senior Bowl against first-round cornerbacks, not Sun Belt coverage. He understands how to attack leverage with nuanced route pacing, generates separation deep, and has made multiple plays working back through defenders on underthrown deep shots.
He ran a limited route tree at Georgia State, his footwork rounds at the top of routes, and his short-area burst is a work in progress. But his upside as a red zone threat and field-stretcher is genuine enough that a mid-round selection is warranted. The Giants need a big-bodied boundary receiver with legitimate catch-point ability. Hurst is exactly that, and he might cost nothing more than a fourth-round pick.
Right Tackle: Versatility Is the Key Word
Francis Mauigoa, Miami | Day 1 | Draft Position: Top 15
Mauigoa was a three-year starter at right tackle for the Hurricanes, allowing just two sacks and nine total pressures in 2025 while helping Miami reach the National Championship Game. The interesting wrinkle for New York: multiple team sources have indicated that his physical profile — shorter arms, elite power in his hands — actually makes him better suited to guard at the NFL level, where his anchor against interior pass rushers is elite. CBS Sports’ Mike Renner wrote that his work “in a phone booth” is elite. If New York can’t retain Jermaine Eluemunor and Mauigoa is on the board at pick 5, the versatility to play tackle or guard immediately makes him one of the most intriguing options in the class.
Blake Miller, Clemson | Day 2 | Draft Position: Round 2
Here’s the under-the-radar name that deserves serious Giants attention. According to a comprehensive NFL offensive line breakdown from Football Scout 365, Miller is a durable, experienced right tackle with strong zone-scheme fit who flashes smooth footwork and mirror ability, projecting as a starting-caliber right tackle with long-term stability in a spread or zone-based offense. Nagy’s system is built on spacing and movement — exactly where Miller thrives. He’s not a household name, but he’s a legitimate starting tackle who could still be available in the second round. If the Giants address receiver at pick 5 and right tackle falls to pick 37, Miller is the exact pick Schoen should be targeting.
J.C. Davis, Illinois | Day 3 | Draft Position: Round 4-5 | SLEEPER
The backstory alone should make scouts pay attention. Davis is a 6-foot-5, 335-pound four-year starter who began at Contra Costa College, transferred to New Mexico for 24 starts, then transferred again to Illinois, where he earned AP First-Team All-Big Ten honors in 2025 after 25 more starts at left tackle. That’s 49 consecutive starts on the blind side across three programs. The path was unconventional. The production was not.
Davis finished 2025 with an 85.6 PFF overall grade — the second-highest mark among all offensive tackles in college football and second in the entire Big Ten. His exceptional pass-blocking skills and quick feet make him an intriguing prospect for teams employing zone-blocking schemes.
However, the caveats are real. He is susceptible to counter moves and misdirection, struggles with twists and stunts, and projects best at guard, given his compact frame and shorter arm length. But a player with Davis’s production profile who projects as a Day 3 pick because of scheme-fit questions is exactly the kind of low-cost, high-floor lineman that savvy front offices covet. This is a fourth or fifth-round pick that could quietly outplay his slot for years.
Offensive Guard: Developmental Prospects Outside of the First Round
Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon | Day 2 | SLEEPER
The name you haven’t heard enough about. ESPN’s Matt Miller ranks Pregnon as his second-best interior lineman in the class, behind only Ioane. He’s been projected almost exclusively in the second round, which is exactly the kind of value the Giants need after using a high pick on their first-round need. Pregnon is a zone-scheme mauler who thrives in reach blocking and combination blocks at the second level — precisely what Monken and Nagy want to install offensively. If the Giants take a receiver or pass rusher at pick 5 and Pregnon is sitting there at pick 37, that’s a foundational interior piece for the next six years.
Febechi Nwaiwu, Oklahoma | Day 3 | Draft Position: Round 4-5 | SLEEPER
The backstory writes itself. Nwaiwu walked on at North Texas as an unranked recruit, transferred to Oklahoma, earned second-team All-SEC honors in 2025, won the program’s Don Key Award, and took home the Pat Tillman Award at the East-West Shrine Bowl — given to the player who best exemplifies intelligence, sportsmanship, and service. The tape validates every bit of it: he finished 2025 as PFF’s highest-graded pass-blocking guard in college football, posting a 91.6 grade while allowing zero sacks, zero quarterback hits, and just two hurries on 505 pass-blocking snaps. His stout base, heavy hands, and grip strength arrest defenders and maintain block framing under pressure — and he played snaps at center and both guard spots, giving him legitimate interior versatility.
The concerns — stiff athleticism, inconsistent pad level, limited counters against long-armed rushers — are real enough to push him to Day 3. But the Giants aren’t asking a fourth-round guard to be a Pro Bowler. They need a dependable interior piece who won’t give up free pressures on Jaxson Dart’s blindside. Nwaiwu’s efficiency profile suggests he can be exactly that. At a fourth or fifth-round cost, that’s an enormous return on investment.
Cornerback: Harbaugh Knows This Position Better Than Anyone
Mansoor Delane, LSU | Day 1 | Draft Position: Top 8
Delane is one of the most consistent players in this draft class. He makes everything look easy in coverage as a corner who is extremely loose and fluid in his change of direction — allowing only 14 catches on 35 targets for 165 yards all season, making him the hardest corner to attack in all of college football in 2025. Harbaugh’s defenses in Baltimore built their secondary identity around exactly this cornerback profile — technically disciplined, instinctive, capable of executing both press and zone. Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson’s scheme demands the same. Multiple mock drafts already project Delane to the Giants at pick 5.
Brandon Cisse, South Carolina | Day 1/2 | SLEEPER
This is the combine-riser profile that front offices quietly love. Cisse is a leading candidate to light up combine workouts with length and Olympic-sprinter speed. The comparison being made in scouting circles: if Maxwell Hairston ran his way into the first round last year with his 4.28 40-yard dash, Cisse is more than capable of doing the same. Multiple team sources believe he can be a starting man corner in the NFL. If he posts elite testing numbers at Lucas Oil Stadium this week, his stock explodes overnight. Keep your eyes on this one.
Safety: The John Harbaugh Special
Caleb Downs, Ohio State | Day 1 | Draft Position: Top 10
This is the no-brainer pick of the whole article. Downs is a versatile safety prospect with outstanding instincts and intangibles who handles most of the communication for the defense. He excels against the run, takes proper angles, attacks ball-carriers, and is a dependable tackler. John Harbaugh coached Ed Reed. He coached Kyle Hamilton. ESPN analyst Field Yates has specifically argued that Harbaugh’s unique understanding of elite safety play makes Downs the most logical first pick of the new era — a force multiplier who elevates the entire defense around him. If Downs is on the board at five, the pick practically makes itself.
Dillon Thieneman, Oregon | Day 2 | SLEEPER
Thieneman is the third safety CBS Sports expects to go in the top 50, with coverage ability closest to Downs in the class. Daniel Jeremiah described him as a versatile chess piece who lined up in the box, in the deep half, and over the slot. The key phrase: “chess piece.” Harbaugh’s defenses are defined by multi-positional defenders who can disguise coverages and eliminate pre-snap reads. Thieneman is exactly that profile. If Downs is gone at pick 5 and the Giants address other needs in the first round, Thieneman at pick 37 could be the steal of the entire 2026 draft.
Interior Defensive Line: Two Different Archetypes
Christen Miller, Georgia | Day 2 | SLEEPER
Miller lined up all over Georgia’s defensive front in 2025 and checked in with PFF’s second-highest run-defense grade among all defensive linemen. His quick first step, leverage-based play style, and alignment versatility make him a natural fit for the hybrid fronts Harbaugh’s defenses have always featured. He’s not going to rack up sacks, but he’s a disciplined, athletic interior defender who projects as a three-down contributor in a gap-control system. Expect him to go somewhere in Day 2 to a team that’s been doing its homework. The Giants should make sure they’re that team.
Interior Defensive Line: Two Different Archetypes
Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati | Day 3 | Draft Position: Round 4-5 | SLEEPER
The nickname alone demands attention — “The Godfather” — but the tape backs it up. Corleone tested in college as a legitimate freak with a 485-pound bench, 615-pound squat, 1.71-second ten-yard split, and 7.44-second three-cone at 335 pounds — power and short-area quickness that show up constantly on film. He commands double teams, swallows running lanes, and keeps linebackers clean to flow to the football, projecting as a versatile 0-technique in a 3-man front or a 1-technique in a 4-man front.
The concerns are real: limited pass-rush variety, a tendency to carry excess weight, and medical red flags from a blood clot scare and knee issues that will be scrutinized heavily at the Combine this week. But some evaluators have already compared him to Michael Pierce — the short-armed, powerful nose plug Baltimore relied on for years. A team with Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, and Abdul Carter doesn’t need their Day 3 nose tackle to rush the passer. They need him to eat double teams and keep everybody else clean. Corleone does exactly that, and if the medical checks out, this is a fourth or fifth-round pick with immediate rotational value.
Linebacker: The Jewel of This Draft Class
Sonny Styles, Ohio State | Day 1 | Draft Position: Top 5
Styles is a tall, long, and rangy linebacker prospect who made a smooth transition from safety. In coverage, he can carry slot receivers down the seam and mirror tight ends all over the field. Daniel Jeremiah has already compared him to Fred Warner — and that comparison should register immediately for Giants fans who’ve watched Warner win a Super Bowl by playing the position at a cognitive level that simply doesn’t exist in most defenders. Mike Renner of CBS Sports called him the best linebacker athlete he has ever scouted. The Giants need a long-term anchor at linebacker, and Styles, if available at pick 5, might be exactly the gold-jacket player Harbaugh has been talking about all offseason.
Anthony Hill Jr., Texas | Day 2 | Draft Position: Round 2
Hill’s film took a clear step forward in 2025. His coverage allowed passer rating dropped to 62.1 last season — a massive improvement from 90.3 in his first two seasons. That trend line is exactly what you want to see in a linebacker who was already praised for his physical fluidity and range. CBS Sports described him as a player whose movement in space is exactly what you want from an off-ball linebacker with NFL size. If Styles is gone and the Giants end up addressing linebacker later, Hill is the pick.
The Combine Is Where Franchises Are Built
The counter-intuitive truth of this class: the Giants’ best draft doesn’t require a home run at pick 5. It requires identifying the right player at pick 5 and then finding three or four players on this list in rounds two through six. Omar Cooper, Emmanuel Pregnon, Dillon Thieneman, Christen Miller — that kind of Day 2 and Day 3 haul turns a franchise around as much as any first-round pick ever could.
The Combine opens Thursday. John Harbaugh is in Indianapolis with his staff, evaluating every measurement, every workout, every interview. This week will tell us more about what the first Harbaugh draft looks like than the previous three months combined. Pay attention. The Giants’ next championship window starts being built right now.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the top prospects the Giants should target at the No. 5 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft?
The strongest candidates at pick 5 for New York include Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane, Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles, and Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate. John Harbaugh has stated he wants a “gold jacket” player at No. 5, and all four fit that standard in different ways depending on whether the Giants prioritize offense or defense first.
Is Caleb Downs worth a top-5 pick for the Giants?
Multiple analysts—including ESPN’s Field Yates—have specifically argued that Downs is the perfect first pick of the John Harbaugh era, given Harbaugh’s history of maximizing elite safety play in Baltimore with Ed Reed and Kyle Hamilton. Downs’ versatility, run defense, and football IQ give him the force-multiplier profile that elevates every defender around him.
Who are the best sleeper prospects for the Giants in the 2026 NFL Draft?
The best sleeper options aligned with New York’s needs include WR Omar Cooper Jr. (Indiana, Day 2), S Dillon Thieneman (Oregon, Day 2), CB Brandon Cisse (South Carolina, combine riser), IOL Emmanuel Pregnon (Oregon, Day 2), and DT Christen Miller (Georgia, Day 2). All five project as starters or significant contributors at the NFL level and could be available well after the first round.
What positions are the New York Giants’ biggest needs in the 2026 NFL Draft?
The Giants’ most pressing needs entering the draft are wide receiver, right tackle, offensive guard, cornerback, safety, interior defensive line, and linebacker. Several of these needs — particularly right tackle and cornerback — could be addressed in free agency before the draft, which would allow Harbaugh and Schoen to draft the best available player at pick 5 rather than filling a specific hole.
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