New York Giants 2-Round Mock Draft overhauls the defense with NFL Combine standouts

This offseason is going to be an exciting one for the New York Giants. With John Harbaugh taking over as the new head coach, they could go in any direction in free agency and the NFL Draft. Harbaugh is going to reshape this roster in his image, and that process is going to be an exciting one to watch.

Free agency is just around the corner, and with the NFL Scouting Combine having just wrapped up, mock draft season is officially upon us. In the wake of the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, I’ve put together a two-round mock draft that sees the New York Giants overhaul their defense with a pair of elite athletes. Let’s dive in.

Mock Draft Round 1, Pick 5: Giants Land Ohio State’s Sonny Styles

John Harbaugh is looking to build a football team that is athletic, tough, disciplined, and versatile. With that in mind, I don’t see how they can pass up on Sonny Styles if he is on the board.

Arguably the top standout of the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, Ohio State LB Sonny Styles saw his stock soar after an unbelievable outing on Thursday. Standing at a prototypical 6-foot-5, 244 pounds, Styles put his elite athleticism on display in the workouts. He ran a 4.46s 40-yard dash, posted an all-time Combine-best for a linebacker 43-inch vertical jump, and lunged his way to an 11-foot-3-inch broad jump. His ridiculous athletic testing scored him a 9.99 RAS (Relative Athletic Score), ranking fourth out of 3,216 linebackers from 1987 to 2026.

Styles has now shot up draft boards and seems like a lock to be picked inside the top 10, and very well could be a top-five selection. The Giants at five overall could now be Styles’s floor in the draft order, and the Jets at second overall could serve as his ceiling.

Styles Has Elite, All-Pro Potential

If Styles falls into the Giants’ lap with the fifth-overall pick, John Harbaugh might do a 40-yard dash sprint to hand in the draft card. Styles is a picture-perfect fit for Harbaugh’s cultural identity on the defensive side of the ball. Throughout his time with the Baltimore Ravens, Harbaugh coached and invested consistently in elite inside linebackers, like C.J. Mosley, Patrick Queen, Roquan Smith, and the Hall of Famer Ray Lewis. Styles has the potential to be that All-Pro caliber talent.

Sonny Styles plays football and commands a defense with the kind of equanimity that is rare to find in a 21-year-old linebacker.

In 2025, Styles took over the “green dot” responsibilities for Ohio State, operating as the communication hub for the nation’s top-ranked defense. His 87.8 run-defense grade and nation-best 2.2% missed tackle rate would go a long way toward fixing the Giants’ 31st-ranked run defense. Meanwhile, the converted safety’s 86.9 PFF coverage grade in 2025 ranked 11th out of 804 qualifying college linebackers. He can impact both facets of the game.

Mock Draft Round 2, Pick 37: Giants Upgrade the Secondary with Tennessee’s Colton Hood

Defense wins championships. That’s why I have the Giants double-dipping on the defensive side of the ball in this two-round mock draft. Like Styles, Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood is the kind of freak athlete that appears to be a seamless fit for a Harbaugh football team.

Hood is another prospect who turned heads in Indianapolis over the weekend. The 5-foot-11, 193-pound cornerback proved to be an exceptional athlete. He ran a 4.44s 40-yard-dash was among the top-10 fastest at the Combine this year. He also demonstrated his explosiveness with a 40.5-inch vertical jump and 10-foot-5-inch broad jump. Those metrics were good to tally him a 9.61 RAS, ranking 110 out of 2,781 cornerbacks from 1987 to 2026.

With an 82 athleticism score on NFL.com (ranking 4th among CBs at the Combine), Hood has confirmed his status as a top-50 player in this draft class. He is getting buzz as a potential late-first-round pick, but could be on the board for the Giants at No. 37 in the second round.

The Giants Need a Turnover-Forcer in the Secondary

Colton Hood had his breakout this season in the SEC as a core member of the Tennessee Volunteers’ defense. His 83.3 PFF coverage grade ranked 2nd in the SEC and 18th in the FBS among qualifying cornerbacks. He allowed only one touchdown on 52 targets and held opposing quarterbacks to a meager 40.1 QBR, earning him his spot as the fifth-ranked cornerback on the PFF Big Board.

The Giants need more playmakers on defense. Hood has a nose for the football. He scored two defensive touchdowns in 2025 (a pick-six and a scoop-and-score). A former wide receiver converted to cornerback, Hood has exceptional ball skills for a defensive back — a trait the Giants’ secondary needs more of going into 2026.

Hood plays with a blend of speed and physicality that would make him a seamless fit for Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson. His playing style is reminiscent of the Baltimore Ravens cornerbacks who have helped comprise Harbaugh’s elite defenses over the years.

Recapping this 2-Round Post-Combine Giants Mock Draft

There is an argument for the Giants drafting offense with these two premium picks as they aim to surround Jaxson Dart with talent entering the second season of his career. And yes, they absolutely should do that. However, sometimes, the best thing for a quarterback is to be playing with an elite defense.

Pairing an elite defense with a young quarterback gives that signal-caller the peace of mind to challenge defenders, push the ball into tighter windows, and play with more aggression, knowing the defense has the ability to shut down the opponent, force turnovers, and get the ball back to him.

The Giants’ defense has not forced enough turnovers in recent years. That has made it exceedingly difficult on the offense, which has been forced into playing a conservative, risk-averse brand of football with the sole intention of playing a turnover-free game, rather than flat-out winning the game. That needs to change in 2026, but it can’t unless the defense significantly improves. Prospects like Styles and Hood can force turnovers, get stops, and create more opportunities for Dart and the offense.

This is just one of many ways I could see the first couple of rounds shaking out for the Giants in April. Styles and Hood very well could be off the board by the time the Giants are on the clock at five and 37, respectively. But if they manage to land these two defensive playmakers, they could have a unit on their hands that goes from worst to first.

By Anthony Rivardo

Anthony Rivardo is the Managing Editor and lead New York Giants Writer/Content Creator for Empire Sports Media. He is ... More about Anthony Rivardo