Honestly, if you’ve spent any time at MetLife Stadium lately, you know the vibe has been... heavy. For years, the New York Giants felt like a team stuck in a loop. High picks, hopeful offseasons, and then November comes around and we’re already looking at mock drafts. It’s a cycle that would break anyone. But the recent crop of ny giants draft picks has actually started to shift that narrative, even if the win-loss column doesn't look like a Super Bowl run just yet.
We have to talk about the 2025 class. That was the year Joe Schoen finally pushed the chips in. He didn't just play it safe; he got aggressive, moving back into the first round to grab Jaxson Dart at pick 25 after already taking Abdul Carter at 3. It was a "franchise-altering" kind of night. And now, as we sit here in January 2026, looking at a No. 5 overall pick for the upcoming spring, the stakes feel even higher.
The 2025 Blueprint: Hit or Miss?
When the Giants took Abdul Carter out of Penn State with the third pick, everyone knew what the plan was. You pair a freakish athlete like Carter with Brian Burns and Dexter Lawrence, and you basically dare offensive lines to survive. Carter was as advertised. He’s a blur off the edge. Seeing him collapse the pocket while Lawrence eats up double teams in the middle has been the one consistent joy of the 2025 season.
But the real gamble was Jaxson Dart.
Drafting a quarterback in the late first round is always a polarizing move. Some fans wanted them to wait for the 2026 class, which supposedly has more "polish." But Dart? He’s got that "it" factor. Even though the Giants finished 4-13—which, yeah, stings—Dart showed enough flashes to make you believe. He won the starting job, dealt with an injury-depleted roster, and still managed to look like a guy who belongs.
Think about it. He spent a good chunk of the season throwing to Theo Johnson and Wan'Dale Robinson while Malik Nabers was banged up. He didn't have much help. Yet, his mobility and that live arm kept the Giants in games they had no business being in.
The 2025 Draft Haul at a Glance
Let's look at who actually joined the roster last year. It wasn't just the big names.
- Abdul Carter (EDGE, Penn State): Round 1, Pick 3. Total game-changer.
- Jaxson Dart (QB, Ole Miss): Round 1, Pick 25. The new face of the franchise.
- Darius Alexander (DT, Toledo): Round 3, Pick 65. A massive human who actually provides decent interior depth.
- Cam Skattebo (RB, Arizona State): Round 4, Pick 105. Basically a bowling ball with legs. Fans love him because he runs like he's trying to break the earth.
- Marcus Mbow (OL, Purdue): Round 5, Pick 154. A developmental tackle who’s had to play more than expected.
- Thomas Fidone II (TE, Nebraska): Round 7, Pick 219.
- Korie Black (CB, Oklahoma State): Round 7, Pick 246.
Korie Black is a wild story, by the way. He got waived, went to the Jets practice squad for a minute, then came back and ended up starting two games for the Giants because of injuries. He actually held his own. That's the kind of luck—or scouting—this team has lacked for a decade.
Why the No. 5 Pick in 2026 is Terrifying and Exciting
So, here we are. The 2025 season is over. The Giants are locked into the No. 5 pick for the 2026 NFL Draft. It’s a weird spot to be in because, on one hand, you have your quarterback. You don't need to chase a passer. On the other hand, the roster is still full of holes.
The defense was... let's be kind and say "inconsistent." While the pass rush was scary at times, the secondary was a sieve. Cor'Dale Flott is hitting free agency, and Paulson Adebo just didn't provide the lockdown presence the Giants hoped for when they brought him in.
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There's a lot of chatter about Caleb Downs, the safety from Ohio State. Now, I know what you’re thinking: "A safety at number five?" It sounds crazy. But Downs isn't just a safety. He’s a chess piece. He tackles like a linebacker and covers like a corner. If the Giants want to stop the run—which was an absolute nightmare last year—Downs is the guy who fixes that immediately.
Then there’s the wide receiver argument.
Carnell Tate, also from Ohio State, is the name everyone is circling. Imagine a world where Jaxson Dart has Malik Nabers on one side and Carnell Tate on the other. That’s a nightmare for any defensive coordinator. Tate is 6-foot-3, has hands like glue, and runs routes with the kind of precision that makes defenders look silly. If Joe Schoen wants to "protect" his investment in Dart, giving him a massive, reliable target like Tate is the most logical move.
Real Talk on Recent Draft History
We can’t talk about ny giants draft picks without acknowledging the mistakes. For every Malik Nabers, there’s a reminder of the years where we took guys who just didn't fit. The 2025 draft felt like a course correction. Joe Schoen stopped trying to be the smartest guy in the room and just took the best athletes available.
Cam Skattebo in the fourth round? That was a masterstroke. He’s not a 1,000-yard rusher yet, but he’s the "dirty work" guy every team needs. He’s the guy who gets you 3rd-and-2 when the defense knows exactly what’s coming.
And Marcus Mbow? He’s a "tweener"—maybe a tackle, maybe a guard. But when the offensive line started falling apart in November, he stepped in and didn't give up a sack for three straight games. That’s a fifth-round win.
The Missing Pieces
If we’re being honest, the Giants are still two drafts away from being "real."
They need a veteran-level cornerback, or they need to nail that position in the second round of 2026. They also need a legitimate center. John Michael Schmitz Jr. has been okay, but "okay" doesn't win you the NFC East when you're facing the Eagles' defensive front twice a year.
The 2026 draft needs to be about infrastructure. You have the Ferrari (Dart and Nabers), now you need the engine and the brakes.
What to Watch for in the 2026 Pre-Draft Process
As we head into the Senior Bowl and the Combine, keep an eye on these three things:
- The Trade-Down Scenario: Since the Giants are at No. 5 and don't need a QB, they are the perfect trade partner for a team like the Saints or the Falcons who might be looking to jump up. Schoen could potentially turn that No. 5 pick into two first-rounders if the board falls right.
- Cornerback Depth: If they don't go Caleb Downs or Carnell Tate, names like Mansoor Delane (LSU) or Jermod McCoy (Tennessee) are going to dominate the conversation.
- The Interior Offensive Line: It’s not sexy, but the Giants might look at someone like Logan Jones (Iowa) in the middle rounds to finally stabilize the snap-to-whistle consistency.
The Giants have a lot of capital. They have the fifth pick. They have their 2025 stars coming into Year 2. But they also traded away their 2026 third-rounder to Houston to get Jaxson Dart. That means every other pick has to count. There’s no room for "project" players who might be good in three years. This team needs starters now.
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Actionable Insights for Giants Fans
If you're tracking the draft, don't just look at the mock drafts. Look at the "Future" contracts the Giants just signed. Players like Swayze Bozeman and Myles Purchase are interesting, but they're depth. The real movement happens in late April.
- Watch the Ohio State Pro Day: The Giants are clearly enamored with Buckeyes. Whether it's Downs or Tate, that school is basically a Giants feeder program at this point.
- Monitor the Salary Cap: If the Giants spend big on a veteran corner in March, you can almost guarantee they’ll go offense (Tate) at pick No. 5.
- Don't Sleep on the Second Round: Pick No. 37 is where the value is. Look for a guy like Kevin Concepcion (WR, Texas A&M) to be a potential steal if he slips.
The 2025 draft gave us hope. The 2026 draft needs to give us results. It’s been a long road, but for the first time in a while, it feels like there’s an actual plan in the building. Let's just hope the plan involves more wins than we saw last fall.
The upcoming months will define the Joe Schoen era. If Dart takes the "Year 2 leap" and the Giants nail the fifth pick, the "Toilet Bowl" days of 2025 will just be a bad memory. But if they miss on this top-five selection, the seats in East Rutherford are going to get very, very warm. Keep your eyes on the mock boards, but pay more attention to the roster needs—they're impossible to ignore.