The New York Giants currently hold the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. If they actually end up with that pick, the early belief is that the best strategy would be to deal the pick to a quarterback-needy team for multliple draft assets.
Could that team be the New York Jets?
That is exactly what unfolded in a new mock draft released Wednesday by Field Yates of ESPN. In Yates’ scenario, the Giants get picks 7 and 18 in Round 1 plus a Day 2 selection from the Jets in exchange for the No. 1 pick.
The Jets use that pick on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The Giants use their two first-round picks to attack needs.
Round 1 (No. 7) — Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
Yates says:
After trading down from No. 1 in this mock draft, the Giants can hammer away at their needs — and one of them is to give Jaxson Dart more playmakers. The Giants struggled to piece things together on offense without Malik Nabers for much of this season (torn ACL), and top fill-in receiver Wan’Dale Robinson will be a free agent in March. Tyson brings a package of size, versatility and explosiveness that would pair great next to Nabers. When the ball is in Tyson’s hands, he is tenacious and flexes excellent acceleration. His production dipped this season (711 receiving yards, down from 1,101 in 2024), but he missed three games with a hamstring injury and was without starting quarterback Sam Leavitt for all of November.
An an FYI, Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese (No. 3, Tennessee Titans), Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate (No. 4, Cleveland Browns), and Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa (No. 5, New Orleans Saints) are off the board here.
BBV’s Chris Pflum says:
Tyson has a good chance to be the first receiver off the board in April, at least with a strong performance through the draft process.
He has near-prototypical size (6-foot-2, 200 pounds), with an uncommon blend of long speed and twitchy agility for a taller receiver. He’s surprisingly agile with good short-area quickness which allows him to uncover quickly in the underneath area of the field. Tyson also has significant upside as a deep threat, understanding how to use his routes to manipulate defenders while also showing excellent ball tracking skills. He does a great job of locating the ball and making adjustments, while also using great body control to expand his catch radius. Tyson has sticky hands and legitimately rare concentration to haul in circus catches in traffic.
ASU used him all over their offensive formation and he could be an X, Z, or Big Slot at the next level. Tyson has the potential to be a “CeeDee Lamb” type player.
Round 1 (No. 18) — Aveion Terrell, CB, Clemson
Yates says:
After our projected trade, the Giants get their second chance to hammer away at needs by addressing cornerback, where Deonte Banks has struggled this season and Cor’Dale Flott will be a free agent. The younger brother of Falcons star cornerback A.J. Terrell Jr., Avieon has some big-time game of his own. He’s on the smaller side at 5-11 and 180 pounds, but he makes up for it with excellent quickness to trigger back to the ball in coverage. He’s also a very capable blitzer and disruptor, recording 3.0 sacks and five forced fumbles this season. The Giants are giving up the ninth-most passing yards per game this season (231.5).
Chris says:
Avieon Terrell, the younger brother of Falcons’ cornerback A.J. Terrell, is an impressively athletic and highly aggressive cornerback prospect. The younger Terrell is a versatile corner who can play both man and zone schemes and is one of the most disruptive corners in the country. He has 21 passes defensed over the last two seasons, as well as eight forced fumbles (five in 2025).
Terrell is an incredibly easy mover with very quick feet and oily hips which allow him to flip his hips and carry speed down the field with ease. He also excels in playing just off receivers in man coverage, baiting throws and then using his explosiveness to close and disrupt the play.
The big question with respect to Terrell’s game is whether his size (listed at 5-foot-11, 180 pounds) will limit him at the next level. If he can continue to use his size as an asset while not being bullied by bigger receivers, he could be a “Janoris Jenkins” type player on the outside.
Valentine’s View
The idea of giving the Jets the No. 1 overall pick likely turns the stomachs of many Giants fans. It obviously links Mendoza and Jaxson Dart in a “which team chose the better quarterback?” debate.
In my view, the Giants should not care about that. Whether they have the No. 1 pick or not, and we know they probably won’t, trading down a few spots and acquiring additional assets seems like the right plan. If the Jets make the best offer, so be it.
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