Now that the New York Giants have hired John Harbaugh to be their next head coach, and Harbaugh will begin filling out his staff, we’ll also begin to get clarity on the what the New York Giants will look like in 2026.
We won’t be looking at every mock draft that’ll be flooding the the internet over the coming months. However we will be looking at the big name mock drafts, as they’re often informed by conversations with scouts, coaches, and executives around the NFL.
So with that in mind, we pretty much have to take the time to look at Mel Kiper’s newest mock draft in the wake of the College Football National Championship.
5. New York Giants – Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
The Giants have a lot of needs, but similar to Tennessee, they have a second-year quarterback looking for help. Yes, wide receiver Malik Nabers (knee) and running back Cam Skattebo (ankle/leg) will be back on the field, but wideout Wan’Dale Robinson is a free agent, and Nabers can’t be the target on all of Jaxson Dart’s throws. Taking a first-round wide receiver wouldn’t be new to recently hired coach John Harbaugh; in Baltimore, he used four Day 1 picks starting in 2015 on the position (Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Hollywood Brown and Breshad Perriman).
This also would be the fifth straight year we’ve seen a first-round wideout from Ohio State. Tate would bring fantastic route running and reliable hands to MetLife Stadium. He caught 51 passes for 875 yards and nine scores for the Buckeyes this past season.
Chris’ thoughts
We’re seeing a pretty clear trend in early mock drafts for the Giants: A wide receiver to begin the build around Jaxson Dart.
I understand fans wanting to draft an offensive lineman or defender in this position. However, the Giants have already sunk most of their resources into the defense over the last four seasons and need those investments to pay off, not throw more resources at a problem that may only need better coaching.
It’s hard to imagine the Giants not re-signing Jermaine Eluemunor and they may be able to address offensive guard in free agency as well. Drafting a tackle to play guard at fifth overall would immediately draw comparisons to Quentin Nelson or Brandon Scherff, and it’s unlikely that Francis Mauigoa would be a player of that caliber. The impact of anything less would likely be a waste of the pick.
Frankly, the Giants did little to upgrade their offense in 2025 beyond the quarterback position and adding Cam Skattebo. Dart and Skattebo are great, but just because Dart was able to manufacture offense with depth players, doesn’t mean he should be forced to do so for a second year in a row. Indeed, much of the offense and points came at significant risk to Dart’s health.
There’s also the matter of his growth as a passer, and his timing within progressions in particular. Having more receivers who precision route runners and are able to get open and be where they’re supposed to be, when they’re supposed to be there, will speed the process.
I’d also like to point out that if we’re looking to the Ravens’ tendencies for hints as to how the Giants may draft, they have consistently drafted skill position players in the first round and linemen (offensive or defensive) in the second round.
Even if the Giants draft a receiver in the first round, they would likely find a guard or defensive lineman in the second.
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