For the first time in this year’s weekly series of multi-round New York Giants mock draft scenarios we are going to explore the idea of trading down in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Let’s get to it.
Round 1 (No. 5) — TRADE!!!
Giants get: Picks 8 and 73 from the New Orleans Saints
Saints get: Pick No. 5
The Saints use the fifth pick on Texas Tech edge defender David Bailey, choosing him over Ohio State’s Arvell Reese.
I was willing to deal here because wide receiver Carnell Tate (No. 3 to the Arizona Cardinals) and linebacker Sonny Styles (No. 4 to the Tennessee Titans) were off the board. I could have simply selected Ohio State safety Caleb Downs here, and would have been happy to do so.
For the sake of looking at a scenario, though, I figured I would roll the dice, add a third-round pick the Giants are missing due to last year’s Jaxson Dart trade, and see where it led.
Incidentally, I am using the Pro Football and Sports Network simulator this week. The PFSN simulator uses the Rich Hill trade chart and judges the trade almost dead even, 468 points in trade value given to the Saints and 471 received by the Giants. In the real world it might not be quite enough return for the Giants to move down, but it’s just a scenario.
Here is how the various trade charts see the deal:
Round 1 (No. 8) — Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
Had I picked at No. 5, I would have taken Downs. As fate would have it, he remained on the board at No. 8. Of course I jumped. Who would I have selected had he not been available? That’s my secret.
Other players considered: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami; Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU; Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame; Makai Lemon, WR, USC; Vega Ioane, G, Penn State; Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia
Round 2 (No. 37) — Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
I feel as though the Giants will need to add a wide receiver fairly early in the draft no matter what happens in free agency. Here I take Boston, the 16th-ranked prospect on the Sports Info Solutions big board. He is a 6-fo0t-3⅝, 212-pound receiver who would bring size and physicality the Giants could use.
SIS says:
Boston is a big-bodied receiver with smooth athleticism who can be a ball-winner in contested catch situations with strong hands and a physical frame.
Boston projects to be an outside X receiver at the next level with his size, athleticism, and ball skills. While he isn’t a truly explosive receiving threat, his skill set translates well for his role in an NFL offense. His route tree and usage in college should allow him to ease into a role at the next level having already run pro-style concepts. His athleticism, body control, and contested catch reliability can help him carve out a role as a No. 2 option in an offense as a big-bodied receiving threat. On 3rd downs, he can win as the lone WR on a side of a formation, and can be a mismatch in the slot in both the run and pass game. He also has special teams ability having competed in the area consistently throughout his collegiate career and even returned a punt for a TD this season.
Other players considered: Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State; Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State; Chris Brazzell, WR, Tennessee; Gennings Dunker, G, Iowa
Round 3 (No. 73) — Domonique Orange, DT, Iowa State
Once upon a very successful time, the Giants lived by the George Young Planet Theory. That, basically, was that there are only so many big, athletic players on the planet and you should hoard them whenever possible. In my own ‘Rules for Draft Success,’ I use a modified Planet Theory rule that comes down to, when it doubt, take a big, athletic lineman who can help you win in the trenches. It seems like the Giants, with John Harbaugh as head coach, might be headed back to that philosophy.
The next two picks reflect that.
Orange is a 6-foot-2⅜, 322-pound defensive tackle nicknamed “Big Citrus.”
For years now, we have watched Giants’ defenses be gashed in the run game every time Dexter Lawrence leaves the field. Well, what could help remedy that? How about a big, athletic, run-stuffing nose tackle who could hold up against the run when Lawrence needs a breather? And, maybe join him on the field in short-yardage situations?
Sports Info Solutions says:
Domonique Orange, aka “Big Citrus”, is a true nose tackle in Iowa State’s odd-front defensive scheme. He is a true presence in the middle of the defensive front, and does the dirty work necessary to defend the run.
Orange projects to be a traditional run-plugging nose tackle on the interior of the defense. He has shown the ability to play in both even and odd-front schemes, but would fit best in the latter as he can affect the run game more, working directly over the center to cause disruption. He will make his impact on the game as an early down run and short-yardage run defender. While his play style isn’t flashy or overly productive, his skillset is coveted across the league.
Other players considered: Davison Igbinosun, CB, Ohio State; Louis Moore, S, Indiana;
Jake Golday, LB, Cincinnati; Bryce Lance, WR, North Dakota State; Brenen Thompson, WR, Mississippi State
Round 4 (No. 105) Tristan Leigh, OT, Clemson
Another ‘Planet Theory’ pick.
Leigh is a 6-foot-6, 315-pound offensive tackle who has only 11 collegiate starts. He is a classic developmental offensive lineman with physical tools and positional flexibility.
Pro Football and Sports Network projects him as a fourth-round pick, and says:
Tristan Leigh isn’t a finished product yet, but he boasts one of the highest ceilings in the 2026 NFL Draft, for a likely non-Round 1 price. A distinguished three-year starter for a competitive Clemson team, Leigh boasts superlative explosiveness, raw power output, and physicality at 6’6”, 315 pounds, with domineering length and width. His energized motion and twitch sets him apart from most trench defenders, and he flashes jarring violence and stifling core strength as a pass protector.
Even with his previous experience, Leigh still needs to improve his anchor footwork, hand precision and timing, and upper-lower synergy in pass protection, but he’s a certified power generator and people-mover in the run game with astronomical two-phase upside. His development upside is extremely high at OT, but with an explosiven power element that translates in close quarters, a transition to guard is also on the table.
The Giants met with Leigh at the East-West Shrine Bowl.
Other players considered: Bryce Lance, WR, North Dakota State; Brenen Thompson, WR, Mississippi State
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