The 2026 NFL Draft is fast approaching. Pro Days and Top 30 visits are under way, and all the speculation is what the New York Giants will do with the No. 5 overall pick.
It’s also, of course, Mock Draft Season, when prognosticators from around the NFL media ecosystem put out mock drafts for various ends. ESPN’s Mel Kiper released his latest mock draft Tuesday morning, exploring how free agency may have shaken up the draft. In the case of the Giants, he returns to the pre-combine favorite of Ohio State safety Caleb Downs [scouting report].
Remember that head coach John Harbaugh said a few weeks ago that he was a “big fan” of Downs, and that selecting him would be “just fine with me.”
Kiper is probably the most famous draft analyst in the national media, and his mocks are useful for the amount of league intel that goes into his picks. So let’s take a look at what he has to say about the Giants.
5. Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
The Giants have some options at safety — including newly-signed Jason Pinnock and Ar’Darius Washington — but Downs is on another level. He’s a complete football player, and New York should have no hesitation in taking him here (highest draft slot for a safety since Eric Berry in 2010). Putting him alongside Jevon Holland on the back end would help not only in creating turnovers (the Giants had 15 last season, 25th in the league) but also shoring up a very bad run defense.
Chris’ thoughts
Caleb Downs… Now there’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time.
Since you’re reading that, just assume my Sir Alec Guinness impression was spot on.
I find it interesting that Kiper goes with Downs here, with both Sonny Styles (seventh, Washington Commanders) and Carnell Tate (eighth, New Orleans Saints) — not to mention guard Olaivevega Ioane or cornerback Mansoor Delane — on the board. I do agree that I’m not completely sold on the safety position with Jason Pinnock and Ar’Darius Washington.
However, this is just too early to pick Downs for me, and passing on both Styles and Tate means passing up better players (who are tied atop my board) at positions of greater impact.
Styles is an actual generational athlete who’s experience and traits would allow him to be used as a big safety, a true linebacker, or even as an extra edge rusher. There really isn’t anyone in the draft who offers that versatility, and Styles may be a more “Kyle Hamilton” player than Downs is.
Tate is an absolute route technician, who runs his routes like a young Odell Beckham Jr., didn’t have a single drop in the 2025 season, and dominates the catch point like George Pickens (87.5% contested catch rate). Having Tate across from Malik Nabers could accelerate Jaxson Dart’s development and unlock the offense in a way we haven’t seen since Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz were together.
Taking a step back, I wonder if the real lesson is that there’s mystery about the Giants’ intentions with the fifth pick. Last year we saw plenty of plugged-in analysts insist that the Giants loved Shedeur Sanders — first he was Daboll’s guy, then he was Schoen’s guy, then he was “loved by someone in the front office.” But ultimately, nobody really knew what the Giants were going to do.
Kiper’s first mock of this cycle had the Giants taking Spencer Fano as the first offensive lineman off the board. This time, Fano drops all the way to 14th.
My personal 30,000 foot view of Kiper mocking Downs to the Giants is that the league buzz may be leaning defense for them. However, I suspect that may have more to do with the coupling of a first-round defender (for me it’s Styles or Delane) and a second-round receiver or guard, and the drop-off at the offensive positions is less severe than the other way around.
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