The New York Giants’ 2026 NFL Draft is complete. That means it is time for me to offer some ‘things I think’ about what the Giants have done over the past few days.
We will begin with a thought on each draft pick.
Making me look like a dummy
I did 10 Giants mock drafts leading up to the draft. Not once did I select Reese at No. 5. I also did not select Reese for the Giants in the SB Nation Writer’s Mock Draft.
To make matters worse, when I had Cole Van Weichen of SB Nation’s Ohio State website, Land Grant Holy Land, on my podcast
to talk about Buckeyes prospects, we glossed over Reese because neither of us figured he was a realistic fit for the Giants.
At least I wasn’t alone. Only 3.7% of mock drafts in our final mock draft tracker had Reese going to the Giants. Reese was the sixth choice in the FanDuel betting odds to be the fifth pick.
All of this because most analysts and teams saw Reese as the next Micah Parsons, a player who would move off off-ball linebacker to full-time edge defender in the NFL. The Giants see something else — an off-ball WILL linebacker who could be turned into a pass-rushing weapon in long-yardage situations.
Reese adds another versatile front-seven weapon to a Giants’ group that could be scary for offenses to line up against on passing downs.
A meek-looking pit bull
Lovers of the breed will be displeased, but I am not a fan of pit bulls. They scare the bejeezus out of me. You might have one and he/she might be the nicest/gentlest dog in the world. What an angry or mistreated pit bull is capable of, though, makes pit bulls a non-starter in the Big Blue View household. We have two Japanese chins.
Anyway, you don’t care about that. Or maybe you do, since you love pit bulls and now you are mad at me.
Regardless, Colton Hood is 5-foot-11, 193 pounds. He doesn’t look like a pit bull. He’s not Ndamukong Suh. All the draft photos you see of Hood show him looking like a happy, gentle dude.
Yet, John Harbaugh said Friday night the second-round pick is a “pit bull” who is “coming in here and trying to win a starting job.”
Maybe the Giants really wanted defensive tackle Kayden McDonald in this spot. Maybe they didn’t. They got Hood, and he should help them.
Hakeem Nicks comparisons, of course
I am not surprised that the Giants selection of wide receiver Malachi Fields after a trade into the third round has quickly drawn comparisons between Fields and former Giant Hakeem Nicks. Both are bigger wide receivers who win at the catch point rather than with speed or quickness, and who help their quarterbacks by making difficult 50-50 catches.
I am, honestly, conflicted in terms of how to feel about this move.
One one hand, I love this type of “throw it up and let him make a play” wide receiver. I think every team needs one. Eli Manning, who was rarely precise — except for a certain Super Bowl throw to Mario Manningham — benefitted greatly from having Nicks to throw to. Jaxson Dart should love Fields, if he is what the Giants traded up for.
On the other hand, I don’t like trading up and giving up assets. That is especially true when it comes to wide receivers.
Over the years I have watched the Giants trade up beyond Round 1 to draft wide receivers Sinorice Moss (2006), Ramses Barden (2009), and Jalin Hyatt (2023). I’m still waiting for one of those deals to work out. Throw in the trades up for DeAndre Baker and Deonte Banks and it’s no wonder Giants fans might have trade up PTSD.
Generally, go up and get a quarterback. Otherwise, just let the board come to you.
Let’s hope Fields doesn’t follow the Moss-Barden-Hyatt path.
Mining for gold in Round 6
I don’t know about you guys, but I joined BBV’s Chris Pflum in being nerdy enough to watch the board once the draft got part way through Round 5 and begin to hope certain players might last until the Giants picks at 186, 192, and 193 in the sixth round.
It was annoying watching players like safety Jalon Kilgore and running back Adam Randall come off the board. No guarantee the Giants would have been interested.
The Giants followed an old George Young Planet Theory philosophy in the sixth round. They drafted nose tackle Bobby Jamison-Travis, offensive tackle J.C. Davis and a linebacker/special teamer in Jack Kelly.
I have no idea if any of those guys will be good NFL players. I do know I love the priority of adding big guys and special teamers.
Other thoughts
‘Kudos’ to Joe Schoen
Not for the reason you might think. Sure, it looks like the Giants came away with a good haul. I have a different reason.
By trading the Giants’ fourth- and fifth-round picks on Saturday, and not foolishly acquiring a seventh-round pick somewhere along the way, the general manager made my weekend a bit easier.
I had to sit by the laptop and wait for hours until the Giants had an opportunity to pick in the sixth round, and that enabled me to get a lot of my Saturday night/Sunday morning work done well ahead of time.
So, thanks for making my weekend just a little bit easier, Joe!
It is easy to be optimistic today
Giants fans should all be optimistic right now. It’s been a terrific offseason with the hiring of a future Hall of Fame head coach, free agency, and now a draft that is being widely lauded.
A note of caution, though. You are supposed to feel good today. I think Giants have had the right to feel good coming out of all five of Schoen’s drafts.
Winning the draft isn’t, though, winning on the field. It’s time for the Giants to begin doing that before they, and the fan base, can really begin to feel good.
Monday will be interesting
The Giants spent time before the draft visiting with several free agents of interest. As of 4 p.m. ET on Monday, veteran free agents who sign with new teams do not count against the compensatory pick formula. Will D.J. Reader or Odell Beckham be Giants by Monday night?
I think I need to thank my staff
We have been on an amazing run at Big Blue View, with interest skyrocketing since the hiring of Harbaugh. The last three days have seen roughly a million page views around here. It is gratifying that so many people love our work, and are trusting us. I have to thank this group — Chris Pflum, Nick Falato, Tony Del Genio, Sam Kirk, James Hickey, David Hartman — for everything they have done to help.
