Despite all the recent hype about the idea of the New York Giants selecting Ohio State safety Caleb Downs No. 5 in the 2026 NFL Draft, mock drafters are still not embracing the idea. Downs’ Ohio State teammate, wide receiver Carnell Tate, remains the player most often given to the Giants in mock drafts.
At this point, it is pretty much Tate and then everyone else. In 46 mock drafts tracked this week, Tate was the choice in 16 (34.8%).
USA Today’s Ayrton Ostly was one of those who connected Tate to the
Giants. He wrote:
We’re sticking with prior thinking and putting Tate with the Giants once again. He’s a contested catch merchant with the route-running chops to be a solid fit opposite Malik Nabers. If Tate is your No. 2 wideout, things are looking pretty good on offense.
The second-most often selected player for New York was Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa. He was chosen eight times (17.4%). Tom Fornelli of CBS wrote:
I have Fano as my top tackle, but the gap between him and Miami’s Francis Mauigoa isn’t significant. Some will argue he’s better suited to play guard, and I get why scouts feel that way, but I see an above-average starting tackle in the NFL.
Downs was next in line, selected seven times. In a pre-draft call with media on Thursday, here is what NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said about Downs:
“Everything he does he just kind of does right … He can cover tight ends. He can do that easily. He’s an outstanding force player, so you’ve got somebody on the field that can be a real reliable, firm tackler, takes great angles. I think he can be a communicator back there, as well. Just not quite as much play-making.”
