It is officially draft day.
With the New York Giants holding two top 10 selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, Thursday night will be a key opportunity for the team to address a weakness among a plethora of needs.
The most glaring hole on the roster is on the interior defensive line. That hole is approximately 6-foot-4 and 340 pounds after the Giants traded Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday to get the second of those top 10 selections. Even before the Lawrence trade, the position group was the weakest on the roster.
The Giants spent a third-round selection on Darius Alexander last season, but the Toledo product was a healthy scratch early in the season. He showed flashes in the second half but will already be 26 years old going into the 2026 regular season.
None of Roy Robertson-Harris, Marlon Tuipulotu, Elijah Chatman or Sam Roberts are more than rotational pieces on even a bottom of the barrel team and Chauncey Golston is better suited as an end in a 4-3 on run downs.
The 2026 draft class has a lack of top-of-the-line interior talent. Players like Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald and Clemson’s Peter Woods project better as early second round talent, though both have a chance to slip into the final few picks of the first. Neither will fall within the Giants range in round one unless New York executes a trade down.
Either way, expect the Giants to make an addition to the position before Day Two is over.
New York is far more likely to add a cornerback in the first round. General Manager Joe Schoen would be hoping that this time around goes smoother than it did in 2023. In that draft, the Giants took Deonte Banks 24th overall. Despite showing promise as a returner on special teams, Banks has been a bust at corner due to a lack of ability to locate the ball in the air coupled with multiple miscues related to on-field discipline.
Schoen also struck out on big-ticket free agent signing Paulson Adebo in the 2025 offseason, signing the former New Orleans Saint to a three-year, $54 million contract despite the defensive back being limited to seven games in 2024 with a broken femur.
Adebo was again limited in 2025 due to a lingering knee injury, playing 12 contests while being largely ineffective.
The Giants do have third-year slot corner Dru Phillips coming back for another attempt at truly cementing himself inside after a sophomore slump. They also signed former Cleveland Browns first-rounder Greg Newsome II to a one-year prove-it deal.
Still, New York needs long-term help outside. Both LSU’s Mansoor Delane and Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy fit the billing of potential number-one corners who could go within the top 10. Though Delane is generally projected to go higher, McCoy’s stock dropped due to him missing all of 2025 due to a torn ACL. Some believe he would have been the best cornerback in the class had he not gotten hurt, and he ran a 4.38 at his pro day with impressive jump testing results as well. Both will be instant starters for their new teams.
Across the ball, the Giants also need plenty of help at wide receiver. While the eventual return of Malik Nabers will be a major addition within itself, the Giants don’t have many exciting options. Darius Slayton, now the Giants’ longest tenured player after the Lawrence deal, is projected to start across from Nabers. Calvin Austin III will likely replace Wan’Dale Robinson in the slot, while fellow free agent signing Darnell Mooney will work in both spots.
New York did host former franchise receiver Odell Beckham Jr. for a visit earlier this week, but he is more of backup option at this point in his career, exciting as though of a reunion may be.
There are multiple avenues to addressing the position that would make sense within the top 10 picks. OSU wideout Carnell Tate is the most prototypical receiver among the top of the class is projected for that reason to come off the board first. Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson is up there with Tate skill wise, though his history of injuries while in college creates a gap. If the Giants are looking to upgrade in the slot, USC’s Makai Lemon would work with pick 10.
Even if New York strikes out at the position on Day One, this is another position where an addition should be made before Day Three arrives.
No matter who the Giants bring in to catch passes from Dart, it won’t matter unless they can continue to improve the blocking up front.
With the Giants’ bookends solidified for the time being in Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eluemunor, that leaves the interior offensive line as the area in need of the most improvement. John Michael Schmitz will likely get one more year to make good on his draft position. Left guard Jon Runyan Jr. is trending towards replacement level, but the Giants not making him a cap casualty this offseason suggests he’ll receive another year in the starting lineup as well.
The right guard is a different story. Greg Van Roten, who has served as New York’s starter for the past two seasons, is still a free agent. 2025 draft pick Marcus Mbow is still on the roster. Still, in addition to the hope that Mbow could develop into a serviceable swing tackle, the Giants may be aiming higher when looking for a new starter.
Miami right tackle Francis Mauigoa is generally considered a top 10 pick and is viewed as an option to slide outside in the pros. He could also eventually take over for Eluemunor when that time comes. The best true interior lineman is Penn State’s Olaivavega Ioane, who is right on the fringe of being in play at 10, depending on how the first nine picks shake out and whether the Giants opt to fill needs or select the best player available.
No matter what route they take, the right guard will almost certainly be upgraded prior to week one.