If we’re crowning champions based on how they perform in the 2026 NFL Draft, the New York Giants would like their Super Bowl LXI rings, please.
Seriously, after an absolute knockout Day 1, Joe Schoen and John Harbaugh came back on Day 2 even more laser-focused, coming away with a shiny new press corner in Colton Hood and a big-bodied, downfield weapon for Jaxson Dart in Malachi Fields.
They join Arvell Reese and Francis Mauigoa in what’s shaping up to be one of the most electric draft classes Giants fans have seen in years. Let’s pick out the biggest winners and losers from a truly impressive Day 2 of the draft.
Biggest winners and losers from Draft Day 2 as Giants keep good times rolling
Winner No. 1: John Harbaugh's defensive back fix
The first step is admitting you have a problem. It’s hard at first, but with the right support system, we can get through it. No, Harby did not take a DB in the first round -- something he’s done three times in his last four with the Ravens -- but he came close, scooping up Hood with the 37th pick.
Hood is going to be a very good corner for this team, and that sounds so freaking cool to say out loud. He isn’t the biggest, but he plays physical and is exactly what the coaching staff is looking for out of their guys moving forward.
Winner No. 2: Dennard Wilson
Speaking of the coaching staff, Wilson had a pretty good Friday night, and it started with Hood falling right into his lap. This feels like one of those picks where you don’t have to squint to see the vision. The guy plays exactly how Wilson wants his corners to play: gritty.
Hood’s game is all about making life annoying for whoever lines up across from him. He’s not backing down from anyone. That edge lines up perfectly with Wilson’s vision, which is why this one felt like a layup when they were on the clock.
Winner No. 3: Jaxson Dart
Let’s keep this short and sweet. Jaxson Dart is looking to become Big Blue’s next franchise quarterback, and if last year proved anything, it’s that he needs help. With Mauigoa blocking for him up front, it was time to upgrade the weapons around him. Fields is the big-bodied receiver he didn’t have before. The 6-foot-4, 218-pounder gives his new QB a high-upside, chain-moving threat at the perfect time.
Loser No. 1: Kayvon Thibodeaux trade rumors going away
Kayvon Thibodeaux trade rumors are nothing new. For years, the 25-year-old pass-rusher’s name has been thrown around any time a team needs one. But he’s never moved. Either Schoen can’t let him go, or they haven’t received the right offer, but the two are apparently tied together in a way no one can fully understand. The Giants taking Abdul Carter last year couldn’t force it. And there’s little belief that Reese will this year.
But then Thibs posted a picture of Paul Walker in Fast & Furious on his Instagram, captioned “Goodbye,” and it sent the internet into a tailspin. Well, he’s still on the team (as far as I know). So whatever it was he was saying goodbye to, I don’t think it was New York. And seeing as he’s still here, guess what Giants fans get to listen to more of: Kayvon Thibodeaux trade talk! Yay!
I'm over it.
Loser No. 2: Deonte Banks (and about a thousand other cornerbacks)
To say Deonte Banks’ career has been a disappointment would be unfair to actual disappointments. The 2023 24th overall pick was supposed to become Big Blue’s next lockdown corner, but three years later, he’s a glorified punt returner who now finds himself on the outside looking in.
While Hood is an awesome player for Wilson’s scheme, it’s not a great one for Banks’. Playing time was already going to be tight with Greg Newsome on the roster, but Hood’s play style, attitude, and motor are about the exact opposite of Tae, which really tells you all you need to know. Don’t be surprised when the G-Men decline his fifth-year option later this offseason with Hood now in the mix.
Loser No. 3: Giants' second-chance program for WRs
When free agents sign with new teams, they can’t necessarily predict if the role they thought they were getting when they signed on the dotted line is the job they’ll actually have by the time the draft rolls around. And after Big Blue traded back into the third round to grab Fields, it instantly became awkward for some of the guys who came in earlier this offseason with something to prove.
Both Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin signed one-year deals as part of an unofficial second-chance program. Mooney had a falling out with the Falcons, while Austin was never allowed to thrive in Pittsburgh. Both came to the WR-needy Giants looking for a second chance and… squashed. Just over a month later, Fields has all but taken that hope and smashed it to pieces.
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