If you’re looking for your next “what even is time” realization, we’ve officially crossed the 70-day mark until the 2026 Draft. Call me crazy, but didn't the New York Giants' season just end like a week ago?
No..? That was five weeks ago? Oof. You hate to see it.
Well, now that the 2025 season is officially over, all eyes shift to the offseason, with April's draft looming large. Big Blue infamously screwed itself out of the top pick in the draft, settling for the fifth. Sure, they won't control their own destiny, but you can't spell "destiny" without "tiny," and we're going big or going home in 2026. New York brought in John Harbaugh to be its new head coach, signaling a massive change in identity, accountability, and expectations.
Harbs brings 18 years of head coaching experience to East Rutherford. He's seen his fair share of drafts, so he knows what to look out for and what to avoid. But just in case he wants a helping hand, here are four prospects he should pass on come draft night.
Giants should think twice before drafting these 4 players
Jeremiyah Love | RB - Notre Dame
We all remember what happened the last time Big Blue took a running back in the first round, right? Saquon Barkley ended up being a pretty solid pick, even if some think he was the biggest draft bust in franchise history. Still, taking a running back in the top five just makes no sense for Big Blue, no matter how talented the guy is.
Love is the best running back prospect in the class, and it's not relatively close. There's a reason he consistently ranks as a top-three prospect in overall rankings. Some teams are even rumored to have a higher draft grade than Ashton Jeanty last year. Love is an all-around back with elite acceleration and is extremely dangerous on the outside, breaking off monster runs effortlessly.
The reigning Doak Walker Award Winner would certainly come in and be the best running back in Big Blue's RB room, but they just need help elsewhere. And also, selfishly, he'd eat into Cam Skattebo's touches, and I can't get enough of that menace... so, respectfully pass.
Reuben Bain Jr. | DE - Miami
Bain's inclusion is very much more about what the G-Men already have vs what the Miami native doesn't. I mean, heck, even Bain's name instills fear. "You think darkness is your ally? But you merely adopted the dark. I was born in it."
New York just doesn't need another pass-rusher. Unless it offloads Kayvon Thibodeaux, I just don't see Harby getting behind the Miami edge rusher. Brian Burns and Abdul Carter are the present and future at the position, and the 6-foot-3, 275-pounder isn't a need; he's a luxury. And the last thing a team that's gone 7-27 the last two seasons needs is luxury.
Bain has some question marks, but a lot of those concerns were addressed during the College Football Playoff -- arm length, his tweener size, and run-defense discipline. Still, with a thin receiver room, linebacker room, cornerback unit, and offensive line, Harbs would be smart to look elsewhere if he's still on the board.
Jermod McCoy | CB - Tennessee
Does McCoy pass Harby's smell test as a defensive back? Yes. But that doesn't mean he's drinking the Kool-Aid. The 63-year-old has selected a defensive back in the first round in three of his past four drafts in Baltimore. That trend might continue in North Jersey, but it won't be McCoy. LSU's Mansoor Delane and Ohio State's Caleb Downs are better options.
McCoy is a stud. I am not going to badmouth one of, if not the baddest, corners in the draft. However, he did miss all of 2025 with a torn ACL during an offseason workout. The combine will be the 6-foot DB's time to shine. His 2024 tape was filled with promise. The biggest thing that jumps out of the screen is his elite pass-breakup abilities. He's quick to close on the catch point and disrupt the process.
Maybe his combine efforts change my mind on his injury history. But the Giants need secondary help like Love Island UK needs subtitles. Delane and Downs would be just as good picks, if not better. And for that reason, it's a no for me.
Carnell Tate | WR - Ohio State
This is by far the most controversial pick on this list, and the one I might regret the most putting on here as well, but something's telling me Jordyn Tyson and Makai Lemon would be more impactful. This is not an indictment of Tate's talent. It's more so an acknowledgement of Tyson's and Lemon's.
If it weren't for Tyson's injury concerns, he'd widely be considered the best wideout prospect in the class. Lemon has shades of Amon-Ra St. Brown in his game and could be deployed like Zay Flowers with the Ravens. And for those reasons, I'm getting let's go with either over Tate.
"But Matt, didn't you just dock McCoy for his injury concerns?" Great question. Thank you for asking. My response is that I believe Tyson is the better receiver. He is the most complete receiver of the draft. I'm not certain Delane isn't better than McCoy when he is healthy. The more I dive deep into the potential receivers the G-Men could take at five, the more I drift towards the other two.