Just when you thought you had a handle on who the New York Giants would take with the fifth pick in the 2026 Draft, Pro Football Focus’ Trevor Sikkema throws a spanner into the works.
There’s no overwhelming “consensus pick,” but a few names keep popping up more than others. Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate, Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson, Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano, and LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane all feel like favorites right now. Of course, you never really know until Roger Goodell reads the name off the card while getting booed relentlessly.
That’s the real question staring the G-Men in the face: Do they use a premium pick to help franchise quarterback hopeful Jaxson Dart, or do they turn their attention to the million other holes on defense and try to help the 22-year-old later in the draft?
If it were up to Sikkema, Big Blue would be going all in on Dart, using the fifth pick on a wideout to pair with Malik Nabers and actually give the ascending QB a fair shot to prove himself. The twist is that it’s not Tate or Tyson.
It’s USC receiver Makai Lemon who Sikkema has pegged for the Giants at No. 5:
"It’s not often we see Lemon as the top wide receiver in a mock draft, but I am making a bit of a statement here because I think he should be right there in the conversation with Carnell Tate and Jordyn Tyson. I have Tyson as my WR1, but if the Giants aren’t comfortable with his injury history, especially amid Malik Nabers‘ recovery from an ACL tear, they could look elsewhere.
Lemon earned a 91.4 PFF receiving grade overall and an 81.3 PFF receiving grade versus single coverage this past season."
On paper, it's a slight curveball from the other receivers I've seen, but on the field it could make a lot of sense.
Giants add a little Lemon twist to the offense in PFF's latest mock draft
I'll be honest, it did take me a while to warm up to the idea of Lemon coming to Big Blue at five. He's a slot-only receiver, much like Wan'Dale Robinson, but unlike Robinson, he's not a gadget slot -- he's a primary-read slot.
The 5-foot-11, 195-pounder is giving Amon-Ra St. Brown vibes, and not only because they both went to USC. He's not the most athletically gifted player on the field, but he's there when you need him most. I'll die on this hill: the 21-year-old is the best route-runner in the class, and it's not necessarily close. He catches everything thrown his way. He is the definition of a quarterback's best friend.
Will he struggle with press coverage from bigger corners early on? Undoubtedly. But I think Tate will have similar struggles with his thin frame, too. At least Lemon is a master manipulator who actively finds or creates space. Tate's not there yet.
Personally, my biggest hangup is Tyson. If it weren't for the medical red flags, I might give Sikkema some pushback here, but it's tough to split hairs when either player would help Dart take his talents to the next level. It wouldn't hurt giving Leek some Day 1 help, either.