Well, that happened! This past weekend, the New York Giants traded Dexter Lawrence to the Bengals in exchange for the tenth overall pick. Now, they have two top-10 picks: No. 5 and No. 10 in Thursday’s NFL Draft. This allows Big Blue to get creative in addressing its positional needs.
In 18 years in Baltimore, John Harbaugh had only one top-10 selection: Ronnie Stanley in 2016. This presents a new scenario for the Giants' new head coach. With multiple options available in this draft class, the team is in the driver’s seat and is well-positioned for any scenario.
Many expect the G-Men to select Ohio State’s Caleb Downs or Sonny Styles, or potentially both, Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love, and even Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson, whose name is being floated. Harbaugh really can’t go wrong with this pick, but there’s one name that isn’t being talked about enough that this draft expert thinks the Giants could grab at pick No. 10.
Mel Kiper has the Giants taking Miami OL Francis Mauigoa at pick No. 10
ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. updated his two-round mock draft following last Saturday night’s Sexy Dexy trade. He has the Giants selecting Downs with the fifth pick and Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa with the tenth pick, who Kiper believes has a Pro Bowl ceiling.
Kiper stated that Mauigoa started 42 games in college, including a National Championship run last year, and is a sound pass protector who could also open some rushing lanes for running backs Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy Jr.
He also said that while the Giants did re-sign Jermaine Eluemunor, the 6-foot-6, 330-pounder would take New York’s offensive line unit to another level, which I think many Big Blue fans would sign up for, considering how bad the o-line has been for several years.
The right guard position remains a massive question mark for the G-Men, as the team did not retain Greg Van Roten but did bring in Daniel Faalele. The starting job is up in the air for anyone to compete for, including Marcus Mbow, Lucas Patrick, and even Evan Neal, but Mauigoa could come in and outright win that role right out of training camp.
As of right now, the Giants' offensive line from left to right is Andrew Thomas, Jon Runyan, John Michael Schmitz Jr., Faalele, and Eluemunor, but Mauigoa would complete this pass-blocking unit and make Jaxson Dart’s life a lot easier in 2026.
We’ll see which players hear their names called at picks No. 5 and 10, or if Harbaugh and the Giants have any other tricks up their sleeve, but regardless, Thursday will be a very important day that will alter Big Blue’s future, so they have to get it right.
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