For the first time in a while, the New York Giants are not thinking about draft position midway through November. That's the sort of impact John Harbaugh has brought to New York, and it's something we have not seen in a head coach since Tom Coughlin retired, and that was over a decade ago by now.
Harbaugh has the Giants sitting at 5-3-1 through 10 weeks, even after a frustrating primetime loss to the Washington Commanders. Still, Big Blue remains in the driver's seat for its first NFC East title since 2011, and we all know how that season ended, with the Lombardi Trophy coming home.
However, this team still has some holes to fill, especially after failing to make any moves at the trade deadline due to their lack of draft capital. That hasn't stopped the early mock drafts from rolling in, though, and Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski recently took his first post-trade-deadline swing at the 2027 class.
In his most recent mock draft, Sobleski had Big Blue playing into Harbaugh's strengths, as he had them selecting Texas defensive back Jelani McDonald with the 22nd overall pick, writing:
"The New York Giants have been a pleasant surprise this season," Sobleski wrote. "They're currently fielding the league's third-best pass defense. As such, a defensive back with this selection may come across as counterintuitive. However, Jelani McDonald's skill set can give John Harbaugh and his staff a Kyle Hamilton-like presence thanks to the Texas defensive back's ability to play downhill."
Giants' HC John Harbaugh drafts another DB early in a 2027 mock draft
This sort of feels like a low-hanging-fruit pick. When in doubt, always go with a DB. That's a mantra that must be fogged up on John Harbaugh's bathroom mirror, considering how well it's worked out for him. Baltimore used first-round picks on Nate Wiggins, Kyle Hamilton, and Malaki Starks in three of the last five drafts under Harbaugh, and let's not forget Marlon Humphrey back in 2017.
And while this belief hasn't helped him get over the hump anytime recently, it doesn't matter. You can never have too many DBs. Paulson Adebo's future is in jeopardy, Tyler Nubin has underperformed, and outside of Deonte Banks, it remains to be seen how many long-term pieces this secondary has. So if he sees the chance to grab another guy for Dennard Wilson to work his magic with, he will.
Sobleski even used his success with the Hamilton pick as evidence to back this up, because they're both explosive downhill defenders. However, this is a bit of a luxury pick. The Giants boast the NFL's third-best pass defense in 2026, and have bigger needs (RB, DT, IOL) over another DB.
With that in mind, McDonald has stepped up as the Longhorns' replacement for Jahdae Barron over the last two seasons. His instincts have improved. He sees the football field well and would be an interesting fit next to Jevon Holland, even if he wouldn't be the Giants' ideal pick at this spot.
There's still plenty of football left before the Giants have to worry about their first-round pick, but if Harbaugh's time in Baltimore taught us anything, it's that another defensive back probably shouldn't surprise anyone. Whether that's the best use of New York's draft capital is another conversation.
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