The 2026 NFL Draft was always going to be a big one for the New York Giants. Then Dexter Lawrence went all selfish, made everything about him, and requested a trade, taking everything we thought we knew and throwing it out the window.
Because it just became so much more than giving franchise quarterback Jaxson Dart all the tools to succeed. Now it's about replacing Big Dex and everything he's done manning the middle of the defense the past seven seasons.
And if that sounds unsexy, it should.
So let’s just get it out of the way -- even though it pains me more than you could imagine.
I have a reluctant blockbuster trade to announce: Lawrence is heading to the Houston Texans in exchange for the 38th and 69th picks -- the same team the Giants worked with last year to obtain the powers of the Dart Side. It’s a hefty return for a defensive tackle, but it makes sense. Texans GM Nick Caserio loves to deal, and stacking Dex next to Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter would be an absolute nightmare for the rest of the league. That’s a championship-caliber front getting even better, and it’s the kind of move Houston can afford to make with extra Day 2 capital.
For the Giants, it gives them the tools to rebuild on the fly while also remaining competitive.
Giants kick off post-Dexter Lawrence era with aggressive three-round reset
Round 1 | Pick 5: Francis Mauigoa - OL, Miami
Keeping Dart Vader upright should be this team’s No. 1 priority. I did contemplate going with a receiver here, but after the lackluster signings of Daniel Faalele and Lucas Patrick, there’s still a need for a top-tier lineman, and there’s none better than the Road Paver himself.
Mauigoa is an absolute unit, standing at 6-foot-6, 330 pounds. He’s started at tackle for the Canes the past three seasons, but will likely have to move inside to begin his professional career. The positional value crowd will whine about drafting a glorified guard this early, but his 87.0 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus feels like a safe bet for when he eventually kicks back outside, whether that’s when Jermaine Eluemunor moves on, or he’s needed to spot-start for Andrew Thomas.
Either way, give me the guy who's going to block defenders into another universe every day.
Round 2 | Pick 37: KC Concepcion - WR, Texas A&M
The offensive line gets its guy. Now it's time to bolster the receiver room. Concepcion is not the biggest wideout -- 6-foot, 196 pounds -- but what he lacks in size, he makes up for with his quick burst and elite short-area footwork, which allow him to separate at will.
The room right now is Malik Nabers and a whole lotta nothing else. Sure, Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III were signed earlier this offseason, but neither figures to be a big player in the offense. And that's just not going to fly with Dart looking to take his next step in his Giants immortality -- er, development.
The Charlotte, NC native would be the perfect short-yardage threat for the young signal-caller, giving him a pretty sweet security blanket early on.
Round 2 | Pick 38: Lee Hunter - DL, Texas Tech
If I'm going to ship off 340 pounds of sexy, I need to recoup at least 300 pounds back, and Lee Hunter's near-330 feels like a great start. Hunter probably won't ever be mistaken for an interior pass-rushing savant, but his ability to clog rushing lanes and eat blockers is exactly what the Giants' defense needs, because their run defense has been dog.
He’s built to live in the middle and handle the dirty work snap after snap. He eats blocks (not literally), utilizes a powerful bull rush to push the pocket, and excels at clogging interior gaps, which is exactly what that front has been missing, even with Lawrence. His presence lets the rest of the front seven play faster and keeps the run defense from getting hacked to pieces every Sunday.
Round 3 | Pick 69: Davison Igbinosun - CB, Ohio State
After passing on Sonny Styles and Caleb Downs at No. 5, it was only fitting to work my way back to Ohio State to grab Davison Igbinosun, who just so happens to be a Union, New Jersey native. The homecoming bit is just icing on the cake, but shoring up the secondary with a 6-foot-2, 195-pound physical corner is how you make the most of shipping off a player like Dex.
Igbinosun is an iron man, making 53 starts across four seasons. He actually started his career at Ole Miss, where he and Dart overlapped for a year before heading to Ohio State. He has the frame to hold up in Dennard Wilson’s press-heavy scheme, but the 22-year-old still has room to grow, especially when it comes to penalties. The bet here is on coaching and upside, with the hope he settles in as Big Blue’s CB2 for the foreseeable future.
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