To say the New York Giants will have plenty of options available when their name gets called on draft night would be a major understatement. No, they won't have first choice... or even fourth choice, but that fifth pick is calling their name (literally).
Everyone and their second cousin's dog knows the G-Men screwed up big time by winning back-to-back games to end their season. Those wins cost them their shot at the first-overall pick, and the opportunity to fleece a quarterback-needy team into oblivion went with it.
Still, the draft is loaded with difference-makers, and a few of them are already getting lofty comparisons to some of the league’s biggest stars. I pulled together six names that keep showing up across mock drafts. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein handled the player comps, and yeah, a couple of these should have Big Blue Nation daydreaming about what Harbaugh could do with them pretty quickly:
Prospect | Pro comp |
|---|---|
Mansoor Delane, CB (LSU) | Quinyon Mitchell |
Spencer Fano, OT (Utah) | Brian O'Neill |
Carnell Tate, WR (Ohio State) | Chris Olave |
Makai Lemon, WR (USC) | Amon-Ra St. Brown |
Francis Mauigoa, OT (Miami) | Taliese Fuaga |
Jordyn Tyson, WR (Arizona State) | Terry McLaurin |
NFL.com's draft comps are going to break Giants fans' minds all spring
I'll give you a second to come back down to earth. I know it's a bit overwhelming.
We’ll start with unpacking the wide receiver options, because those are the ones that really get the imagination going. If you suggested pairing Malik Nabers with someone like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Terry McLaurin, or Chris Olave, just about every Giants fan would sign the terms and conditions without reading a word.
If the 2025 season taught us anything, it was that rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart did the best he could with what he had... and he didn't have much. After Leek tore his ACL, the 22-year-old project was throwing to Darius Slayton, Isaiah Hodgins, and Wan'Dale Robinson and still managed to prove he was franchise QB-worthy.
It'd be borderline criminal not to give the Ole Miss star another weapon, especially when they're being compared to some of the game's best. Tate, Lemon, and Tyson all bring something different to the table, but the one thing they all have in common is the ability to completely flip the Giants' passing game on its head with their unique skill sets.
As for the linemen, Fano and Mauigoa are about as good as it's going to get for Big Blue at five. With the Evan Neal experience finally over and Jermaine Eluemunor likely leaving for a bigger payday in free agency, the right side of the line is accepting applications.
O'Neill is a two-time Pro Bowler who uses elite athleticism and next-level technique to obliterate opponents. A former tight end turned offensive tackle, his rare combination of size and speed makes him a terror in the passing and rushing game. Fuaga, on the other hand, is all about strength and power. He is the definition of a mauler.
If Big Blue added either linemen with the fifth pick, Dart could sleep well at night knowing he'd be covered in the pocket, or if he tucked the football and took off running.
That leaves us with Quinyo... Mansoor Delane, who is the best press and cover corner in the class. Harbaugh won't need to look far to get a sense of what the 6-foot corner brings to the table -- just a quick drive down I-95 to the City of Brotherly Love. That's where the 63-year-old will find the third-year defensive back locking up anyone and everyone who lines up across from him.
Related: Giants fans are getting whiplash as mock drafts pull the No. 5 pick everywhere
Delane is a real target at five. Harby's had a bit of a thing for DBs in recent drafts, selecting three in the first round in his last four drafts. The Delane Train almost makes too much sense. Throw in the comp to Mitchell, and the pick might as well be as good as made.
There's not one player on that list whose comparison wouldn't help turn this team around from ultimate clown show to potential NFC East champions, which is mind-boggling in and of itself. So while missing out on the first pick stinks, things could be a lot worse.