The New York Giants will play a huge role in how the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft unfolds, because they have two top-10 picks. Picking at No. 5 and No. 10, New York is set up to leave night one of the draft with two of the best prospects in the class. The question is who will those prospects be.
Everyone has been trying to figure that question out, and as a result, it seems like the Giants are locked in on five different top prospects. However, the team will only be able to select two players, and New York is still at the mercy of other teams since its picks are five and 10.
With all of that taken into consideration, Giants reporter Jordan Raanan listed the most likely selections for New York at No. 5 and No. 10. The lists are based on everything Raanan has heard leading up to the draft, and he has aced this exercise the last four years. Dating back to the 2022 Draft, the player topping Raanan‘s most-likely list was New York’s eventual selection. He even predicted the Jaxson Dart move.
Now, hoping to keep the streak alive, Raanan named safety Caleb Downs as the most likely pick at No. 5 and guard Vega Ioane as the most likely selection at 10.
Caleb Downs and Vega Ioane named as Giants’ most-likely first-round picks
While Raanan is hoping to keep the momentum rolling, he was honest that this draft is incredibly hard to predict, using words like wonky, unusual, and different to describe the 2026 Draft. Still, the reporter settled on Downs as the likely option for New York’s first pick.
Raanan explained that the Giants are so high on the safety that Downs could be the team’s pick regardless of what other prospects are available. Additionally, there’s reportedly a growing belief throughout the league that New York will select Downs with one of their top-10 picks. Instead of waiting until 10, Raanan thinks the Giants will just take the safety off the board at five.
As far as 10 goes, the reporter lists offensive lineman Vega Ioane as the likely pick, which is an uncommon prediction. Most people are sliding a receiver or another defender to the Giants at 10, but Raanan thinks it will be the interior offensive lineman.
It’d be impressive if both of these selections actually happened, and Raanan kept his streak alive, especially considering the unpredictable nature of this year’s draft. With the first round taking place on Thursday, April 23, it’s almost time to see what the Giants are thinking.
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