I told myself I was going to hold off for a couple of weeks before I started this series, but then it hit me: There’s no time like the present. At least give me some credit for waiting two weeks instead of starting this after Week 1 -- after all, good things come to those who wait.
It felt like just yesterday that the New York Giants were on the clock, selecting Arvell Reese and Francis “Sisi” Mauigoa with their two top-10 selections in the 2026 Draft. Now, they’re two games into the John Harbaugh era after getting walloped by the Los Angeles Rams 28-6 on Monday night, and we finally have at least a little NFL tape to work with.
As you’ll see in the exercise below, there’s still not much not to like about the two 21-year-olds, even after an ugly night in LA. Reese has looked good at off-ball linebacker, while Sisi has shown plenty of the road-paving potential Big Blue was hoping for when they spurned a couple of other rookies they were seemingly linked to on draft night.
Reese did miss some time in Monday's game with an apparent injury, while Mauigoa was humbled by the Rams' borderline illegal front seven.
Basically, we’re keeping tabs on the guys New York could’ve walked away with instead and seeing whether any of them eventually make Giants fans wish draft night went differently. The analysis is subjective, and I’m only working with two games of tape at the moment, so this will be a relatively fluid list, especially at first.
Giants rookie regret watch heading into Week 3
Because there were 257 selections in the 2026 Draft, I’m keeping this to players they were considering, connected to, or rumored to be interested in with their two first-round picks. Otherwise, this gets chaotic fast.
No regrets yet
Jordyn Tyson, WR (Saints)
Throughout the draft process, it was impossible to ignore the potential pairing of Tyson with superstar WR Malik Nabers. Whether his injury history played a role in the G-Men passing on him at five or not, Tyson’s professional career places him firmly in the “no regrets yet” category.
The eighth overall pick is starting the season on short-term injured reserve, meaning he’ll miss at least the first four games, with a hamstring issue. Hard to regret not selecting a player who has yet to play an NFL snap.
Carnell Tate, WR (Titans)
Carnell Tate went fourth overall to the Tennessee Titans, so it’s not like the G-Men had much choice in the matter of selecting him or not. Still, he was widely considered one of the top three players they were looking at had Reese not fallen.
Tate has had a slow start to his NFL career, logging seven catches on 11 targets for 65 yards and no scores. Tennessee’s offense has struggled mightily through its first two games under Brian Daboll’s leadership as offensive coordinator. Big Blue’s former head coach will get a chance for revenge next week in a Week 3, 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff at MetLife Stadium.
Mansoor Delane, CB (Chiefs)
Consider me the once-upon-a-time conductor of the Delane train, with the next -- and only -- stop being East Rutherford. Delane was the best cover corner coming out of the draft, and with New York’s secondary in more flux than Doc’s capacitor, it felt like the perfect fit.
I have no doubt that he’s going to be a big part of Kansas City’s return to glory this season, but as of right now, the 22-year-old is working through a lingering shoulder injury suffered in Week 1. He dressed for their Week 2 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts but didn’t play a snap.
So far, his limited playing time means there are no regrets just yet. The Giants passed on him at five, and he was gone by the time they were back on the clock, taken right after Reese at six.
Jeremiyah Love, RB (Cardinals)
John Harbaugh loves him a running back, and boy, was Jeremiyah Love one of the best prospects coming out of college in years. Love, like Tate, wasn’t on the board when the G-Men were making their first first-round pick -- he went third overall to the Arizona Cardinals.
It’s been an interesting strategy employed by the Cards to take a by-committee approach with their running backs, especially after spending premium capital on one. Even with the acknowledgement that Love hasn’t been the featured back, his first two games have left a lot to be desired for a “generational” prospect: 20 carries for 70 yards (3.5 yards per rush) and one touchdown, adding five receptions for 25 yards on seven targets.
There’s still plenty of time for him to break out, but as of right now, Love is not blind.
Sonny Styles, LB (Commanders)
Head scratchers on Amazon went out of stock when the Giants opted to take Reese over Sonny Styles at five to move Reese out of position… to play the position that Styles absolutely dominated at, at Ohio State.
Styles hasn’t looked like he did in college, but it’s early. It takes time to adjust to the NFL’s size/speed combo. He’s totaled seven tackles, one sack, and two tackles for loss in his first two career games. PFF won’t tell the whole story, but his 45.2 run-defense grade (64th out of 69) is definitely a little bit suspect.
Might regret, come back later
Spencer Fano, OT (Browns)
Spencer Fano was snatched up right before the G-Men were back on the clock at 10. The Cleveland Browns took the former Utah standout ninth, becoming the Browns’ bookend left tackle on a completely overhauled offensive line.
Early indicators suggest he’s going to be a really good player. He’s coming off his best game as a pro, recording a 79.1 pass-blocking grade, courtesy of Pro Football Focus. With Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eluemunor locked in as Big Blue’s tackles, passing on Fano with the fifth pick might not sting as much as it would had they had a bigger need for his services on the outside.
Caleb Downs, SAF (Cowboys)
Caleb Downs was widely considered the best defensive prospect of the 2026 class. The jury’s still out on that, but he’s definitely made a mark in his first two games with the Cowboys. Downs is the first -- and only -- player on this list that New York passed on twice. Ouch.
The 21-year-old safety should become a cornerstone for Dallas’ defense before long, but he hasn’t shown enough yet for Big Blue to panic about not taking him. An interesting trend is that he’s forced a fumble in both games, which is actually pretty flippin' crazy.
For what it’s worth, he’s 0-1 all time against the Giants, so there’s also that.
Regret is creeping in
And one ugly team-wide performance against the Super Bowl-caliber Rams isn’t changing that. So, for now, this section stays empty. Let’s hope it stays that way. Check back next week.
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