The New York Giants were hotly linked to rookie safety Caleb Downs entering the 2026 NFL Draft, only to see the Dallas Cowboys choose him. That's all water under the bridge now, though — or so we thought.
A majority of fans and experts alike are high on the Giants' haul of incoming talent, and understandably so. The anticipation trumps any hard feelings about passing on Downs, for the most part. However, some remain oddly curious why the club didn't add the Ohio State standout with either of its first-round selections, as ESPN's Dan Graziano expressed.
It appears that folks outside of Big Blue Nation are hung up on what could've been instead of what is. Graziano highlighted the Giants' decision to roll with linebacker Arvell Reese and offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa over Downs as one of 10 league-wide "lingering questions."
"So why didn't they take [Downs]? Well, they felt they'd made their defensive pick at No. 5 when Reese was still there," Graziano wrote. "I think there's a chance they'd have taken Downs at No. 5 if Reese had been picked in the top four. But what became clear to me after the draft in talking to people around that situation is that the Giants were determined to use one of their two top-10 picks on an offensive player in an effort to support second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart."
NFL insider raises and answers Giants' 'lingering' Caleb Downs question
New York had not just one, but two chances to call Downs' name before a heated NFC East rival did. That's not an indictment of him; Reese was reportedly the team's top-ranked non-quarterback prospect, and Maugioa was fourth on their board. However, Graziano also revealed that the Giants operated with franchise quarterback Jaxson Dart in mind.
There was a clear plan in place for the G-Men. They wanted to address both sides of the ball, so once Reese surprisingly slid to them, Downs was effectively off the table. It's a fair approach, especially considering they're evidently higher on Mauigoa than the Cowboys' new defensive back, so why are there persisting external doubts?
Not to mention, the positional value argument works in the Giants' favor. It's incredibly rare to see a safety go as high as Downs did. The front office used its premium assets responsibly, bolstering two areas of need and helping Dart in the process.
Meanwhile, the Giants have also invested heavily in the back end of the secondary in recent offseasons. They spent a 2024 second-rounder on Tyler Nubin and signed Jevón Holland to a three-year, $45.3 million contract last March.
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