The New York Giants' first draft class with John Harbaugh is shaping up to be a good one. The Giants landed two cornerstones in the trenches in LB Arvell Reese and OT Francis Mauigoa, and two high-upside starters in CB Colton Hood and WR Malachi Fields, hitting almost every major need this team had by Friday night.
However, none of them are shaping up to be the most intriguing pick from New York's 2026 draft class. That honor goes to sixth-round linebacker Jack Kelly, who is evidently not the biggest household name of the draft class, but I think has the potential to create the most chaos this summer.
And it seems that many people agree with that sentiment. While CBS Sports writers Mike Renner and Josh Edwards collaborated to evaluate the best, worst, and most interesting 2026 draft picks by all 32 teams, they labeled Kelly as the Giants' most interesting pick over guys like Reese and Fields.
"It may come as a surprise that a player listed as a linebacker had 10 sacks this past season, but he flies around the field and puts himself in a position to make plays," Edwards wrote.
The Giants found a potential diamond in the rough in sixth-round LB Jack Kelly
Like Edwards noted, the 23-year-old has a nose for getting to the quarterback. In 2024, he recorded five sacks and 10 tackles for loss, but built on that with a 10-sack, 13-TFL season as a senior. And getting that type of production in the sixth round isn't an opportunity that comes around that often.
The Giants' linebacker room has been in the midst of a major rejuvenation. They released Bobby Okereke for Tremaine Edmunds and drafted Reese in the top five, but Kelly can easily play a depth role despite not coming with the price tag that'll force Harbaugh and Dennard Wilson to trust him.
Big Blue traded their fourth and fifth-round picks to move up for Fields, and getting the First Team All-Big 12 linebacker made that gamble worth it. He's a bit undersized at 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds, but he's pretty athletic and can make plays all over the football field, so he's like a mini Kaden Elliss.
The BYU product is going to have to compete with guys like Micah McFadden, Zaire Barnes, and Darius Muasau, not only for playing time, but for a general roster spot. He'll likely have to gain the trust of the coaching staff on special teams before being given a chance on defense, though.
But if/when he gets his chance on defense, Reese is getting all the shine, but Kelly could prove to be the biggest steal for a strong 2026 draft class for the G-Men.
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