In a little over a week, the New York Giants will be on the clock with the fifth pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Ahead of this major decision, one member of the front office weighed in on the team’s plan of attack.
On April 14th, Giants general manager Joe Schoen held a media availability leading up to the draft. As expected, he fielded questions on where his head is at when it comes to the No. 5 pick. New York continues to give much, citing that they could go the simple route and take the best player on the board with their selection.
“We’re going through,” Schoen told reporters. “We’re going to stack the board and the best player available is the direction we’ll go.”
Based on these remarks, it seems as though Schoen and the Giants are keeping an open mind as they prepare to make another top-five pick in the draft.
NFL Insider Thinks Giants are in a Strong Position to Make a Draft Night Trade
For weeks now, there has been endless debate on who the Giants should take with their first-round pick. However, there is another route the front office could go. That being trading down in exchange for more future assets to add to their rebuild.
While breaking down the Giants’ potential options on NFL Network Tuesday, insider Ian Rapoport gave his thoughts on this scenario. He feels New York is in a prime position to work out a deal with a team eager to climb up and land a high-end talent.
“The Giants are at five. So if there’s one player that other teams around 10, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. If they think they can get one of those elite players, we may in fact see a big trade,” Rapoport said. “But it does seem like the Giants are gonna have the opportunity to trade out for some premium draft pick compensation if that is in the end what they want to do.”
Adam Schefter Weighs in on Latest Giants Draft Buzz
Following Schoen’s press conference, insider Adam Schefter joined “NFL Live” to discuss what he is hearing regarding the Giants. He didn’t zero in on one specific prospect, but noted that the perception around the league is that they will nab someone from Ohio State.
“There are a lot of directions they can go,” Schefter said. “A lot of people around the league think that the Giants’ first pick could come out of Columbus, Ohio.”
These comments don’t provide much clarity, as Ohio State is going to have multiple players hear their name called within the first 15 picks. As for who will likely be in range for New York, it could be linebacker Sonny Styles, wide receiver Carnell Tate, or safety Caleb Downs.
All three players have been mocked to the Giants throughout the draft process. Styles and Downs could bolster John Harbaugh’s defense in his first season with New York, while Tate is a dynamic weapon who could be deployed alongside quarterback Jaxson Dart.
As it pertains to the teams at the top of this year’s draft, the Giants remain one of the more intriguing squads to monitor.
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