The New York Giants reportedly were very interested in taking Caleb Downs with one of their two top-10 draft picks this year.
Yet, they didn’t and what’s worse, they allowed the archrival Dallas Cowboys to land him.
But NFL insider Dan Graziano explained the Giants’ mindset and why they opted to pass on Downs and take University of Miami offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa with the No. 10 pick in the draft last month.
The Giants, of course, chose Mauigoa with their second first-round pick after selecting Arvell Reese from Ohio State with the fifth overall pick. They had been linked to both Downs and linebacker Sonny Styles, who the rival Washington Commanders chose with the No. 7 overall selection.
The Giants Chose Francis Mauigoa to ‘Support Jaxson Dart’
Graziano has covered the NFL for decades and has been around the Giants for nearly his whole career. As one of the most well-connected reporters among the Giants beat, Graziano has his finger on the pulse of the Giants.
“They felt they’d made their defensive pick at No. 5 when Reese was still there,” Graziano reported Tuesday. “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.”
Graziano referenced Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love and wide receivers Carnell Tate or Jordyn Tyson as potential supporting members. Yet, Love (No. 3, Arizona Cardinals) and Tate (No. 4, Tennessee Titans) each was chosen in the top-5, which allowed Reese to fall to them at No. 5. Then Tyson was chosen by the New Orleans Saints with the eighth pick.
“Ultimately, it meant locking in the player the Giants identified as the best offensive lineman in the draft to help fortify Dart’s protection,” Graziano wrote. “Teams try to maximize young quarterbacks’ chances to succeed whenever they can, and picking Mauigoa over a second defensive standout was the Giants’ way of doing that.”
The Giants Weren’t the Only Team to Draft a Player Aimed at Supporting a Young QB
Dart is about to enter his second season in the NFL and his first as a full-time NFL starting QB. But he isn’t the only quarterback in that boat.
Graziano also referenced the fact the Titans (Cam Ward) and Saints (Tyler Shough) also made draft selections aimed at picking up their 2025 drafted QBs.
Still, one has to wonder whether that strategy will pay off, since they could have played their cards better and forced the rival Cowboys to part with more picks to land Downs.
“The Cowboys had tried to trade up to No. 9 to get Downs, fearful that the Giants would take him,” Graziano reported. “New York could have come out of the first round of the draft feeling like it had locked down two defensive cornerstones for a decade to come.
“Instead, the Giants drafted offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa. Dallas exhaled and moved up one spot to make sure it got Downs, and now the Giants will have to play against him twice a year.”
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