The New York Giants made key picks in the 2026 NFL draft, selecting linebacker Arvell Reese and tackle Francisco Mauigoa. They now focus on Day 2, holding the 37th overall pick to address needs in the defensive line, cornerback, safety, or wide receiver positions.
Key points
New York Giants selected Arvell Reese and Francisco Mauigoa
Giants hold the 37th overall pick for Day 2
Focus on addressing defensive line, cornerback, safety, or wide receiver
Traded away third-round pick in 2025
Mentioned in this story
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New York Giants
2026 NFL draft: 10 potential Day 2 targets for New York Giants
The New York Giants got off to a strong start to the 2026 NFL draft, bolstering their defense with Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese at No. 5 overall, and adding offensive line depth by selecting Miami tackle Francisco Mauigoa at No. 10.
With quarterback Jaxson Dart already in the fold from last year's trade-up, the focus now shifts to Day 2.
The Giants hold just one selection â the 37th overall pick in the second round â after trading away their third-rounder in 2025. Big Blue is likely to target interior defensive line, cornerback, safety, or wide receiver to address remaining roster holes and build around their new young core.
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Q&A
Who did the New York Giants select in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft?
The Giants selected linebacker Arvell Reese from Ohio State with the 5th overall pick and tackle Francisco Mauigoa from Miami with the 10th overall pick.
What is the New York Giants' current draft position for Day 2 of the 2026 NFL draft?
The Giants hold the 37th overall pick in the second round for Day 2 of the 2026 NFL draft.
What positions are the New York Giants likely to target on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL draft?
The Giants are likely to target interior defensive line, cornerback, safety, or wide receiver to fill remaining roster gaps.
Why did the New York Giants trade away their third-round pick in the 2025 draft?
The Giants traded away their third-round pick in 2025, which has limited their selections in the upcoming draft, focusing their strategy on maximizing their 37th overall pick.
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Arguably the best player still available, Jermod McCoy missed the 2025 season due to a torn ACL. However, before that, he dominated for the Volunteers, recording 13 passes defensed and four interceptions in 2024.
A one-year starter at Tennessee (and one-and-a-half-year starter overall), McCoy was the left cornerback (primarily outside) in former defensive coordinator Tim Banksâ man-heavy scheme. Known more as an offensive player in high school, he announced himself as an up-and-coming cornerback at Oregon State in 2023 â his first career interception came against then-Cal QB Fernando Mendoza. He transferred to Tennessee as a sophomore and had an All-America season, with 13 passes defended and four interceptions, before an ACL injury wiped out his junior year.
The bad news is McCoy doesnât have any 2025 tape. The good news is McCoyâs 2024 tape is really, really good. He is patient, agile and balanced in press-man coverage and has the reactive athleticism to gear up or down quickly. Though he has the requisite speed for the NFL, his panic moments downfield can draw him out of phase or lead to flags. He shows terrific awareness in zone to feel and bait routes around him, while also driving on the action in front of him.
Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
If the Giants are concerned about the medicals or just unwilling to risk a high second-round pick on McCoy, they could opt to snag his teammate, Colton Hood.
A one-year starter at Tennessee, Hood was an outside cornerback in former defensive coordinator Tim Banksâ man-heavy scheme. After one season at Auburn and another at Colorado, he transferred to Knoxville for the 2025 season and quickly earned the respect of SEC receivers (Georgia receivers Dillon Bell and Colbie Young both said Hood was the best corner they faced in college).
Despite not becoming a defensive player until his junior year of high school, Hood plays comfortably in man-to-man on an island. He competes with the physicality of a bigger and longer player, and he looks to reroute receivers from the jump. He needs to shore up some of his technique and become more consistent in finding the football, but he isnât a passive or athletically deficient player. Heâs also shown promise with his hunting eyes from off coverage and reliable tackling skills.
Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
A second alternate option at cornerback is Avieon Terrell, who some have ranked ahead of the aforementioned Hood.
A two-and-a-half-year starter at Clemson, Terrell was an outside cornerback who slid inside in subpackage looks in defensive coordinator Tom Allenâs scheme. With an All-Pro NFL cornerback for an older brother, Terrell had sky-high expectations at Clemson â and frequently met them. He started 31 straight games to finish his career and led the Tigers in passes defended as both a sophomore and junior.
Terrell is a fluid, easy mover, with light footwork in his pedal and read-and-drive reactions. He crowds receivers up and down the field and displays instinctive qualities to find and play the football. You would like to see more interceptions from him, but he made plenty of impact plays the past two seasons (21 passes defended, eight forced fumbles) and competes with a âHoney Badgerâ aura. His physicality jumps off the tape versus both pass and run, although he will struggle playing through bigger bodies to affect the catch point.
Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina
How about one more cornerback? Noticing a theme here? If the Giants aren't sold on any of the other cornerbacks listed, the final prospect available with a grade that matches Big Blue's selection value would be Brandon Cisse. After that, any pick would be considered a reach at No. 37.
A one-year starter at South Carolina (and two-year starter overall), Cisse was primarily an outside cornerback in defensive coordinator Clayton Whiteâs scheme. He played two seasons at NC State before moving to the Gamecocks as a junior. He posted mediocre production (five passes defended, one interception), and he was part of a rotation on several 2025 tapes, averaging just 41 defensive snaps per game.
An explosive athlete, Cisse plays with excess burst and speed to fly to the football. He tends to declare his hips early and relies too heavily on his athleticism rather than his technique or anticipation, leading to coverage losses. When he finds the football, he is capable of impressive athletic feats to knock it away, but he needs to be more consistent with his body phasing to shrink catch windows. Despite needing to clean things up in the run game, his downhill toughness is great to see.
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo
The Giants passed on Caleb Downs -- twice -- in Round 1, much to the surprise of many. Should they opt to target a safety with the 37th overall pick, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is the best available.
A three-year starter at Toledo, McNeil-Warren lined up as a boundary safety in former defensive coordinator Vince Kehresâ scheme (rotated to nickel and deep half during tempo). With five draft picks on defense over the past four years, former Toledo head coach (and current UConn head coach) Jason Candle developed a reputation for finding and developing talent with the Rockets â and McNeil-Warren is next up in the pipeline. He turned down transfer opportunities, and his trust in the Toledo staff paid off in his development over the past four years.
Thanks to his footwork and hips, McNeil-Warren is a fluid mover with functional range and improved instincts versus the pass, which allows him to mirror and match tight ends and running backs. He drives on the football in run support and took a masterâs class on the âPeanut Punch.â Youâd wish there was more meat on his bones and will want to see him continue to improve his take-on and tackle-finishing skills.
Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State
At some point, the Giants must address their needs at defensive tackle, which only grew following the trade of Dexter Lawrence. Round 2 was always considered the likely wheelhouse for an iDL pick, and Kayden McDonald is the best available.
A one-year starter at Ohio State, McDonald lined up as the nose guard in defensive coordinator Matt Patriciaâs versatile front. After handling a backup role as a sophomore, he became a starter in 2025, as the Buckeyes had to replace all four starters from their 2024 national title-winning defensive line. McDonald emerged as an All-American and was the most dominant defensive player on several of Ohio Stateâs 2025 tapes, which says a lot considering the defenseâs talent.
McDonaldâs powerful skill set is at its best when he acts as a run defender. He resets the line of scrimmage with his initial burst and power, attacking and shucking blocks from a leveraged position. He plays games of peek-a-boo (and often wins) with ball carriers willing to test A-gap run lanes, and his awareness allows him to fill up the stat sheet with line-of-scrimmage stops. However, he had just 695 career snaps (32 defensive snaps per game in 2025), and his inexperience will be more noticeable against NFL blockers.
Christen Miller, DT, Georgia
If McDonald is not to the Giants' liking, the only other defensive tackle in their value range would be Christen Miller, who was a frequent mock to the team.
A two-year starter at Georgia, Miller played multiple positions on the interior of the defensive line in defensive coordinator Glenn Schumannâs scheme. Typical for Georgia fronts, he was part of a heavy rotation and averaged just 31.2 snaps per game in 2025. His impact was felt more on tape than on the stat sheet, as he combined for only 11.5 tackles for loss and four sacks in his college career. Auburn center Connor Lew called Miller the toughest player he faced in college.
More quick than explosive, Miller is an athletic big man who mixes things up against blockers and shows impressive range for his size. He flashes violence in his hands to swipe away the reach of blockers and gain access to the pocket, but he lacks consistency in this area. His quickness and strength allow him to stack and leverage gaps.
Five wide receivers went off the board in Round 1. A couple of them were widely projected to be available early in the second round, but that's not how the cookie crumbled for Big Blue. Denzel Boston is the best receiver remaining and the only one that falls into the Giants' window at No. 37. After him, the next best have late-second-round, early-third-round projections.
A two-year starter at Washington, Boston was primarily a perimeter receiver (81.3 percent of snaps aligned wide) in head coach Jedd Fischâs offense. He joined a Huskies wide receiver room that included Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, Germie Bernard and JaâLynn Polk, and he waited his turn before leading the team in receiving in both 2024 and â25. He was productive at every level of the field, especially near the goal line (14 of his 20 touchdown catches came in the red zone).
A good-sized athlete, Boston plays big and balanced with vacuum hands (3.1 percent drop rate). He treats the catch point like heâs a power forward in the paint, boxing out and using his rangy frame and focus to secure the football. Ball placement wasnât a strength of Washington quarterbacks, which created opportunities for Boston to show off his catch radius. He doesnât have the juice to simply run by NFL man coverage, and he wonât be known for his after-the-catch skills, but he is a proven chain-mover (79 percent of his 2025 catches resulted in either a first down or touchdown).
Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech
Could the Giants double-dip at linebacker after selecting Arvell Reese in Round 1? It seems unlikely, but never say never. If they do, Jacob Rodriguez is an intriguing prospect who likely caught the eye of head coach John Harbaugh.
A starter for two-and-a-half years at Texas Tech, Rodriguez lined up as the Will linebacker in defensive coordinator Shiel Woodâs 4-2-5 base scheme. A former quarterback, he bet on himself by giving up a scholarship at Virginia and transitioning to linebacker as a walk-on at Texas Tech in 2022. He put together an All-America 2025 season and filled up his trophy case (Chuck Bednarik Award, Lombardi Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Butkus Award). He also finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy race.
The âquarterback of the defense,â according to Red Raiders coaches, Rodriguez is quick off his spot with the backfield vision to sort and drive on the football. He lays it all on the line each snap with adequate stack-and-shed strength, but he has marginal length to get extension on blockers or create knockback. His awareness in coverage, go-getter intangibles and turnover production (19 career forced turnovers) are qualities that will win over a war room.
Mike Washington Jr., RB, Arkansas
If the Giants dip their toe into the running back pool early, Mike Washington Jr. would be an interesting option. While No. 37 may be too rich for his blood, a trade-down scenario could yield a pick that warrants the New York native's selection.
A one-year starter at Arkansas, Washington emerged as the featured back in former offensive coordinator Bobby Petrinoâs balanced spread scheme. After stops at Buffalo and New Mexico State, he transferred to Fayetteville in 2025 with low expectations, but he played the best ball of his career on a bad team, ranking top 10 nationally with 6.4 yards per carry.
Washington has an impressive-looking physique and the downhill burst that generally makes tackling him high a bad idea for defenders. Despite some stiffness in his lower half, he is quick to read, collect his feet and cut away from pursuit with speed to finish.