The Giants now hold the fifth and tenth picks in the 2026 NFL Draft after trading Dexter Lawrence to the Bengals. They have a total of eight selections, including three within the first 37 picks.
Key points
Giants traded Dexter Lawrence to the Bengals
Giants have the fifth and tenth picks in the draft
Total of eight selections in the draft
Three picks within the first 37 selections
Draft starts at 8 p.m.
GiantsDexter LawrenceBengals
Things got quite a bit more interesting for the Giants ahead of Thursdayâs NFL Draft.
Last week, the team shipped disgruntled nose tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Bengals. They got back the No. 10 pick. The Giants now select fifth and 10th in the first round. Itâs the second time in four years theyâve had two Top 10 picks in the same class.
The Giants have eight selections over the three days, including three within the first 37. Things officially begin at 8 p.m.
Hereâs everything you need to know before.
Updated salary cap situation
The Lawrence trade came with an added bonus as the Giants created some much-needed cap wiggle room. They now have $18.1 million, per OverTheCap.com. The figure does dip to $3.198 million in effective money, which takes into account what they must pay their rookies.
Expect the Giants to do some cap gymnastics after Saturday. A restructure for safety Jevon Holland ($12.9 million base salary), tackle Andrew Thomas ($15.9 million) and corner Paulson Adebo ($17.2 million) makes sense. The Giants plan on signing defensive tackle DJ Reader and had wideout Odell Beckham Jr. take a physical on Monday. Theyâll need that money to accomplish those things.
EDGE Abdul Carter (first round, No. 3), QB Jaxson Dart (first round, No. 25), DL Darius Alexander (third round, No. 65), RB Cam Skattebo (fourth round, No. 105), T Marcus Mbow (fifth round, No. 154), TE Thomas FIdone (seventh round, No. 219), CB Korie Black (seventh round, No. 246)
Best-case scenario
There are two early for the Giants. Either the draft starts Fernando Mendoza (Raiders), Arvell Reese (Jets), David Bailey (Cardinals) and Sonny Styles (Titans), or Mendoza (Raiders), Reese (Jets), Jeremiyah Love (Cardinals) and Styles (Titans).
The best player in this yearâs draft is Love, the star running back out of Notre Dame. He had 1,372 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns a season ago. There is a path to getting him to New York, but it involves the Cardinals and Titans going elsewhere.
The second doesnât give the Giants Love, but it puts Bailey there at No. 5. SNY touched base with almost two dozen sources leading into the draft (head coaches, general managers, executives, assistant coaches and agents), and Bailey is the consensus top pass rusher.
The Giants already have Brian Burns and Abdul Carter. Itâs highly unlikely they draft Bailey, but there will be teams (plural) wanting to come up for him if heâs there. John Harbaugh and Joe Schoen would link arms and do heel clicks down the hallways of the renovated 1925 Giants Drive.
Keep an eye on the Saints (selecting eighth) and Chiefs (selecting ninth) if that plays out.
Worst-case scenario
Most sources SNY touched base with, unaffiliated with the Giants, believe their pick at No. 5 will be Ohio State safety Caleb Downs (assuming Love is gone). Itâs hard to foresee any situation where one of Downs or Love isnât there. Theyâll at least get that.
The Giants also want a receiver early in the draft. There are concerns about Malik Nabersâ availability for Week 1. That room looks ugly without him there (Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney, Calvin Austin). Jordyn Tyson is the consensus top pass catcher (from a talent perspective) in this class. His injury issues are real (missed parts of the last three seasons), but heâs a different caliber player than Carnell Tate when healthy.
The Commanders (seventh), Saints (eighth) and Chiefs (ninth) wonât all take receivers, but all could use one. The Jets (picking 16th and with seven picks after that) need one, too, and could look to trade up.
If Washington, which would need to be blown away to move, per sources, takes Tyson, then the Saints grab Tate, there really isnât another guy worth a Top 10 pick. The Giants might be forced to pivot to Penn State guard Vega Ioane. Not a bad consolation prize, but also not as helpful as a receiver might be.
Three biggest needs
1. Receiver
WanâDale Robinson left the Giants for the Titans in free agency. Thereâs uncertainty regarding when Nabers will return from his surgically repaired knee. The Giants want to help Dart reach his potential. Itâs hard to do that if heâs taking the field with just Slayton, Austin and Mooney to begin the year.
The Giants need to add playmakers for their young passer, somehow, some way.
2. Interior offensive line
The Giants arenât ignorant of their issues at guard. Itâs why they pursued Alijah Vera-Tucker so heavily in free agency. He chose New England, and the Giants have yet to find a stable contingency plan. That should come in the draft, either at No. 10 or in the second round (No. 37).
3. Interior defensive line
The Giants have a major need on the interior of their defense after shipping away Lawrence. Yes, it was the right move. Now they need to replace him, though. Reader should help in free agency, but look for additional reinforcements in the draft. The one problem: This isnât a particularly good class for that position. The Giants will need to get creative.
And the picks are âŠ
Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State (No. 5); Vega Ioane, G, Penn State (No. 10)
