Giants' draft reality greater than fiction as Harbaugh era kicks off

Yahoo Sports2h ago12 min readOriginal source →

TL;DR

The New York Giants conducted extensive simulations for the 2026 NFL Draft, aiming to predict player availability. Their mock drafts successfully projected landing Arvell Reese and Francis Mauigoa with their top picks.

Key points

New York Giants conducted extensive draft simulations
Giants aimed to predict player availability for 2026 NFL Draft
Successful mock draft projected Arvell Reese and Francis Mauigoa
Giants have fifth and tenth overall picks in the draft

Arvell ReeseFrancis MauigoaNew York Giants

Giants' draft reality greater than fiction as Harbaugh era kicks off

EAST RUTHERFORD - The New York Giants see value in doing their own mock drafts, believe it or not.

In trying to project how things would play out as the 2026 NFL Draft approached, team brass ran "a zillion" of simulations, hoping to predict which players would be available when the Giants went on the clock with the fifth and 10th picks overall.

The only one that played out with the Giants landing Arvell Reese and Francis Mauigoa?

The only one that mattered.

"Reality was greater than fiction," Giants coach John Harbaugh said.

The Giants were downright giddy Thursday night as Harbaugh and general manager Joe Schoen talked about their two first-round selections, together doing their best to paint a picture of harmony, cohesiveness and collaboration despite months of speculation and rumors to the contrary.

Reese, the linebacker from Ohio State, was the top non-quarterback on the Giants' board. Believed for months that he would be the choice of the Jets at No. 2, the 20-year-old defender who is just scratching the surface considered to have the highest ceiling of any player in the Class of 2026 was there at No. 5.

"We hoped," Schoen said. "But there weren't a lot of scenarios that we went through where he may be available."

Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Arvell Reese (8) tackles Michigan Wolverines running back Bryson Kuzdzal (24) during the NCAA football game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Nov. 29, 2025. Ohio State won 27-9.