Copr. Newsday 2026
Giants Fare is back following the conclusion of the most exciting weekend of the offseason. This year’s rookie class for the G-Men could’ve been accurately predicted by approximately 0 people as New York addressed important holes in their roster but through selections that no one expected. Today, we take a deep dive into the strengths and weaknesses of every draft pick who’ll begin their careers lining up on the MetLife Stadium turf this upcoming fall.
Arvell Reese (LB, Ohio State)
Round 1, Pick #5
Copr. Ben Jackson/Getty Images 2025
For months on end in the New York/New Jersey area, names like Love, Downs, Tate, and even Reese’s OSU teammate Sonny Styles were considered to be the Giants’ top options with their 5th place selection. As it turns out, the 6’4” 241-pound Reese was the centerpiece of new coach John Harbaugh’s vision. This pick was undeniably a head scratcher, as New York has built up a dependable (but then again not world-ending) linebacking core in the offseason, although Reese’s presence could take it to an elite level.
The Giants have had one of the worst run defenses in the NFL since the beginning of the 2024 season, but Reese brings a level of explosiveness and patience that will likely bode well against the rush. He also has an exceptional ability to quickly find his way in the opposing teams backfield; racking up 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in 2025 with the Buckeyes. While he joins a crowded front seven in East Rutherford, Reese should quickly establish himself as a standout hybrid talent at LB and edge rusher in a pinch if need be, especially with questions regarding Kayvon Thibodeaux’s future in Big Blue.
Francis Mauigoa (OT, Miami)
Round 1, Pick #10
Copr. The Sporting News 2025
Harbaugh wasted little time addressing New York’s decade-long struggle for consistent O-Line play, and he made a unique motion to right the ship in that regard. Many Giants fans were angry with this selection in the immediate aftermath of night one of the Draft, as the tackle position is the one area up front where this team can hold its head high. Jermaine Eleumenor has quickly established himself as a locker room leader and consistent performer at RT while LT Andrew Thomas has never not played at an All-Pro caliber level when healthy. This means the 6’5”, 329-pound Mauigoa will most likely move to right guard next to Eleumenor to replace Greg Van Roten, who was released this offseason.
If the transition is successful, Mauigoa should be able to create the stability up front that the Giants have been desperately clamoring for. Mauigoa was a consensus first team All-American for the Hurricanes in 2025, and captured the ACC Jacobs Blocking Trophy for his efforts at the line. Although he’ll be under the tutelage of unproven OL Coach Mike Bloomgren, Mauigoa’s quick feet and elite blocking ability should pay off rather quickly.
Colton Hood (CB, Tennessee)
Round 2, Pick #37
Copr. ESPN 2025
This kid is aggressive. Giants fans have been screaming at their televisions since 2024 while watching the complete travesty that has been the career of Deonte Banks. Since the plan to replace him with Paulson Adebo resembled a horse falling on its face out of the starting gate last season, as well as the departure of emerging star Cor’Dale Flott in the offseason, it made sense to add depth.
While undersized at CB (5’11”) Hood provides a level of speed and excellent man coverage (particularly in comeback and out routes) that will greatly benefit this underachieving backfield. The only downsides to Hood’s style of play include his tendency to cover his assignments too tightly, which may lead to pass interference issues unless development is shown, and his lack of creating turnovers. Otherwise, Hood should provide a spark to a scarce CB room.
Malachi Fields (WR, Notre Dame)
Round 3, Pick #74
Copr. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images 2025
This young man has the potential to be the steal of the draft. Although slow, and with a lack of statistics backing him up in his 2025 season with the Irish, Fields has all of the measurables to be the perfect WR2 opposite Malik Nabers. At 6’4” 218 pounds, Fields doesn’t have the downfield capabilities that Calvin Johnson showed at an even taller and heavier build, but he possesses the innate ability to jump up and ‘Moss’ most defenders. Along with some sharp route-running talent shown, Fields super glue-like hands will be a sweet relief to Giants fans who had to suffer through a high drop rate of footballs last season from names like Darius Slayton and Theo Johnson, to name a few. Fields will look to compete with the newly acquired Darnell Mooney for the second wideout spot over the summer, unless Mooney is moved to the slot, which isn’t likely but not implausible.
Bobby Jamison-Travis (DT, Auburn)
Round 6, Pick #186
Copr. Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers 2025
If you’re looking for the next Dexter Lawrence you aren’t getting it this year. Not to say anything derogatory about the young Auburn product, who stands at 6’3” and 328 pounds, but nothing shown on his tape really stands out to the naked eye. However, although he may not provide much in terms of backfield production, BJT has a surprising amount of nimble footwork that allows him to quickly shuffle to any area where a gap for an opposing runner would need to be plugged. He may not be explosive and odds are he won’t be a starter in this league but he’s at least worth keeping an eye on in the preseason to see how well he contains opposing running backs.
J.C. Davis (OT, Illinois)
Round 6 Pick #192
Copr. Fighting Illini 2025
Unfortunately, there really isn’t much to say here. Davis has nothing inspiring to show on his tape. He’s extremely unanimated, with a shocking lack of mobility for someone who got his name called on draft night. Although his measurables are impressive (6’4”, 322 pounds) and shows above average strength, it appears as though he’s coasted off of his natural gifts to get to this point and nothing more. Unless he improves his blocking technique and overall skill, he may not make it past the preseason.
Jack Kelly (LB, BYU)
Round 6, Pick #193
Copr. AP 2025
Although the Cougar Alum has the skills to be a solid backup on this roster, that appears to be the ceiling unless he shows something early on that he didn’t during his time in college. Kelly is an intelligent linebacker with a specialty in play diagnosis but his weaknesses lie in his execution on defense. Kelly has decent balance and speed for his size but has a serious issue in finishing tackles. He tends to overcommit, mostly in the backfield, and resembles more of an ankle biter when wrapping players up than someone who can knock you down where you stand, which the Giants’ desperately need in their front seven.
-Jack Barber
Works Cited
https://miamihurricanes.com/roster/francis-mauigoa
https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/4876380/jack-kelly
https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft/teams/_/name/nyg/new-york-giants https://www.giants.com/team/players-roster/
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