Giants land a massive trade haul for the first-overall pick in the latest 7-round 2026 NFL mock draft following Week 15
This latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft features a massive trade between New York Giants and Los Angeles Rams for the first overall pick
The New York Giants still hold the first-overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft through 15 weeks. After losing to the Washington Commanders yesterday, their chances of landing the first pick at the end of the season have improved.
Last week, I published a seven-round mock draft from the angle of what their draft class could look like if they held the pick. Now, let’s explore what the draft could look like if they traded back with a quarterback-hungry team.
I produced this mock draft with Mock Draft Database’s mock draft simulator and accepted a trade from the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams sent over a haul of 2026 draft picks that helped secure many depth pieces and key starters for next season. Afterwards, Ryan Roberts graded my mock draft and evaluated the class I put together.
Here were the results.
Giants 2026 NFL Mock Draft Results
TRADE: New York Giants send 2026 R1 P1 to the Los Angeles Rams for 2026 R1 P10, R2 P63, R5 P171, R7 P230, R7 P248
Round 1 Pick 10: Ohio State S Caleb Downs
Round 2 Pick 35: Clemson CB Avieon Terrell
Round 2 Pick 63: Tennessee WR Chris Brazell II
Round 4 Pick 101: LSU LB Whit Weeks
Round 5 Pick 143: Auburn WR Eric Singleton Jr.
Round 5 Pick 171: Clemson DT DeMonte Capehart
Round 6 Pick 182: Boise State OT Kage Casey
Round 6 Pick 193: Ole Miss LB Suntarine Perkins
Round 6 Pick 194: Ohio State CB Jermaine Matthews Jr.
Round 7 Pick 230: Pitt RB Desmond Reid
Round 7 Pick 248: Texas OL D.J. Campbell
Giants 2026 NFL Mock Draft Analysis
After trading back, I landed my favorite prospect for the Giants with Caleb Downs. Downs is an incredibly instinctual safety prospect who can be highly impactful as a run defender and in coverage from depth. He could be the first catalyst for the defense taking a massive step next year.
Next, I found a new cornerback to add to the defensive backfield with Aveion Terrell from Clemson. His traits enable him to be a possible starter on the outside, but he could plug into the slot depending on what the Giants want to prioritize.
I then secured another weapon for Jaxson Dart with Chris Brazzell II from Tennessee. His big frame and explosiveness would add a dangerous outside threat to the WR room.
With the Day 3 selections, I went all in on finding depth pieces at key positions that lack youth. At linebacker, I selected Whit Weeks, who has great instincts and solid athleticism, and Suntarine Perkins, who is a do-it-all weapon.
Kage Casey is an option who can play tackle or guard and could be a really effective sixth offensive lineman for New York. DeMonte Capehart is a massive body to add to a defensive tackle room that needs better run defenders. And lastly, Desmond Reid would be an intriguing third running back who could also return kicks, as the compact speedster is a threat in space.
Overall, I feel this mock draft effectively addresses the Giants’ needs at defensive back and wide receiver, while bolstering depth at neglected positions.
Giants 2026 NFL Mock Draft Grade from Ryan Roberts
The Giants have some good pieces on the roster, but still have massive holes to fill. Trading back is the best-case scenario for this team, so the mock draft got off to a great start. When it comes to Caleb Downs, I’m just not enamored with drafting a short zone box safety with below-average size in the top 10. He’s a good football player, but I don’t think the value is great in that spot.
The value the rest of the way, however, was mostly good. Getting Terrell and Brazell in the second round is tremendous. Terrell has the physical profile to play both in the slot and on the outside, depending on the scheme.
Whit Weeks at pick 101 is also good value, as well as Singleton in the fourth round. Overall, I liked a lot of the draft, but I do think not getting a viable option at right tackle is a bit of a miss. Casey is going to have to move inside on the next level, so you didn’t upgrade the tackle spot to protect quarterback Jaxson Dart quite enough.
Grade: B
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