Giants rob the NFL of three potential Pro Bowlers in latest 7-round mock draft following Dexter Lawrence trade
The Giants know how important the upcoming draft is when it comes to getting the John Harbaugh Era started off right. The Dexter Lawrence trade officially puts them in position to do just that.
The New York Giants are now major players heading into the 2026 NFL Draft thanks to Saturday evening’s Dexter Lawrence trade.
It’s because the Giants have not one, but two picks in the top-10 of the draft after coming to an agreement with the Cincinnati Bengals. Sitting pretty at Nos. 5 and 10 allows the Giants to stockpile some of the draft’s top talent at multiple positions. It’s something desperately needed for the fresh start under John Harbaugh.
Below is the list of Giants draft picks following the Dexter Lawrence trade:
- Round 1, No. 5 overall
- Round 1, No. 10 overall
- Round 2, No. 37 overall
- Round 4, No. 105 overall
- Round 5, No. 146 overall
- Round 6, No. 186 overall
- Round 6, No. 192 overall
- Round 6, No. 193 overall
All of a sudden, that missing third-rounder is no longer a talking point. Regardless, let’s dive into our final Giants mock draft now that the Dexter Lawrence trade is on the books.
New York Giants’ final 2026 mock draft after the Dexter Lawrence trade
Round 1, No. 5 overall: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
Man, the Giants have really set themselves up for success in the draft after the Dexter Lawrence trade.
That’s because there will plenty of players still on the board that make sense at five, but should also be there at 10. In this instance, we know safety doesn’t top the list of premium positions. Regardless, Downs transcends that conversation and with the top-3 receivers, top cornerbacks, and top guard still on the board, this went from a tough pick to a no-brainer after some thought.
Tyler Nubin and Jevon Holland are the incumbents at safety for the Giants, but both players have yet to show the on-field consistency or impact that would convince New York to pass on Downs.
The former Buckeye immediately improves the safety room and also gives the Giants a long-term foundational piece on defense. Downs’ abilities to work in the box or in centerfield and in any coverage make him a chess piece that’s perfect for Dennard Wilson’s system. No one is saying he’s the next Kyle Hamilton, but he can be used as such, which is obviously a major asset to have on a football team.
Downs is one of the draft’s safest bets and it’s highly unlikely he’d be there at No. 10. In any other draft, No. 5 might be a bit too high, but it works in 2026 and that’s all that matters.
Top players left at 5: Notre Dame Fighting Irish RB Jeremiyah Love, Penn State Nittany Lions G Olaivavega Ioane, LSU Tigers CB Mansoor Delane, Arizona State Wildcats WR Jordan Tyson, Ohio State Buckeyes WR Carnell Tate
Round 1, No. 10 overall: Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State
The Giants stay in the Big Ten with their second pick of the first round and this time it’s Ioane. He’s the top guard in the draft and once again, one of the safest picks. Now, the Giants have two bonafide impact rookies and long-term starters at important positions thanks to the Dexter Lawrence trade.
Granted, I did pass up on Jeremiyah Love, who was still there, somehow, at 10. The logic behind that decision was this: Love is a great player, but he’s not going to do squat if the offensive line can’t open up holes.
Enter Ioane, who is an absolute mauler in the run game and provides solid pass protection with room to grow. He’s a boon for Matt Nagy’s more gap-style rushing attack and should continue moving bodies at the NFL level.
There’s a very good chance the board falls like this on Thursday and it’ll be an absolute win for the Giants if it does.
Top players left at 10: Notre Dame Fighting Irish RB Jeremiyah Love, Tennessee Volunteers CB Jermod McCoy, Oregon Ducks TE Kenyon Sadiq, Arizona State Wildcats WR Jordan Tyson, USC Trojans WR Makai Lemon
Round 2, No. 37 overall: Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State
Personally, I think Chris Johnson is the best cornerback in this class and a future Pro Bowler. Landing him, along with the previous two picks, gives the Giants three potential Pro Bowlers in this scenario.
There’s not a lot Johnson can’t do. He can play both inside and outside and in zone coverage or press-man. He’s a big, long, fluid corner who has great technique and plays with good discipline. Johnson would immediately come in and compete with Greg Newsome on the outside and possibly even Dru Phillips on the inside.
Johnson’s biggest issues are covering speed and challenging bigger receivers at the catch point on most occasions. Still, the ceiling is sky-high and Wilson should find a path for Johnson to thrive in New York.
Top players left at 37: Louisville WR Chris Bell, Tennessee Volunteers CB Colton Hood, Alabama Crimson Tide DL Christen Miller, Texas Tech Red Raiders DL Lee Hunter, Indiana Hoosiers CB D’Angelo Ponds
Round 4, No. 105 overall: Justin Joly, TE, North Carolina State
Ideally, a true X receiver would’ve been the pick, here, but the only available player that fit the bill was De’Zhaun Stribling and 105 was too high for him.
Therefore, snagging an explosive “move” tight end in Joly was the next best option. He’s a nice complement to Isaiah Likely and gives the Giants two athletic, versatile tight ends who can create mismatches against opposing defenses.
If Joly can improve his route running, he could quickly become one of the more underrated picks of both the Giants’ draft and the draft as a whole.
Top players left at 105: Stanford Cardinal TE Sam Roush, Florida State Seminoles DL Darrell Jackson Jr., Texas A&M Aggies DL Tyler Onyedim, Missouri Tigers DL Chris McClellan, Ole Miss Rebels WR De’Zhaun Stribling
Rounds 5-7
- Round 5, No. 146 overall: Chris McClellan, DL, Missouri Tigers
- Many are wondering if the Giants’ draft class will include a potential Dexter Lawrence replacement after the trade. McClellan won’t become the superstar Lawrence was, but he has the size and ability to help ease the loss. He has the size and strength at 6-foot-4, 323 pounds, plus extremely heavy and violent hands to warrant a rotational role, at minimum, in the early goings.
- Round 5, No. 186 overall: Barion Brown, WR, LSU
- Brown is an absolute blazer, running a 4.28 forty during the offseason. He could immediately factor into the Giants’ return game, where he was an All-SEC specialist in 2025.
- Round 6, No. 192 overall: Mikail Kamara, EDGE, Indiana
- Kamara earned the CFP championship defensive MVP award thanks to a blocked punt and four total tackles and his overall body of work reflects a high-motor, explosive pass rusher whose best work will come through subpackages in the NFL. There’s a lot to work on, but the upside is there.
- Round 6, No. 193 overall: CJ Daniels, WR, Miami
- There’s nothing “special” about Daniels, but his overall skillset and production warrants a draft pick, especially later on. He’s more of a “big slot” possession receiver, but the Giants could definitely use a receiver of his caliber.
Final grade for Giants mock draft after Dexter Lawrence trade
Using our A to Z Sports mock draft simulator, I compiled a “B” for my overall efforts:
The biggest “dings” were Ioane and Joly. I have to highly disagree with the “C” given for the Ioane pick. Although, I will have to say I turned down a trade offer from the Buccaneers that would’ve given the Giants the 77th and 116th overall picks in order to move up from 15 to 10. The logic behind the denial is another team could’ve swooped in and snagged Ioane. For a player like him, the gamble wasn’t worth it.
I can understand the “C” given for the Joly pick, to an extent. Everything else was either a “B” or higher:
Overall, though, I think the Giants would be ecstatic to reel in a haul like this one. We’ll see if it shakes out like this in less than a week.