As the 2026 NFL draft commences on Thursday night in Pittsburgh, the New York Giants enter with significant momentum following their trade of All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Bengals in exchange for the No. 10 overall pick.
Equipped with two selections in the top 10 (Nos. 5 and 10) and a total of eight picks, head coach John Harbaugh and general manager Joe Schoen possess substantial resources to accelerate the rebuild around quarterback Jaxson Dart.
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With the final seconds finally ticking off the clock, Giants Wire presents its final mock draft of the 2026 offseason.
We used the Pro Football Focus mock draft simulator for this exercise and left all settings on default, including the big board being set to PFF’s rankings. We controlled only the New York Giants and projected all seven rounds.
Here is how things played out.
Round 1 (No. 5): Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
While there were trade options available, most of them would have pushed the Giants outside of the top 12, leaving them with precious few prospects with first-round grades (roughly 13-15 in this draft). With a second first-round pick now in tow, the Giants stay at No. 5 and land the versatile off-ball Sonny Styles, who can also pitch in at safety.
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Scouting report from Dane Brugler (The Beast):
A three-year starter at Ohio State, Styles played weakside linebacker in defensive coordinator Matt Patricia’s 4-2-5 base scheme (and wore the green dot in 2025). After playing multiple safety roles for two seasons, he transitioned to linebacker as a junior and then became an All-American as a senior, combining for 182 tackles over his final two seasons. He was awarded the “Block O” jersey in 2025 and voted a senior captain (receiving the most votes on the team).
Styles is a freaky height/weight/speed athlete with fluid change of direction and the playmaking range to cover every blade of grass. He processes quickly and delivers pop at contact as a downhill player, rarely missing tackles thanks to his ability to violently overwhelm the ball carrier. Though he plays with terrific reaction quickness, the next step in his development is to improve his anticipation, especially in coverage, so he can make more plays on the football.
Round 1 (No. 10): Francis Mauigoa, OL, Miami
Again, there were trade proposals, but with Francis Mauigoa still on the board, the decision felt simple. While the Giants will still go pickless in Round 3, they add a second Day 1 starter in Mauigoa, who is willing, capable, and likely to shift inside to right guard, solving that issue for Big Blue.
Scouting report from Dane Brugler (The Beast):
A three-year starter at Miami, Mauigoa was a mainstay at right tackle in offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson’s balanced scheme. A former five-star recruit, he earned a starting role from day one and started all 42 games the past three seasons (he led the Hurricanes in snaps played in both 2024 and 2025). A consensus All-American his final season, he was a pivotal part of Miami’s run to the 2025 national title game and became the first Miami player since 2005 (Eric Winston) to earn the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the ACC’s top blocker.
A wide-bodied blocker and “Freaks List” alum, Mauigoa carries his weight well. He doesn’t have elite length or foot quickness, but he plays with a relaxed feel in space to mirror and put rushers in a vise. He stays centered in pass sets and has a sturdy anchor to make defenders pay for trying to go through him. He gets in trouble lunging in the run game but plays stout through his extension to seal inside/outside run lanes.
Round 2 (No. 37): Peter Woods, iDL, Clemson
Once a surefire top-5 pick, Peter Woods slides down the draft boards a bit following an inconsistent 2025 season. That ends up benefiting the Giants, who land their Dexter Lawrence replacement. He will likely have some rookie struggles, but with the right coaching and development, Woods can transform into a long-time starter and potential Pro Bowl talent.
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Scouting report from Dane Brugler (The Beast):
A two-and-a-half-year starter at Clemson, Woods shuffled up and down the line in defensive coordinator Tom Allen’s four-man front. After earning Freshman All-American honors in 2023, he received All-ACC honors in each of the last two seasons. He was tabbed as a potential top-five draft pick entering his junior season, but he struggled to match that hype in 2025, posting up-and-down tape and poor production (14 pressures, 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks over 12 games).
Draft projections for Woods will depend on a team’s willingness to grade to his flashes. He moves with big-man twitch and has the foot quickness to elude blocks in tight quarters. However, for a player with his explosive traits, he doesn’t have many quick wins on his tape and needs to learn how to diversify his rush approach. But he consistently saw four hands from blockers each snap and produced enough splash plays to believe he will be a more stable player in the future.
Round 4 (No. 105): Malachi Fields, WR, Notre Dame
The Giants have taken a broad approach at wide receiver, replacing the departed Wan’Dale Robinson with a multitude of low-risk, high-reward players. They add to that group here, selecting the 6-foot-4 Malachi Fields, who gives Big Blue a legitimate red zone threat.
Scouting report from Dane Brugler (The Beast):
A one-year starter at Notre Dame (and three-year starter overall), Fields was the boundary receiver in offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock’s scheme. A high school quarterback, he transitioned well to receiver at Virginia before transferring to the Irish for his final season in 2025. His targets and production took a nosedive with a freshman at quarterback (he didn’t record a 100-yard receiving game in 2025), although he produced several memorable plays.
Fields flashes both build-up speed and short-area juice, along with a go-and-get-it gear when the ball is in the air. He displays impressive reflexes at the catch point and deftly takes advantage of every inch of his frame to reel in throws. NFL coaches will like the way he uses his hands and feet to gain a step of separation out of breaks, although they will want to see him expand his route proficiency (there is a healthy amount of hitches and go routes all over his tape).
Round 5 (No. 145): Emmett Johnson, RB, Nebraska
The Giants sniffed around running backs throughout the offseason and are said to be very high on Jeremiyah Love, but didn’t get to call his name in Round 1. They add to the room with Emmett Johnson in the fifth round, which is unlikely to happen come the actual draft (Round 3/Round 4 projection). But hey, we can only play the hands we’re dealt in these simulations, so the sure-handed Johnson joins Big Blue.
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Scouting report from Dane Brugler (The Beast):
A two-year starter at Nebraska, Johnson lined up primarily offset in offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen’s version of the Air Raid. After two seasons in a running back rotation, he had a breakout 2025 season as the only FBS player to average more than 150 scrimmage yards per game. He led the Big Ten with 1,451 rushing yards and became the first running back in Nebraska history to record 100-plus yards both rushing and receiving in the same game.
With his agile cutting skills, Johnson is explosive laterally and has sharp footwork and shifty body movements to give defenders the slip. His feet can get a little bounce happy at times, but he makes it work for him by pressing the line and setting up open-field defenders. Though he runs with determination, his average power will be more noticeable when dealing with NFL contact.
Round 6 (No. 186): Thaddeus Dixon, CB, North Carolina
Injuries likely cost Thaddeus Dixon an earlier pick despite the strong endorsements from the Belichicks. The Giants take a flier on the 24-year-old, who can play multiple positions in the secondary and is strong against the run — a John Harbaugh favorite. He does have ball location issues similar to Deonte Banks, which fans won’t want to hear, but as a sixth-round pick, it’s worth the gamble.
Scouting report from Dane Brugler (The Beast):
A one-year starter at North Carolina, Dixon followed the opponent’s No. 1 receiver in defensive coordinator Steve Belichick’s scheme, aligning both inside and outside (Bill Belichick: “He could probably play any position in the secondary.”). With few options out of high school, he earned his way from the juco level to Washington, and then to the Tar Heels, although his final season was marred by injury.
Dixon is a high-energy cover man and carries himself with maturity, both on and off the field. He doesn’t usually jam at the line but trails routes and disrupts catch points. He is more likely to face guard than find the football, which hinders his interception opportunities. He also relies more on physicality than pure speed to recover, which can be an asset versus the run but will get him in trouble when facing NFL athletes.
Round 7 (No. 192): VJ Payne, S, Kansas State
There is no chance VJ Payne is available this late in the draft, but once again, we can only go with what PFF gives us. Projected to go as high as Round 4, the Giants get another absolute steal here with a safety who can likely contribute to a rotation as a rookie.
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Scouting report from Dane Brugler (The Beast):
A starter for three-and-a-half years at Kansas State, Payne played free safety, strong safety and big nickel in former defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman’s scheme. He posted consistent production the past three seasons and earned All-Big 12 honors as both a junior and senior.
Payne offers a rare combination of rangy size and long-striding speed to make plays near the line or at the sideline. He is at his best as a matchup player against big, dynamic tight ends, using his nimble quickness and body length to influence the catch point. Despite his starting experience, he is still a tad green and can be more reactive than proactive keying run/pass or reading routes. He is a physical tackler but often guilty of stopping his feet instead of running through his target.
Round 7 (No. 193): Eli Heidenreich, FB, Navy
Eli Heidenreich remains our favorite mock selection in these projections, and we’d pick him even earlier if we knew there was a risk of him being gone (which is likely in the actual draft). A true versatile threat, he can play fullback, running back, outside receiver, or slot receiver. He’s a do-it-all talent that will fit nicely on a Harbaugh-coached roster.
Scouting report from Dane Brugler (The Beast):
A starter for two-and-a-half years at Navy, Heidenreich played the “Snipe Z” position in the Midshipmen’s modern triple-option offense, which includes aggressive pass concepts (play action, verticals, etc.). He split his 2025 snaps between the backfield (44.4 percent), wide (35.4), slot (14.7) and inline (5.5), and he accounted for a sky-high 45.7 percent target share. He set Navy records for career receiving yards (1,994), single-season receiving yards (941) and single-game receiving yards (243). Heidenreich and Tavon Austin are the only FBS players since 1956 with 925-plus receiving yards and 475-plus rushing yards in the same season.
Heidenreich is a versatile all-purpose athlete with acceleration and body control as both a route runner and ball carrier. More quick than explosive, he has mismatch-creating potential out of the slot and catches everything thrown his way, regardless of placement or positioning. He is unproven in pass protection, although there are no questions about his competitive toughness.
Pro Football Focus grade: A-
Final Giants Wire mock draft
Payne getting a B- grade and Heidenreich getting a C+ grade in Round 6 remains amusing to us. PFF’s board is very different from the consensus big board, especially the deeper you go in these mock drafts.
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This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants Wire 7-round mock draft: Final post-Dexter Lawrence trade projections