NY Giants Mailbag: It's Getting Really "Draft-y" in Here

Welcome to the weekly New York Giants On SI Reader Mailbag! From offseason moves to game-day strategies, nothing is off-limits. So, let's dive right into your questions!

Hey Pat. What have you heard re the Giants and Je Love. Despite the media narrative, my folks have been indicating for weeks they are not expecting a RB at 5. Does that sync with what you’ve been hearing in East Rutherford. Cheers.
— Robinson L. Wittmore (@RobiWittmore) March 25, 2026

Hello Robinson. I didn't buy the reports of the Giants being interested in Kenneth Walker III, and I am not buying the reports of the Giants being interested in Jeremiyah Love at No. 5. That's not to say that I think Love isn't a top-tier prospect--he absolutely is.

But I look at running backs as a finishing piece, and right now, in my humble opinion, the Giants have much bigger needs: a cornerback, the interior offensive line, defensive line depth, and linebacker.

And here's another need no one is really talking about: an X-receiver who can not only stretch the field, but also block.

I don't know how many people realize this, but the Giants' loss of Wan'Dale Robinson was huge not only because of his receiving ability but also because he was probably the team's best run blocker.

I know that's not the primary job of a receiver, but I think you'll agree that it's an overlooked part of what a receiver's duties are.

With Newsome and Banks battling it out for CB2 currently is there any possibility they go Delane at 5? Especially after his impressive pro day?
— Meatball Freak (@MeatballFreaks) March 25, 2026

I don't think you can rule anything out right now, as there is a lot of misinformation floating around. I've had NFL draft analysts tell me, for example, that Delane is a top-5 prospect, while others have told me he is not.

I still think the Giants need a shutdown cornerback, but hey, maybe Newsome turns into that guy, or maybe Banks finally gets his head screwed on straight and turns into that guy. Regardless, I don't think anything in the draft can be labeled as a given.

Is harbaugh in on taking vega at 5 legit? Or more a trade down target?
— bmura (@_bmura) March 25, 2026

John Harbaugh has not briefed me personally on any draft plans he has — perhaps next month, when we get back into the building, we'll get some clues.

Using logic, I would be surprised if Vega Ione lands in the top 5 of the draft. Top 15? That I could see. But not Top 5.

That said, I always tell people to see how the draft board falls, because you NEVER KNOW how the NFL community's opinions differ from ours as armchair draft analysts.

And that goes for a possible trade down by the Giants from No. 5 (which I don't think is going to happen, but again, that's just me applying knowledge based on what I believe to be the case).

Last year the offense took concepts from what Dart excelled at when he was at college. This year at the very least he is going to be under center more. How different do you think the offense will be this year vs last and how do you think Dart will adjust?
— Kris Kauffeld (@dublk52) March 26, 2026

Kris, to your second question, I think Dart will adjust fine. Weren't people worried last year about him doing the clapping and then having to adjust to not clapping for the ball? I can't recall him having trouble with that.

As for the offense itself, I think we could see a bit of carryover from what Mike Kafka began running when he took over as interim head coach. Kafka, remember, came from Andy Reid's coaching tree, just like Matt Nagy. So don't expect any radical changes.

What I do think we'll see is more power rushing (at times, the Giants went away from the run game too early, leading to a more balanced offense). I also suspect we won't see as many designed runs per game with Dart as we did under Daboll.

Do we think they got rid of the leaks and so nobody really knows what’s going on and everything is smoke, as opposed to the past where everyone knew who the giants wanted (ie devonta smith)?
— Elite Eli (@EliManburner) March 26, 2026

How many stories over the last several weeks were broken by national “insiders” like the NFL Network, Adam Schefter, Jordan Schultz, Albert Breer, etc.? Plenty as I recall.

There is a reason for that: those folks are typically well-connected with agents, which is where they tend to get their information. But that said, is anyone really going to remember who was the first to type out a scoop and put it out there? Is is that important in the grand scheme of things?

To your question, I always say, "’Tis the season for deceiving." I can't speak for anyone else, but as far as I'm concerned, I enjoy the challenge of taking all these reports that are floating out there and applying logic to determine what is probably true and what is most likely smoke.

I would even go so far as to say that the Giants aren't even 100% sure who they want just yet. I think they have an idea, but remember: Pro Days continue to roll on, as do Top 30 visits.

That means the team is putting together these last remaining pieces of information about prospects, and that their board is not 100% set in stone.

Abdul Carter may have been the best prospect in the 2025 draft. Near the end of the season, news surfaced of missing meetings, being late, etc. Notable teammates lamented this. Daboll did not hold him accountable; Kafka did, and he improved.

What does that say about Team Captains and their role? Is that why Harbaugh brought in familiar players to set the tone? Harbaugh is someone who will hold all players accountable.

So, two questions: Who do you think will be team captains, and do you think Abdul grows up and silences the naysayers in 2026 with a monster season? -- Pat L.

New York Giants linebacker Abdul Carter | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Pat, it says absolutely nothing about the team captains. The captains don't have the authority to bench a teammate. All they can do is set the example and advise their peers. If the player in question doesn't listen, that's not on the team captains.

Carter's transgressions were allowed to fester thanks to the previous coaching staff. When a change was made at the top, the kid was held accountable, and to his credit, he responded. But please, let's not put this on the captains.

I know for a fact that at least two Carter's veteran teammates tried to reach Carter early on, with no success. After a while, if someone continues to turn a deaf ear, you stop wasting your breath.

As to your questions, I have no idea who will be captains this year — let's get the players in the building and see how that develops organically. I do hope that Carter has a monster year this year. I think the Giants are, too.

In your opinion, is it better to stay at #5, or trade down to get more picks, for a corner and guard? – Fred E.

Fred, I’ve said this before and will say it again: Who is off the board by the time the Giants go on the clock? I have spoken to many draft analysts who have said this is a sexy class loaded with studs, and that everyone is kind of looking ahead to the 2027 class, which should be more talent-rich.

That said, if someone wants to trade up with the Giants to grab, say, Jeremiah Love, and it doesn’t necessitate a big drop down the board, I’d have no problem with that. But again, who is left on the board? That’s the part of the question that no one seems to bother to present, and it’s an important part of the equation.

@Patricia_Traina @askPTrain

Pat. Do you feel the Giants poor drafts are due to poor evaluation of the talent? If so, will this change under the new structure??
— Bill Frantz (@feihc53) March 27, 2026

Bill, I think the draft problems stem from two main factors: drafting players tailored to specific coaching schemes and inadequate player development. The earlier drafts—for example, when Joe Schoen admitted choosing scheme-specific players like Deonte Banks—highlight this issue.

The problem with that approach is that, when the coach(es) who wanted him to move on are no longer there, there is no guarantee that the next coach will see that one-dimensional, scheme-specific player as a fit.

The next critical issue is the lack of player development. Despite high expectations, the Giants have not elevated players like Evan Neal, Joshua Ezeudu, Jalin Hyatt, Banks, and others, raising questions about the team’s ability to help talent progress.

I’m not saying this is necessarily the case, but I’m reminded of Andrew Thomas’s rookie year when it was alleged that Marc Columbo, then the offensive line coach, was supposedly tinkering with Thomas’s mechanics to the point that it nullified what he did best, hence leading to that rocky rookie season.

Once the Giants went back to basics with Thomas, his arrow began to point up.

And to that point, there is the matter of playing the players at their best positions. Care to explain why the coaches thought it was a genius idea to play Ezeudu at tackle after he hadn’t practiced there all summer, a couple of years earlier?

Or why did it take for Charlie Bullen to recognize that utilizing Abdul Carter in multiple defensive roles, rather than limiting him to just one spot, would yield much better results?

Why has Evan Neal, initially projected as a cornerstone offensive tackle based on his college tape at Alabama, not developed into a premier talent at that position?

While players must contribute to their own growth, early drafting mistakes—especially focusing on scheme fit—and the organization's inability to develop talent are the main reasons recent drafts have not yielded better results.

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