Giants Mock Draft: The Perfect Defensive Star for John Harbaugh

If there is one thing that appears certain when it comes to mock drafts, it’s that the New York Giants are likely to select a defensive player when they go on the clock in a couple of weeks.

The question, though, becomes which of the top defensive players the Giants will go for. And in a new mock draft by PFSN’s Alec Elijah, he has the Giants plucking Ohio State safety Caleb Downs at No. 5.

Downs becomes the Giants' choice after fellow Ohio State teammates Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles, both linebackers, are off the board. And quite frankly, it’s not a bad pick given the way this mock draft’s board shook out.

“On film, Caleb Downs may very well be the top defensive prospect in the entire class,” Elijah wrote. “The challenge, however, lies in positional value. Safeties don’t always come off the board as early as their talent might suggest, which makes Downs' landing spot one of the trickier projections in the draft.

“That said, team context matters, and a franchise like New York could view Downs differently than most.

“For a coach like John Harbaugh, who has consistently leaned on versatile, high-IQ defenders, Downs fits the mold of the kind of 'chess piece' that can boost a secondary.”

This year’s draft class is by far one of the weakest ones overall in terms of legitimate blue-chip talent. Given that the Giants are lucky enough (or unlucky enough, depending on your perspective) to be in a position where they can grab one of the 12 or 13 blue-chip prospects, the positional value argument is best being discarded for this year.

And quite frankly, that’s the approach that the Giants should take moving forward anyway. Why pass on a top talent that can potentially help the roster just because he plays a position that’s not highly valued?

A Round 2 "Stick and Pick"

Oct 18, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Texas Longhorns linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. (0) celebrates after the Kentucky Wildcats fail to score in overtime at Kroger Field. | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

While I don’t hate the selection of Downs in the first round, where I start to have questions about Elijah’s mock draft is in the second round, where he has the Giants going with Texas inside linebacker Anthony Hill, Jr., who could line up as the WILL linebacker in the Giants defense.

While I think Hill is a solid player, I would have gone with Georgia defensive lineman Christen Miller, who went one pick later, or I would have looked to trade down a few spots in this round where offensive lineman Emmanuel Pregnon from Oregon or Keylan Rutledge of George Tech were both still on the board.

I still think the Giants’ lack of a third-round pick has to be a sticking point with general manager Joe Schoen and Harbaugh, to the point that if the Giants are going to do a trade, this would be the round to do it.

I remain convinced that the offensive line has to be a higher priority than where it ultimately ends up in this draft.

Rounds 4-6: Value Picks to Fill Roster Holes

The Giants get five more picks in this mock draft as is currently configured, and with those picks, Elijah has them taking the following players:

Round 4 (No. 105): WR Kendrick Law, Kentucky
Round 5 (No. 145): CB Charles Demmings, Stephen F. Austin
Round 6 (No. 186): OG Anez Cooper, Miami (Fla.)
Round 6 (No. 192): DT Deven Easern, Minnesota
Round 6 (No. 193): RB Jamarion Miller, Alabama

Of these picks, Cooper intrigues me as a potential depth piece at guard. However, I don’t know if he’s at a point now where he could potentially start at right guard out of the chute, given his somewhat limited movement skills. Still, as a depth piece, he seems to be someone who would add value.

Demmings, 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, is another intriguing pick here. The Stephen F. Austin star is looking to become the first program representative to be selected in the draft since 2003. He’s certainly made a case for himself after breaking the school’s record in pass breakups (35).

Law, 5-foot-11 and 203 pounds, is primarily a slot receiver, which the Giants have an abundance of on the roster. If Elijah was going to go receiver at this spot, we’d rather he went for someone who could be more of an X-receiver, such as Caleb Douglas (6-foot-4 and 205 pounds) of Texas Tech, who ends up undrafted in this mock.

Douglas has a 79-inch wingspan, which makes for a sizeable catch radius and impressive 4.39 speed in the 40-yard dash.

But where he needs to drastically improve his game is in the physicality department, where his play strength has come into question–despite his size, he has a 37% career contested catch rate.

He also needs to clean up his drops: last year, he tied for fifth among draft-eligible receivers with 7, and he has 12 career drops in 40 games.

Miller, 5-foot-10 and 209 pounds, is also intriguing but raw, particularly in pass protection, which would need to be developed. But as a runner, he’s decisive with good vision and has a low center of gravity that makes him hard to bring down.

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