Newest Two-Round Mock Draft Gives Giants a Slam Dunk Prospect and a Question Mark

In his latest two-round mock draft filed after the NFL combine, ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid has made one pick for the defense and one for the offense, the latter being a rather obvious choice for the New York Giants, while the other one is debatable.

Let’s dive into what Reid has selected and debate whether his Big Blue picks make sense.

Round 1, No. 5: LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State

Reid, like so many of his fellow draft analysts as well as the casual draftniks, has the Giants selecting Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles at No. 5 overall, a pick that would undoubtedly make a lot of Giants fans happy given how Styles lit up the combine testing with his freakish athletic ability.

Of Styles, Reid wrote, “Styles' skill set pairs really well with the defense coach John Harbaugh will likely bring to the Giants. Styles dazzled at the combine and can be the boisterous presence that Harbaugh's Ravens teams often had at middle linebacker.”

Dec 31, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Sonny Styles (0) gets into position during the 2025 Cotton Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at AT&T Stadium. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Pat’s Perspective: I fully endorse Styles to the Giants at No. 5. His conversion from safety gives him a versatile skillset ideal for Dennard Wilson’s evolving defense. Styles fits the physical linebacker mold seen in successful Harbaugh defenses like Ray Lewis, CJ Mosley, and Bart Scott.

The Giants' linebacker position was headed for a makeover as early as last season. It started with the fact that the Giants didn’t really add to the spot during the draft, in part due to their having to trade away a third-round pick in the Jaxson Dart deal.

Then, when Micah McFadden suffered a season-ending injury, an odyssey almost similar to the team’s kicker situation began, in which the Giants couldn’t really find a steady presence to fill the spot.

With Bobby Okereke likely a cap casualty, linebacker is a major need for Big Blue.

Styles can fill that need and then some. He has excelled against the run (a big issue for the Giants' defense of late), he’s good in coverage, and can give you some juice on the pass rush.

He also offers size in the slot to counter big receivers and tight ends, making him a complete package at No. 5. The only question is whether he’ll still be available when the Giants pick.

Round 2, No. 37: OT Max Iheanachor, Arizona State

Nov 28, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils offensive lineman Max Iheanachor (58) against the Arizona Wildcats during the 99th Territorial Cup at Mountain America Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Reid turned his focus to the offensive line for the Giants in the second round, choosing offensive lineman Max Iheanachor, who was one of Coach Gene Clemons’s winners from Day 4 of the combine workout.

Iheanachor, for those who missed it, slayed some of his combine testing metrics. The 6-foot-6, 321-pounder ran a 4.91 40-yard dash (tied for second best among the offensive line prospects) and showed explosiveness in both the vertical jump and the broad jump.

Reid stated that if the Giants end up moving on from pending free agent Jermaine Eluemunor, Iheanachor, whose 10-yard split (the true number to consider) was 1.73 (fifth among the o-linemen who tested) makes sense because he “is a high-upside player who's still growing into the position after not playing football in high school.”

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Pat’s Perspective: I feel like I’m a broken record here, but I will say it again: The Giants need guards. They will have just two guards–Jon Runyan, Jr., and Jake Kubas, under contract when free agency starts–and that’s assuming that the team keeps both. This team NEEDS GUARDS.

But I digress. Many believe that if Eluemunor leaves via free agency, the tackle position will be left in dire straits.

However, few mention that Marcus Mbow, a second-year pro, was drafted specifically to potentially fill the right tackle spot if Eluemunor departed after his contract, provided Mbow developed as expected.

Mbow held his own when pressed into action last year, both at right tackle and left tackle. He still needs to dedicate himself to an NFL strength program to better hold up in the trenches, but why people continue to pass over him as a potential prospect to fill the right tackle spot if Eluemunor leaves is mind-boggling.

I question using a second-round pick on Iheanachor, who’s inexperienced at tackle, as Reid notes. He played 2,107 snaps at right tackle in college, excelling as a pass blocker without allowing a sack last season and improving as a run blocker.

Our pick in this spot would have actually been the next guy Reid had coming off the board: Oregon guard Emmanuel Pregnon, 6-foot-5, 318 pounds. Pregnon is a mauler and a solid pass blocker who, last year, gave up just five pressures playing left guard for the Ducks.

Although he’s played on the left side for most of his career, he did play snaps at right guard during his first season (at Wyoming), where he held his own as well, allowing just seven pressures.

The Giants must address right guard if Greg Van Roten departs. If drafting for the offensive line in the second round, I recommend choosing a guard with a similar grade over a tackle, since developmental tackles can likely be found later in the draft.