NFL Draft Analyst Makes Strong Case for Giants' First Pick to Be Defense

With the 2025 season over, the New York Giants face a busy offseason as they aim to make moves to regain NFL relevance.

After another humiliating 4-13 season and more personnel turnover, they had to answer one key question: who would be the next head coach to reverse the trend and revive the organization? They chose the cycle’s top candidate, John Harbaugh.

The calendar is still in February, fresh off the grand finale of the Super Bowl, but free agency and the 2026 draft are right around the corner, and the Giants have even more key decisions that need to be ironed out within their roster in the coming weeks.

It seems like the biggest dilemma of all is where general manager Joe Schoen and his new partner, Harbaugh, should start carving out their ideal team for the upcoming season.

Two of their biggest impending free agents reside on the offensive side of the ball, but they also can’t neglect the defense that has some important faces bracing to test the open market as well.

Moreover, the Giants have to be concerned about how they will make the necessary salary-cap adjustments to fund the moves they seek, especially the expensive ones, which could ultimately force them to look younger on one side of the ball.

ESPN NFL draft analyst Field Yates doesn’t actually see a problem with that tactic for the Giants’ defensive issues. In his latest mock draft published this past week, he offers an interesting take on his new projection for New York’s first move at the No. 5 pick.

Yates had the Giants drafting Ohio State safety Caleb Downs as the first non-edge-rusher off the board. He backed up the choice by arguing it would add serious positional value to Harbaugh’s incoming roster.

Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs — Ohio State Buckeyes defensive back Caleb Downs (2) leaves the field following the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas for the College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against the Miami Hurricanes on Dec. 31, 2025. Ohio State lost 24-14. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"This is my first curveball, as many early mock drafts have linked the Giants to a wide receiver or offensive tackle in this spot," Yates said.

"Those are completely understandable, especially if Wan'Dale Robinson and/or Jermaine Eluemunor depart in free agency. But Downs has my attention as the first pick of the John Harbaugh era."

"Perhaps no current coach better understands the value of top-flight safety play, as Harbaugh coached Ed Reed and Kyle Hamilton in Baltimore. While the Giants have starters in Jevon Holland and Tyler Nubin, Downs has the upside to change an entire defense as a force multiplier with his deep range and in-the-box skills."

Downs certainly showed something special in his second season with the Buckeyes. He played the fewest snaps of his college career, yet delivered the tenth-highest coverage grade for a position player with at least 300 reps and limited opponents to a career-best 47.9 passer rating when targeted.

Not only was he stout in coverage, but Downs also flashed similarly strong numbers as a damage control guy against the run, whiffing on only six of his 44 solo tackles and making 29 stops that marked one of the highest totals on Ohio State’s defense.

What happens next with the NY Giants? Find out! Follow and like us on Facebook. Visit our YouTube channel for the latest videos. Or send us a question for our weekly Saturday morning mailbag.

The key to his attractiveness as a prospect is the versatility that Yates stresses as to why the Giants should be all in on Downs if he falls beyond the first four selections.

He has played in at least 454 snaps throughout the box, free safety, and the slot cornerback position, making him a potentially solid plug-and-play guy for Dennard Wilson, who is set to bring in an aggressive defensive system.

The Giants have a lot of uncertainty surrounding their defensive secondary as they brace for what’s ahead this offseason. Cor’Dale Flott is the biggest name to follow as he seeks a nice payday in free agency, along with fellow safety Dane Belton and a couple of reserve players who are exclusive rights free agents and don’t have the true experience to assume large workloads.

Along with potential exits, the Giants are likely deciding whether to keep Deonte Banks, their former first-round pick. He has not improved as a perimeter coverage player and has struggled against elite receivers. Banks has disappointed, and the team may try to trade him unless he proves himself this offseason.

Regardless of blame, the Giants' secondary struggled under Shane Bowen's poor system, often allowing big plays and lacking box toughness to stop the run, which contributed to the team's damage in 2025.

Seeing the type of impact that a hybrid player like that can do for his defense, a la Hamilton during his time in Baltimore, Harbaugh and the Giants might be ecstatic to have the opportunity to add such a unique playmaker like Downs to their locker room and watch to see if he can help get the rest of the unit on the same page.

The Giants tried investing a ton of financial resources into the secondary last offseason with the hope that the infusion of veteran talent would spark a resurgence in what was an inexperienced group that didn’t pair well with a pass-rush-heavy defensive front that wanted to get after the quarterback.

Early returns didn’t pan out as well as Joe Schoen would have liked, but adding a prospect like Down just might change his luck in that area of the roster, and if he shines in year one, he could eliminate the expensive contracts and give the Giants a cheap foundational piece for the long haul.