Giants 2-Round Mock: The Perfect Draft Fits to Boost the John Harbaugh Era

Joe Schoen remains the New York Giants' general manager, but power has shifted now that he must work directly with new head coach John Harbaugh to build the next class of impactful rookies.

Many folks around the league are eager to see what type of imprint the Super Bowl champion coach will have on what the Giants hope is a quick turnaround, and exactly what choices they will make in the upcoming NFL draft to further set him and the roster up for success in East Rutherford.

The Giants’ 2025 class had a modest impact, highlighted by key rookies like Jaxson Dart. Dart’s rapid rise to starting quarterback brought new energy to the offense and gave the team a tangible hope for improvement at a critical position.

With hopes for more wins than the four they squeezed out last fall, the Giants must now capitalize on a few more prospects to put a rare stamp of approval on the new core that will join the roster.

If they want to achieve that goal, it all starts with the big decisions that will unfold in the first two rounds, and that is where NFL.com draft writer Eric Edholm has produced his ideal duo of prospects for the Giants to target on Days 1 and 2 of the event.

Edholm begins with the No. 5 pick going to a familiar name in Ohio State linebacker Sonny Stiles, then transitions to the offensive line by highlighting Oregon guard Emmanuel Pregnon at No. 37.

“If Jeremiyah Love is off the board, I think the Giants' first pick comes down to Styles vs. Caleb Downs.” Edholm wrote.

“I went with Styles because he's the more impressive physical specimen and could be unleashed as a future star behind a good front.”

“Pregnon fits the Giants' need for more OL help and fits the physical tone John Harbaugh wants to set, as evidenced by the team's free agency moves to this point.

Two picks, two possible immediate starters -- not too shabby.”

Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Emmanuel Pregnon — Oregon’s Emmanuel Pregnon, center, takes the field before the game against Oklahoma State at Autzen. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There have been several multiple-round mock drafts that we’ve dissected on this site over the course of the offseason, and many analysts’ array of choices for the Giants have come with their share of concerns.

Edholm’s duo of Styles and Pregnon, however, would easily be an exception to that trend. He doesn’t factor in how the board might fall in the first two rounds, but identifies two prospects who would upgrade the value of their respective units and fill key needs.

Enough has been said about the prominence of Styles’ game. He is fairly new to the linebacker position, having shifted there only in his third season at Ohio State, but his metrics show he can be a successful and dangerous player for a team’s defense if he finds a groove in the NFL.

The Giants did some prior work on the linebacker position by signing Tremaine Edmunds, whose physical skillset also fits well with DC Dennard Wilson’s system, and re-signing Micah McFadden, who was hurt most of last season despite being an ironman tackler for their defense.

Adding Styles to the mix could make for an even more interesting setup for Wilson’s crew, one where Styles can play inside the box or take up space in the edges and get after the quarterback. He’ll be a huge asset in the coverage realm, where a weak secondary has been a launching pad for opposing pass catchers who can stretch the field.

As for Pregnon, he has been one of the best guard prospects slated to be for the picking in the first two rounds of the draft, and the Giants have been working to figure out that part of their offensive front that is suddenly fragile with Greg Van Roten’s free agent exit.

The entire offensive line might be held together by the elite bookend tackles, Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eluemunor, but it was the middle three guys that saw some struggles in protecting direct lanes to the quarterback and opening up strong rushing lanes for the Giants' ball carriers.

Although they just made two cheap veteran additions to the unit by signing former Bears lineman Lucas Patrick and former Ravens starting right guard Daniel Faalele, who played for Harbaugh last season, both players' resumes are mostly unimpressive as they’ve had to adjust to different roles in the NFL.

It’s expected that Harbaugh will have to run a competition in training camp this summer to determine his starter for the 2026 season, and it would make sense to bring in Pregnon and give him a chance to earn it.

He ranked fifth among guards with at least 700 snaps in 2025 with an 88.4 overall grade from PFF, allowing just three total pressures while giving up zero sacks for the third consecutive season.

His size at 6-foot-5 and 318 pounds would be an asset to the power-running element, which also saw the Giants add fullback Patrick Ricard from the Ravens to provide extra force, paving the way for Cam Skattebo or Tyrone Tracy, who combined to give the team a top-five ground game last season.

A mix of versatility, toughness, and sheer talent is what the Giants want to see out of their most important weapons in year one of the Harbaugh era. If their first two draws could mirror Edholm’s picks, they would be off to a solid start before having to get creative with their influx of Day 3 turns.

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