Defense First: Why the NY Giants Must Ignore Offense with Picks 5 and 10

At the start of the offseason, the New York Giants were once again behind the eight ball when it came to roster reshaping, with enough flaws exposed over the course of the 2025 campaign.

Firstly, they had to ensure they pursued the right leader to take charge of the organization and earn the respect and dedication of all 53 players in the locker room.

They found the greatest answer after the Baltimore Ravens parted ways with John Harbaugh after 18 seasons, and they quickly moved in to make him the next head coach in East Rutherford just weeks later.

Then there were the financial issues with another poor salary cap situation, one where the Giants barely had enough available money to sign the modern-day rookie class in the NFL.

It took difficult decisions to release in-house players and a bold trade of one franchise cornerstone, Dexter Lawrence, to open up the team's purse, but it enabled New York to be active in smart free-agent deals.

Much progress has been made in that arena, but the Harbaugh-inspired Giants are still far from finished.

After the blockbuster Lawrence trade with the Bengals netted them an extra first-round pick in the top 10, the Giants will have eight chances to fill in more holes that remain and truly make a competitive group ahead of training camp this summer.

Of course, the way the board begins to unfold on Thursday night will affect which collegiate talent is ripe for the taking. That doesn't mean the Giants can't still have a preference for the type of prospects they prioritize most and for which side of the ball will be king over the next three days.

And for the Big Blue faithful wondering whether it will be offense or defense that earns the bulk of GM Joe Schoen and Harbaugh's attention, the answer isn't as difficult as it looks, requiring a simple reminder of the phase that gave the Giants the biggest issues throughout their 4-13 season last fall.

The Defense Should Be the No. 1 Priority at the NFL Draft

New York Giants cornerback Paulson Adebo was a disappointing part of a doomed secondary in 2025. — Dec 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants cornerback Paulson Adebo (21) reacts after a turnover against the Minnesota Vikings during the first half at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

By the time that commissioner Roger Goodell officially opens up the first round of the 2026 Draft in Pittsburgh, the Giants will be a team that everyone is watching to see what moves--whether a selected prospect or a bold trade to garner more picks--they intend to make at the No. 5 and 10 slots.

While most analysts and fans seem to share a belief about how the initial four teams will use their first selections, it's the Giants' turn that could flip the rest of the board on its head and cause potential chaos, as a few teams are wedged between their two choices.

No matter what happens, the clear route for Harbaugh, Schoen, and company with the franchise's two most valuable draws is defense, if they can.

As one should remember, it was more about the defensive side in most of the Giants' losses last season, especially in the handful of contests where they held a fourth-quarter lead and fell apart in crunch time, being picked apart in coverage.

In a dream scenario article, our top choice for the Giants at the fifth pick was Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, whose complete skillset and football IQ are a perfect fit for the type of defense Harbaugh wants to run in New York and made a staple during his time with the Baltimore Ravens.

Adding Downs would give the Giants a nice tandem of two-high safeties with Jevon Holland, the former player serving as the mouthpiece to ensure the unit isn't caught off guard, and the playmaker who can crash the box and force turnovers that shift the ball games in their favor.

Once that need is met, the temptation will be to go back to the offense by either pairing Jaxson Dart with an elite playmaker like Jordyn Tyson or beefing up the middle of his offensive line with one of the top guards in this year's class, like Penn State's Olaivavega Ioane.

In the same breath, it would be just as much of a solid choice if they remained on the defensive end. The Giants could snatch another ballhawk like Mansoor Delane to bolster the secondary and find a potential CB2 to play with Paulson Adebo on the perimeter or go bold with a defensive tackle prospect who will hopefully become the replacement for Dexter Lawrence in the trenches.

The only thing stopping the Giants from going in that direction earlier than No. 10 is value, where their needs in the back level of the defense will get a better player at the top of the board.

They must shore up coverage and fix the run response before they consider any other roster moves if they want to truly achieve more in 2026.

There will be time to reenter the offensive discussion, especially at guard, where the Giants need interior depth and could attack that position at No. 37 as well.

Receiver won't necessarily be ignored, but it wouldn't be a total shock to see the Giants trust Malik Nabers' return and the free agent additions they already made enough to push a choice in that area till the second half of the event.

When it all boils down, just take a look back at what the Giants' offense versus defense did throughout the 2025 season.

Dart was able to make something happen with the shorthanded group he commanded and produce points at the 17th-highest rate in the NFL, offering hope that the Giants finally had the leader they'd needed under center.

The real problem was the defense that didn't give his work and promising performances enough opportunities to show itself in the win column on Sundays, and that makes clogging up the holes and building a tougher, more aggressive group a must through the next few days of the draft.

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