The New York Giants hold the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and for the first time in years, they aren’t agonizing over quarterback. With Jaxson Dart locked in and John Harbaugh installed as head coach, this pick carries a different kind of pressure: the obligation to find what Harbaugh himself calls a “gold jacket” talent.
Here are the latest odds for each player to be selected with the No. 5 overall pick.
Sonny Styles, LB — Ohio State (+195)
- Measurables: 6’5″, 244 lbs
- Key Stats: 82 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 4.46 forty, 43.5″ vertical, 11’2″ broad jump
Styles took over at the NFL Combine and opened eyes by showcasing his generational athleticism. His 43.5-inch vertical was the highest ever recorded by any player at least 6-foot-4 and 240-plus pounds. His 11-foot-2 broad jump led all linebackers and defensive linemen.
Styles is the only player since 2003 to run sub-4.5, post a 40-plus-inch vertical, and record an 11-plus-foot broad jump at 230-plus pounds. His Relative Athletic Score of 9.99 ranked fourth among 3,216 qualifying linebackers going back to 1987.
Reports out of Indianapolis indicated his team interviews were outstanding, with one organization reportedly giving him a standing ovation.
A converted safety, he earned first-team All-American honors in 2025 and was a key piece of Ohio State’s national championship run. Harbaugh spent 18 seasons building Ravens defenses around elite inside linebackers: Ray Lewis, C.J. Mosley, Roquan Smith.
Styles has elite athleticism built into a 244-pound frame and fits that blueprint almost perfectly.
Caleb Downs, S — Ohio State (+265)
- Measurables: 6’0″, 206 lbs
- Key Stats: 68 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 2 INT, 50.8 QB rating against
Before Styles’ Combine explosion, Downs was the most common Giants mock pick, and some evaluators still believe he’s the best football player in the entire class regardless of position.
Bleacher Report’s scouting department called him exactly that. He led Alabama in solo tackles as a true freshman, the first time in program history that had happened, then transferred to Ohio State and made the game-sealing interception in the Cotton Bowl en route to a national championship. He skipped the Combine workouts, which slightly cooled his momentum, but on film he remains the consensus top safety in the draft.
The argument for Downs mirrors the one that made Kyle Hamilton a top-10 pick under Harbaugh in 2022. He is an elite, versatile safety who changes a defense in ways that transcends positional value.
Harbaugh also coached Ed Reed in Baltimore. He understands the position’s ceiling better than almost anyone.
If Downs slides past No. 5, the NY Jets are rumored to be interested in trading up to draft the playmaking safety to anchor their secondary.
Jeremiyah Love, RB — Notre Dame (+425)
- Measurables: 6’0″, 212 lbs
- Key Stats: 1,372 rush yds, 18 rush TD, 280 rec yds, 3 rec TD, 4.36 forty
Love reportedly visited Giants staff ahead of the draft, and that detail doesn’t leak without intent.
Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network ranked him the second-best prospect in the entire class. At 212 pounds with a 4.36 forty and 21 total touchdowns in 2025, he is the rare back who combines every-down physicality with genuine big-play speed.
NFL.com called him a “three-down, scheme-independent player.”
The complication is Cam Skattebo, an emerging fan favorite who suffered a dislocated ankle in Week 8 of his rookie year. Drafting Love fifth overall is a significant positional investment with a promising back already on the roster.
But Harbaugh has been clear on his philosophy: “It’s not a need pick. It’s a best player pick — you’re talking about a guy that you would like to see one day wearing a gold jacket.”
Francis Mauigoa, OT — Miami (+850)
- Measurables: 6’6″, 330 lbs
The most physically imposing tackle in the class. FOX Sports mocked Mauigoa to the Giants and called him “the best offensive lineman in this draft and the one who’s the most ready.”
At 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds, he pairs with Andrew Thomas to give Dart a bookend protection duo that could anchor the line for a decade. Some evaluators believe his best long-term fit is interior guard, where his power would be even more dominant.
The main counterargument: New York’s free-agent signing of Jermaine Eluemunor reduced the urgency at tackle, and Mauigoa likely remains available deeper in the top 10.
Carnell Tate, WR — Ohio State (+1000)
- Measurables: 6’2″, 192 lbs
- Key Stats: 51 rec, 875 yds, 9 TD, 17.2 yds/rec, 4.53 forty, 0 drops
For most of the pre-draft cycle, Tate was the most common name mocked to the Giants at No. 5.
A route-running craftsman out of Chicago, he has drawn comparisons to both Chris Olave, his Buckeyes predecessor, and George Pickens for his boundary physicality. He posted zero drops in 2025 and won 87.5% of his contested catch opportunities.
Tate comes from the most reliable wide receiver pipeline in college football, which includes Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Emeka Egbuka.
With Malik Nabers returning from a torn ACL and no proven second receiver on the roster, Tate gives Dart a reliable, scheme-flexible target from Day 1. His 4.53 forty is the one knock, but his technical mastery of the route tree and elite hands suggest a high floor regardless.
Spencer Fano, OT — Utah (+1000)
- Measurables: 6’5″, 311 lbs
- Key Accomplishments: Outland Trophy Winner
Outland Trophy winner. ESPN’s No. 1 tackle and No. 5 overall prospect.
Fano allowed zero sacks and just five pressures across 382 pass-blocking snaps in 2025, posting a 92.0 PFF grade, best at the position over the past two seasons.
He topped all tackles in Combine testing, finished first in the three-cone drill, and arrived nine pounds heavier than his listed weight with no loss of agility. Four uncles played in the NFL, and his brother Logan entered the same draft.
Mel Kiper Jr. mocked him to the Giants, making the foundational case: “It doesn’t matter who Jaxson Dart is throwing to if he doesn’t have enough time to get the ball out.”
The concern is that Fano is more athletically built than physically dominant, and his ability to anchor against NFL power remains to be proven.
About the Author
