The New York Giants need to make this simple.
There is a whole lot of weird speculation surrounding the New York Giants as they prepare to make a selection with the No. 5 overall pick in the NFL Draft later this month, and none of it is particularly good.
Well, at least to me.
We have heard the Giants connected to linebacker Sonny Styles, safety Caleb Downs and running back Jeremiyah Love in recent weeks, and none of those players fit immediate, glaring needs for New York.
Carnell Tate? Yeah, we haven't heard much of anything about the Ohio State wide receiver over the last month, so unless the Giants are playing it cool, it doesn't look like they are going to proceed in that direction.
So if New York isn't going to take Tate (which is probably the safest pick at No. 5), what should the Giants actually do?
The answer isn't a linebacker, a safety or a halfback. Selecting a non-premium position in the top five — especially when you don't desperately need it — is simply not advisable.
But you know what Big Blue does need? A cornerback.
New York signed Greg Newsome II, but it also lost Cor'Dale Flott to free agency, so the Giants actually downgraded at cornerback, a position in which they weren't really all that strong to begin with.
Mansoor Delane. Credit: Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images.Last March, the G-Men signed Paulson Adebo to a three-year deal, but the former New Orleans Saints standout struggled mightily during his first season in the Big Apple.
Can the Giants truly rely on Adebo and Newsome as their two starting corners in 2026? Absolutely not.
The problem is that there aren't any cornerbacks worth taking at No. 5 this year, so what New York should be attempting to do is trade down for a solution.
LSU's Mansoor Delane and Tennessee's Jermod McCoy should both be available in the 10-15 range, so moving down five or so spots and also acquiring more draft capital in the process would be ideal for the Giants.
Both Delane and McCoy had incredible Pro Days, and in the case of McCoy, his performance was even more imperative considering he missed all of 2025 with a torn ACL.
Yes, it's possible that Clemson's Avieon Terrell could fall to New York at No. 37, and he would certainly be a good pickup. But wouldn't landing a corner with a higher ceiling and netting another draft choice in the process be more preferable?
The Giants should absolutely, positively be targeting a cornerback in the first round of the NFL Draft. It's a premium position, and it's one in which New York has a dire need.
If John Harbaugh seriously rolls with one of Styles, Downs or Love rather than making the move that would be far better for the club, it would be a major mistake.
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