The New York Giants made two picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, selecting Ohio State linebacker/edge rusher Arvell Reese at No. 5 and Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa at 10. Most draft pundits celebrated these picks, but the Giants’ front office may have been the highest on these two players. When the draft wrapped, an NFL insider reported that the G-Men had Reese and Mauigoa incredibly high on their draft board.
“Interesting nugget: The Giants had fifth overall pick Arvell Reese as the top player on their draft board, carrying an even grade with new Cardinal RB Jeremiyah Love. Their new RG Francis Mauigoa was fourth,” Albert Breer of The MMQB reported on Thursday night.
Picking Reese and Mauigoa seems to suggest that the Giants were incredibly disciplined in sticking to their draft board. The pre-draft rumors were that New York coveted Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson and Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, who were available at No. 5 and 10, respectively. While those two players would have filled needs, John Harbaugh and company obviously saw the value in the two players they picked, regardless of need.
Another interesting aspect of these picks is the debate over positional value. NFL conventional wisdom states that you should only take premium positions—quarterback, offensive tackle, wide receiver, edge rusher, cornerback—in the top 10 of the NFL draft. What makes these two picks fascinating is that Arvell Reese and Francis Mauigoa can play premium positions but likely won’t for the Giants. Mauigoa played RT in college, but will move to guard in the pros. Reese flashed edge rusher potential at Ohio State, but with the Giants’ abundance of pass rushers, he may be more of an off-ball linebacker early in his NFL career.
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