Jordan RaananMay 1, 2026, 06:00 AM ETCloseJordan Raanan covers the New York Giants for ESPN and can be heard hosting on ESPN Radio. Raanan joined ESPN in 2016.Follow on XMultiple Authors
What Francis Mauigoa brings to the Giants (0:59)Check out the highlights from Francis Mauigoa’s draft reel. (0:59)
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants’ first draft with John Harbaugh as the head coach had a very John Harbaugh feel:
It’s a draft haul that reeks of Harbaugh’s influence. And that doesn’t even account for the three sixth-round selections who followed the same trend — a massive nose tackle in Bobby Jamison-Travis, another physical offensive lineman in J.C. Davis and Jack Kelly, who Scout’s Inc. called “a thickly built linebacker.”
It was the latest step in the reshaping of the roster for Harbaugh this offseason with big and physical players.
Harbaugh said New York added a bunch of players this offseason who are giants, both literally and figuratively. Which is necessary for a team that wants to run power concepts on offense and impose their will on defense. Not the other way around.
They signed veteran DL Shelby Harris on Thursday and plan to sign another veteran defensive lineman in the coming weeks with the idea of fortifying the front. The focus has been on 330-pound DJ Reader, who spent the past two seasons with the Detroit Lions, but Schoen said after the draft, there may even be a few more visits for some unsigned veterans.
It’s not abnormal for a new coach and regime to want guys who fit their mold. And that is what has happened with the Giants so far this offseason. They’ve brought in players who fit what Harbaugh wants to do on the field. It’s a process that will likely even take another full offseason to complete.
But the process continued in this year’s draft. The Giants ran what Harbaugh said, hyperbolically, were a million mock drafts in the leadup to the first round, and none produced Reese at the No. 5 pick and Mauigoa at No. 10. It was a pleasant surprise given that the Giants would have taken Mauigoa with the fifth pick if Reese had been off the board.
The thought is that adding Reese won’t just be an asset as a pass rusher. He will begin as an inside, weakside linebacker, which should help their run defense with his rare skill and physicality.
Mauigoa, meanwhile, will slide inside to right guard where the Giants didn’t have a clear-cut starter last season. He played tackle in college at Miami and will be an immediate force as a run blocker.
“We want guys that fit how we want to play, and some of these guys, they really fit how we want to play,” Harbaugh said. “The fact that they’re bigger players, longer, heavy-handed type guys is important, because especially in this division, you’ve got to play that way. Your interior offensive line has to be physical. Look at the defensive tackles in this league. Right down the road especially.”
With Harbaugh having more say in personnel than Giants coaches of the past, they finally seem to have an identity. The draft was the latest step in putting the pieces in place for Harbaugh and his newly installed staff.
What Francis Mauigoa brings to the Giants (0:59)Check out the highlights from Francis Mauigoa’s draft reel. (0:59)
Jordan RaananMay 1, 2026, 06:00 AM ETCloseJordan Raanan covers the New York Giants for ESPN and can be heard hosting on ESPN Radio. Raanan joined ESPN in 2016.Follow on XMultiple Authors
CloseJordan Raanan covers the New York Giants for ESPN and can be heard hosting on ESPN Radio. Raanan joined ESPN in 2016.Follow on X
They drafted a physical player in linebacker Arvell Reese at No. 5 overall. He is 20 years old, ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-4, 241 pounds and describes his own play as “violent.”
They grabbed a massive 6-5, 329-pound road-grading offensive lineman in Francis Mauigoa with their second pick, No. 10 overall.
The cornerback they selected early in Round 2 at No. 37, Colton Hood, Harbaugh called a “pit bull” because of the way he plays and competes.
Third-round pick Malachi Fields is a big-bodied pass catcher at 6-4, 223 pounds, who general manager Joe Schoen said can be their “power forward” in the wide receiver room. Fields said he takes pride in his blocking, and it’s one of his strengths.
“Definitely a priority,” he said after the 2026 draft. “It’s important.”
But Harbaugh has been complimentary, at least publicly.
Check out the highlights from Francis Mauigoa’s draft reel. (0:59)