Jason Leach
With the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the New York Giants will have an interesting decision on who they will select with the first pick of the John Harbaugh era.
Some feel they should draft a receiver to complement Malik Nabers , the likes of Ohio State’ Carnell Tate, or Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson, or Makai Lemon from USC. Others feel they should draft a linebacker who can make plays sideline to sideline, such as Ohio State’s Sonny Styles, who had an impressive showing at the NFL Combine.
But many mock drafts have the Giants selecting Styles’ teammate in safety Caleb Downs. Some experts feel that taking a safety that high in the draft is a bad pick value based on the position.
Only twice in this century has a safety been selected with a top-five pick: in 2004, when Washington took the late Sean Taylor with the fifth pick, and in 2010, when the Kansas City Chiefs drafted Eric Berry with the fifth pick. Although it may go against conventional wisdom, New York taking a dynamic safety like Downs would make sense.
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Downs’ Dominance Across All Three Seasons in College
In his three years in college (1 with Alabama, and 2 with Ohio State) he amassed 256 tackles, 10 pass defenses, six interceptions, three forced fumbles, and one and a half sacks. He’s also returned two punts for a touchdown during his collegiate career.
He is a two-time Unanimous All-American in 2024 and 2025, and was named 2025 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and won the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given to the nation’s top defensive back. He is an instinctive player who is great at stopping the run, who would immediately improve New York’s 31st-ranked run defense. Some have compared his instinctive nature to Hall of Fame safety Troy Polamalu.
Some might feel New York doesn’t need to address the safety position this early in the draft since they have Tyler Nubin and Jevon Holland. The team drafted Nubin with the 47th overall pick in the 2024 Draft, and signed Holland to a three-year $45.3 million contract last offseason.
But the duo of Nubin and Holland recorded just one interception in 2025, and Downs has a higher ceiling than both of them. In addition, new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson will likely dial up three safety schemes, and Holland and Nubin are only under contract through the 2027 season and could be potential trade candidates before their contracts expire.
The back end of New York’s defense has been an issue for years, and they have not had an impactful safety since Landon Collins was a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year in 2016. Ironically, 2016 was the last time the Giants had double-digit wins as they went 11-5 and earned a wildcard berth.
John Harbaugh knows what having an elite playmaker at the safety position can do for a defense. He was the Eagles’ defensive backs coach in 2007 and coached Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins. Then, as the head coach with the Baltimore Ravens, he coached Hall of Fame Ed Reed and All-Pro Kyle Hamilton.
Early this offseason, Harbaugh spoke about the possibility of the Giants drafting Downs with the fifth pick.
“We’ll take the best player. When you draft that high, you take the best player. It’s not a need pick, it’s a best player pick because you’re going for the guy that’s going to be that kind of player. You’re talking about a player that you would like to see someday wearing a gold jacket if possible.”
If that player turns out to be Downs, he’ll be the second in his family to play with the Giants. His father, Gary, was a running back and was drafted with the 95th overall pick in 1994.
Some may feel Downs draft stock may dip due to him not working out at the NFL Combine and the fact that he’s just under six feet tall and 206 pounds; some feel he might be a tad undersized. But when you watch the film of him, it’s clear that he’s a tremendous athlete who is poised to have a promising NFL career. If New York drafts him, fans should feel confident that the defense will be much improved in 2026.
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