Giants' NFL Draft targets post-Lawrence trade: Styles, Tate, Downs, Tyson?

The New York Giants enter this week's NFL Draft in Pittsburgh with the hottest hand of all.

They already had the fifth overall pick after nosediving to a 5-10 record in 2025, and they have now added the 10th overall selection after trading Dexter Lawrence to the Bengals.

As a team with a young quarterback still on a rookie deal, hitting on their early picks in the 2026 NFL Draft right is as important as it gets.

So what will John Harbaugh and Co. do with the picks? Which players are the Giants likely to target? Let's dig in.

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From just £9.99/€9.99, witness the moment Fernando Mendoza, Jeremiyah Love and Carnell Tate hear their names called and walk onto the draft stage as the next generation of NFL superstars.

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NFL Draft Pick No. 5: Likely Giants targets

Sonny Styles or Jeremiyah Love?

The consensus mock draft selection at No. 5 has been Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles. The Buckeyes' star has elite upside and would certainly pair with Tremaine Edmunds to give New York's defense a huge lift.

But Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is the other name that keeps coming up, and the Giants' interest appears genuine.

Despite having Cam Skattebo in the backfield, Harbaugh recently called Love "a very, very good player" and has stressed a desire to build the Giants into a dominant running team. The problem with this, of course, is that Love could be gone to the Tennessee Titans at No. 4.

Does that leave Styles as the obvious choice? Not so fast.

What about Buckeyes' WR Carnell Tate?

Pairing Tate with Malik Nabers would give Jaxson Dart an enviable pair of receivers who could, should they meet their potential, become one of the most dangerous duos in football.

This option makes sense if the Giants have a grade on Tate that's considerably higher than Makai Lemon, Jordyn Tyson and Co.

Otherwise, taking Styles could be their intention, safe in the knowledge they can find WR help at No. 10.

NFL Draft Pick No. 10: Likely Giants targets

Tyson or Lemon if not Tate at No. 5?

Assuming New York haven't taken Tate at No. 5, it seems likely they'll grab a receiver here.

Giants GM Joe Schoen flew to Arizona for wide receiver Jordyn Tyson's solo workout on Friday and had dinner with him the night before.

Tyson had been a question mark after hamstring issues kept him off the field, but ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that Tyson showed the "twitch, explosiveness and leaping ability" from his college days.

Will his injury history cause concerns, and could it mean the Giants pivot to Lemon here? The USC product has been a fast riser on draft boards in recent weeks.

What about Ohio State S Caleb Downs?

Ohio State safety Caleb Downs is another option, with his profile drawing comparisons to Kyle Hamilton in Baltimore - a player Harbaugh knows well from his time with the Ravens.

In Jevon Holland and Tyler Nubin, New York has two players locked in at safety, but Downs is supremely talented, and his addition would be huge for the entire secondary.

Giants' draft can't come soon enough

Throw in the idea that New York's draft capital means they could move around the board, and this promises to be a fun one.

Losing Lawrence will hurt, but the Giants have an opportunity to build fast around a cheap rookie QB. Make no mistake, this is a franchise-defining draft.