ClutchPoints
Another year, another lost season for the New York Giants, whose focus has been on the 2026 NFL Draft since November. The pre-draft process is still a couple of months away, but the Giants’ front office still needs to keep a close eye on the 2025-2026 College Football Playoffs.
Assuming Joe Schoen does not lose his job in the spring, the upcoming draft will be his final straw. Schoen has been hit-or-miss in the draft with the Giants, but saying that he is on thin ice would be sugarcoating his situation. No general manager will be under a thicker microscope than Schoen will be in the coming months.
A lot will change before April, including the Giants’ next full-time head coach, who will have a say in the draft process. Regardless, a few holes in the current roster are fairly cut-and-dry.
Every New York Giants fan should be getting excited watching these nine players in the 2025-2026 College Football Playoffs, with the hope that they will join the Big Blue in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The most popular name associated with the Giants in early 2026 mock drafts has been Arizona State receiver Jordyn Tyson, with the sole purpose of giving Jaxson Dart another elite weapon to work with. Tyson is the college teammate of running back Cam Skattebo and seems to be the clear-cut top receiver of the class.
However, Arizona State is not in this year’s College Football Playoff. That leaves Ohio State’s Carnell Tate as the best receiver prospect entering the playoffs. The Giants should be interested in the sure-handed Tate for all the same reasons they should be looking at Tyson. If Schoen goes in a different direction in round one, Tate would be a very intriguing Day Two prospect.
There is no better linebacker in college football than Jacob Rodriguez, whose draft stock has skyrocketed over the last four months. Rodriguez is still not viewed as the No. 1 linebacker of the class, but a strong performance in the College Football Playoffs could turn him into a first-rounder.
Scouts knock Rodriguez for his lack of physical attributes, but that is exactly what they said about Cam Skattebo, who has quickly become one of the most important players on the Giants’ roster. Any NFL fan watching the 2024-2025 playoffs would have loved to see Skattebo on their team. Rodriguez could be this year’s version of that same arc.
The higher the stakes are, the better Rodriguez seems to play. Nobody plays with more energy and passion on the field than J-Rod, who will help any NFL team in 2026.
The Giants’ offensive line has improved in 2025, but it is still far from perfect. While Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eluemunor have set the edges, the interior line has not been as strong. Guard figures to be one of New York’s biggest offseason needs, particularly with 35-year-old Greg Van Roten...
