Big Blue View
The New York Giants currently sit at No. 2 in the 2026 NFL Draft order, prime position to trade down with a quarterback-needy team for additional draft assets. Let’s look at a scenario where the Giants do exactly that, trading down not just once, but twice in the top 10.
Ian Cummings of Pro Football and Sports Network is out with a seven-round mock draft in which the Giants end up moving from No. 2 to No. 9. Before we discuss the players Cummings selected for the Giants, let’s list the haul of draft picks Cummings collected for New York. That, five months before the draft, seems like the detail truly worth discussing.
First, Cummings trades from No. 2 to No. 4 with the New York Jets.
The projected trade: Jets receive No. 2 pick; Giants receive No. 4 pick, No. 35 pick, 2027 second-round pick.
Next, Cummings trades from No. 4 to No. 9 with the Arizona Cardinals.
The projected trade: Cardinals receive No. 4 pick, 2027 fourth-round pick; Giants receive No. 9 pick, No. 40 pick, 2027 second-round pick, 2027 third-round pick.
Here is the end result in terms of accumulated draft picks:
Giants started with: Picks 2 and 34.
Giants end up with: Picks 9, 34, 35, 35 in 2026; In 2027, they add two additional second-round picks and a third-round pick.
That is how you maximize assets and give yourself the best chance to collect a cadre of talented young players.
Now, let’s look at what Cummings did with those picks.
Cummings says:
There’s plenty wrong with the Giants’ defense, but most of it can be boiled down to the second and third levels. Deonte Banks didn’t pan out at cornerback, and Cor’Dale Flott is an impending free agent. New York needs to reinvest there and reinvest early.
In the 2026 NFL Draft, there’s no better pick for the Giants than Mansoor Delane. In PFSN’s CFB CB Impact database, Delane has the highest grade: An ungodly score of 99.3. For context, the next-highest CB is almost five points lower.
Delane is a mirror-motor machine in man coverage, a master space manager and processor in off-man and zone. He generates incompletions at a high clip, and he can fend off crack-and-replace blocks in support. Rarely has a CB ever been such a sure thing as this.
I have not studied Delane. Truth is, I have not studied the draft in any real sense. The last line of Cummings’ explanation, though, seems like hyperbole.
Delane’s Average Draft Position (ADP) in the NFL Mock Draft Database is No. 14. Players left on the board here include Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (No. 12, Pittsburgh Steelers) and Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods (No. 15, Kansas City Chiefs).
NFL Mock Draft Database says:
Delane’s combination of instincts, athleticism, and competitive temperament make him a prime candidate for an early-round selection in...
