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EAST RUTHERFORD - The New York Giants see value in doing their own mock drafts, believe it or not.
In trying to project how things would play out as the 2026 NFL Draft approached, team brass ran "a zillion" of simulations, hoping to predict which players would be available when the Giants went on the clock with the fifth and 10th picks overall.
The only one that played out with the Giants landing Arvell Reese and Francis Mauigoa?
The only one that mattered.
"Reality was greater than fiction," Giants coach John Harbaugh said.
The Giants were downright giddy Thursday night as Harbaugh and general manager Joe Schoen talked about their two first-round selections, together doing their best to paint a picture of harmony, cohesiveness and collaboration despite months of speculation and rumors to the contrary.
Reese, the linebacker from Ohio State, was the top non-quarterback on the Giants' board. Believed for months that he would be the choice of the Jets at No. 2, the 20-year-old defender who is just scratching the surface considered to have the highest ceiling of any player in the Class of 2026 was there at No. 5.
"We hoped," Schoen said. "But there weren't a lot of scenarios that we went through where he may be available."
Same went for Mauigoa, the powerful offensive lineman from Miami who will begin his pro career at right guard after dominating at tackle in college. The Giants had a gaping hole between center John Michael Schmitz and right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, and a patchwork collection of one-year, prove-it hopefuls that included former Ravens starter Daniel Faalele and busted Giants draft picks Evan Neal and Joshua Ezeudu was the reason for plenty of apprehension as offseason plans unfolded.
Three weeks ago, Harbaugh called the Giants' offensive line a "work in progress," admitting that the entire project might take more than one year for completion. When Schoen referred to the quest to improve the line from when he first took over in 2022 as "mission accomplished," some observers scoffed at the suggestion.
"[The Mauigoa] advances it," Harbaugh said. "Finish it off in practice the next few weeks, put it all together. Makes us a lot more stout, and it's two picks that strengthen us down the middle - down the middle of our offense, down the middle of our defense - and these are great players. These are two Top 5 players in this draft in our opinion, you couldn't do any better."
In Reese, the Giants add to a defense that is moving forward without All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, who was traded to Cincinnati upon his request last weekend. He
"As soon as I settled down, that's what I thought about, like, 'Dang, you've got Kayvon Thibodeaux, you've got Brian Burns, you've got Abdul Carter,'" Reese said. "That sounds like a great situation playing alongside those guys."
As for Mauigoa, he made a splash on stage after his selection with the 10th overall pick when, asked about Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, the 20-year-old quipped: "I'm ready to die for that dude."
On top of that, when asked about blocking for Cam Skattebo, Mauigoa replied with a laugh: "I'm gonna have a lot of fun with that dude."
With Reese and Mauigoa in the fold, the Giants were certainly having a lot more fun than they've had in a while on Thursday night.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Giants' draft reality greater than fiction as Harbaugh era kicks off
Continue reading...
In trying to project how things would play out as the 2026 NFL Draft approached, team brass ran "a zillion" of simulations, hoping to predict which players would be available when the Giants went on the clock with the fifth and 10th picks overall.
The only one that played out with the Giants landing Arvell Reese and Francis Mauigoa?
The only one that mattered.
"Reality was greater than fiction," Giants coach John Harbaugh said.
The Giants were downright giddy Thursday night as Harbaugh and general manager Joe Schoen talked about their two first-round selections, together doing their best to paint a picture of harmony, cohesiveness and collaboration despite months of speculation and rumors to the contrary.
Reese, the linebacker from Ohio State, was the top non-quarterback on the Giants' board. Believed for months that he would be the choice of the Jets at No. 2, the 20-year-old defender who is just scratching the surface considered to have the highest ceiling of any player in the Class of 2026 was there at No. 5.
"We hoped," Schoen said. "But there weren't a lot of scenarios that we went through where he may be available."
Same went for Mauigoa, the powerful offensive lineman from Miami who will begin his pro career at right guard after dominating at tackle in college. The Giants had a gaping hole between center John Michael Schmitz and right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, and a patchwork collection of one-year, prove-it hopefuls that included former Ravens starter Daniel Faalele and busted Giants draft picks Evan Neal and Joshua Ezeudu was the reason for plenty of apprehension as offseason plans unfolded.
Three weeks ago, Harbaugh called the Giants' offensive line a "work in progress," admitting that the entire project might take more than one year for completion. When Schoen referred to the quest to improve the line from when he first took over in 2022 as "mission accomplished," some observers scoffed at the suggestion.
"[The Mauigoa] advances it," Harbaugh said. "Finish it off in practice the next few weeks, put it all together. Makes us a lot more stout, and it's two picks that strengthen us down the middle - down the middle of our offense, down the middle of our defense - and these are great players. These are two Top 5 players in this draft in our opinion, you couldn't do any better."
In Reese, the Giants add to a defense that is moving forward without All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, who was traded to Cincinnati upon his request last weekend. He
"As soon as I settled down, that's what I thought about, like, 'Dang, you've got Kayvon Thibodeaux, you've got Brian Burns, you've got Abdul Carter,'" Reese said. "That sounds like a great situation playing alongside those guys."
As for Mauigoa, he made a splash on stage after his selection with the 10th overall pick when, asked about Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, the 20-year-old quipped: "I'm ready to die for that dude."
On top of that, when asked about blocking for Cam Skattebo, Mauigoa replied with a laugh: "I'm gonna have a lot of fun with that dude."
With Reese and Mauigoa in the fold, the Giants were certainly having a lot more fun than they've had in a while on Thursday night.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Giants' draft reality greater than fiction as Harbaugh era kicks off
Continue reading...
