None other than head coach John Harbaugh has fueled speculation that the New York Giants will make Ohio State star Caleb Downs their top pick in April's NFL Draft.
For the third consecutive season, the NY Giants will have a top 10 pick in the draft. After a 4-13 season in 2025, the team will have to make some of its selections in April if it hopes to return to competitive football next season. This also means they should make the most of the fifth overall selection.
After drafting Jackson Dart in Round 1 of last year's NFL Draft, the organization believes it does not need to select a QB this year. Meaning they can take the best available player at No. 5. After another poor season, there are a number of ways a team can select, and early mock drafts have them taking a top offensive lineman, receiver, or cornerback.
However, there has been recent speculation that the team could go in a different direction and select a player, with many draft experts believing that the best player in this year's class is Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs. While the versatile safety is just one of the many options the NY Giants will have at the back five, it looks like he has a big fan in the team's new head coach, John Harbaugh.
Harbaugh set to take Caleb Downs as NY Giants' first pick
During a new conversation with New York sports radio personality Mike Francesa this week, the coach was asked about possibly taking downs, and his history of building his defense around elite safeties like Ed Reed and Kyle Hamilton. In response, Harbaugh made no secret of being a big fan of the Ohio State alumnus.
The coach said, "We favor Hall of Fame safety. So if we have a chance to draft a potential future Hall of Fame safety in Caleb Downs, that would be OK with me." "When you draft that high, you pick the best player. It's not a need pick, it's a pick of the best player. You're talking about a guy that you would like to see wear a gold jacket someday, if possible. That's the goal of that pick."
A strong case can be made that Downs is the best player in this year's class, or at the very least, can make the most immediate impact among the top players this year. Considering what Harbaugh said, if Downs is still on the board when the NY Giants are 5th, it's very possible they take him.
