Giants can't ignore John Harbaugh's praise of Caleb Downs

It's the dawn of a new era for the New York Giants.

New head coach John Harbaugh will look to build a winning team around quarterback Jaxson Dart after years of struggles with Brian Daboll at the helm, and it'll all start with the No. 5 pick.

The Giants have plenty of options to choose from, and even though most big boards have them rolling with Ohio State WR Carnell Tate, they might want a different Buckeye instead.

In an appearance on "The Mike Francesa Podcast," the new Giants head coach confirmed he'd like to add Caleb Downs to the team.

The Giants need to listen to John Harbaugh

“We favor Hall of Fame safeties, so if we have a chance to draft a potential future Hall of Fame safety in Caleb Downs, that would be just fine with me,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll take the best player. When you draft that high, you take the best player. It’s not a need pick, it’s a best-player pick because you’re going for the guy that’s going to be that kind of player. You’re talking about a player that you would like to see someday wearing a gold jacket if possible.”

Harbaugh helped Kyle Hamilton become one of the most impactful safeties in the game, and the Giants already had an above-average defense before his arrival.

The Giants gave up the third-most total yards per game in the league (375.2) and the sixth-most points per game (25.8) last season.

And with a former safety like Dennard Wilson as their new defensive coordinator, it's hard to think of anyone else who could shape Downs into the superstar most scouts think he can be. 

Not many safeties would be worth taking with a top-five selection, but the Buckeyes star isn't like the average safety. He can thrive in the box and dominate against the run like a linebacker or keep wide receivers on their toes and break up passes like a cornerback.

Downs can be a Swiss Army knife guy who can unleash any defense in the game. So, even though taking another weapon for their young quarterback might be tempting, sometimes you can't pass on the best player available.