John Harbaugh, Giants may be haunted by draft decision

John Harbaugh is approaching his first season with the New York Giants, and he's been busy doing everything in his power to put the pieces together to turn this franchise around.

While the Giants have a strong quarterback in Jaxson Dart, they also had a 4-13 record in the 2025 season, and it's Harbaugh's job to line up a comeback run.

Harbaugh had a solid first NFL Draft with New York and, for the most part, earned rave reviews for his choice of Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese as their fifth overall selection.

But, Harbaugh and the Giants didn't select star safety Caleb Downs with their 10th overall pick, opting instead for offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa, and that decision may come back to haunt them.

New York Giants missed out on defensive talent

Giants general manager Joe Schoen has already explained why the team didn't take Downs.

"We stuck with the board," Schoen told reporters after the move, according to USA Today, adding that the Giants snagged two of their top four-rated non-quarterbacks.

"And Sisi's another 20-year-old, believe it or not, he'll be 21 in June, so we got two young players that we're fired up about," he added. "But a powerful young man with tremendous athleticism and size."

So, Schoen says that he stuck with the board, and then, his answer pretty much pivoted.

Another reason the Giants likely skipped Downs is because they wanted to invest in the offense for Dart. It makes sense, even though it meant missing out on one of the best defensive rookies to come along in this draft.

That's something Dan Graziano explains in a feature out on Tuesday, May 12, for ESPN: "Ultimately, it meant locking in the player the Giants identified as the best offensive lineman in the draft to help fortify Dart's protection."

Even though Downs was there for the taking at No. 10, New York drafted Mauigoa. The Cowboys traded up and snagged Downs.

Although this choice makes sense, there's something to be said for picking the best available player when your number comes around. The Giants could have addressed the offensive line later in the draft and instead secured their defense by taking Downs. It's a move that may come back to bite them, especially since they will have to face Downs and the Cowboys twice a season.