Jeremiyah Love continues to be a name to watch for the New York Giants in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, the Giants are already preparing for a scenario without Love, and latest reports signal the organization in East Rutherford could move down in the draft board—essentially waving the white flag in the sweepstakes for the running back out of Notre Dame.
According to ESPN‘s Jordan Raanan, the common belief around the league is that the Giants prefer to move down a couple of spots in the upcoming draft and add to their draft capital. The Giants have seven picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, but only two of them are in the top 50 and 100. If they aren’t fully convinced on who to draft with their fifth overall pick, the best choice might be to trade it for more picks. More picks, more problems, some might dare say.
The odds of Love falling into New York’s lap in the first round (fifth overall pick) are already low. If the Giants slide down the board, then the chances become even slimmer. New York is well aware of that. But it might have made its peace with that.
The Giants have other areas to address, and they may see them as more crucial than adding another running back. Such a mindset was made clear after Matt Nagy opened up on his thoughts. Nagy expressed how the Giants are listening to the Love rumors but remain excited about their current options with the likes of Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy Jr., and Devin Singletary.
Jeremiyah Love #4 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Who could Giants target in NFL Draft?
According to Raanan, the Giants are serious candidates to select LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane. The athletic defensive back has already visited the team ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft and has the skills a coach like John Harbaugh values.
His physical style makes him a good fit for Harbaugh’s system, and it brings a skill set that could be complementary to Greg Newsome II and Paulson Adebo (the top CB options in New York). The two main guys on the perimeter are mainly zone-coverage cornerbacks, and they excel thanks to their ball-hawking abilities.
Delane is the type of cornerback who can cancel out one side of the gridiron and force opposing quarterbacks to toss up a prayer by throwing into the range of Newsome II and Adebo. If it all goes according to plan, it could be a perfect storm at MetLife Stadium. With a speedy rookie who can shut down threats in the mix, the entire Giants defense can take a much-needed step forward in 2026.
Giants explore Plan B to Delane
Delane is hardly a hidden gem, though. Every scout around the league knows his potential is sky-high. Thus, if New York trades down, it could miss out on Delane, too. In order to prevent a worst-case scenario, the G-Men are also reportedly doing their due diligence on Jermod McCoy.
McCoy is far from a sure thing, though. The University of Tennessee alum is coming off an ACL injury that sidelined him for the entire 2025 season in college football. Drafting him with a top-10 pick would be a bold bet on the Giants’ part, and one that could come back to bite Joe Schoen in the long run.
SurveyWhat position should the Giants select in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft?
What position should the Giants select in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft?
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