Many NFL mock drafts have projected the New York Giants to find their partner for top-flight wide receiver Malik Nabers with the No. 5 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft.
But Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com went off the board and projected the Giants to select LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane with their first-round selection in Pittsburgh.
The Giants have been linked to wide receivers Jordyn Tyson of Arizona State or Ohio State’s Carnell Tate with the fifth pick. Still, with a loaded D-line made up of dominant pass rushers, and the NFL’s 28th-ranked defense in 2025, New York could instead opt to upgrade its pass defense for newly minted defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson.
The Giants Could Take Mansoor Delane and Target A Wide Receiver Later In The Draft
Jeremiah acknowledged the Giants’ need to upgrade their offensive skill positions, he noted New York’s glaring need for defensive-back help.
“The Giants could add a receiver later in the draft — it’s a deep class at the position,” Jeremiah wrote. “But Delane would immediately be their most talented cornerback.”
The Giants have had great success with SEC wide receivers in the draft, since Nabers, Wan’Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton and Odell Beckham Jr. have each become impact players from LSU, Kentucky and Auburn, respectively.
So if, as Jeremiah suggests, the Giants wanted to pass on Tyson or Tate and go with a DB at No. 5, they could still potentially land 5-11 burner KC Concepcion from Texas A&M with the 37th pick — or the fifth selection of Day 2.
Mansoor Delane Would Address A Major Need For The Giants
Delane is a first-round talent who spent his senior season at LSU after playing his first three years at Virginia Tech. He was a first-team All-SEC cornerback and a unanimous All-American in 2025, who NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared to Philadelphia Eagles‘ lockdown cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.
So even though the Giants pass defense ranked a respectable 16th in 2025 (214.2 yards per game), they were prone to giving up big plays in the passing game thanks to their subpar cornerbacks.
Cor’Dale Flott (66.9) and Dru Phillips (62.2) were each ranked between Nos. 40-60 in Pro-Football Focus’ rankings of cornerbacks, and 2023 first-round pick Deonte Banks was ranked No. 112 of 114 qualifying corners per PFF.
New York cornerbacks combined for just four interceptions in 2025 — it was tied for 24th in the NFL in INTs last year (9).
Dropping Delane into Wilson’s defense, which ranked No. 1 against the pass in 2024, would be a marquee upgrade. Four of ESPN’s five draft evaluators have Delane as the No. 1 draft-eligible cornerback, with only Mel Kiper Jr. putting the University of Tennessee prospect Jermod McCoy ahead of him by one spot.
Plus, pairing him with Flott — who is both underrated and the Giants’ top cornerback — could enable New York’s defense to match up against the elite NFC East receivers, like CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Terry McLaurin without paying through the nose.
The Giants signed Adebo to a three-year, $54 million contract be that player last offseason, but he was third on the team in passes defended (8) and fourth in tackles (73) while earning only a 58.4 rating from PFF, the 74th-best among qualifying cornerbacks in 2025.
Giants Predicted To Select Highly Touted Defensive Back With No. 5 Pick