Armed with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the New York Giants are likely to have several blue-chip prospects available to them once they’re on the clock.
In what will be John Harbaugh’s first draft as head coach, he’ll have the opportunity to select a player that he envisions as a culture changer, as he establishes a new identity within the Giants’ building.
New York has plenty of needs, and they really couldn’t go wrong by selecting an offensive lineman, wide receiver, or defender.
But ESPN’s draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. believes one Ohio State prospect makes the most sense for the Giants, and projected them to select a Buckeye with the fifth overall pick.
Mel Kiper Has Giants Selecting Carnell Tate at No. 5
In his highly anticipated first mock draft of the offseason for ESPN, Kiper Jr. has the New York Giants drafting Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate.
In what would be the fifth-straight draft that a Buckeye receiver comes off the board in round one, the Giants land the next man up in a long line of successful Ohio State wideouts in the NFL.
“The Giants have a lot of needs, but similar to Tennessee, they have a second-year quarterback looking for help. Yes, wide receiver Malik Nabers (knee) and running back Cam Skattebo (ankle/leg) will be back on the field, but wideout Wan’Dale Robinson is a free agent, and Nabers can’t be the target on all of Jaxson Dart’s throws,” wrote Kiper Jr.
“Taking a first-round wide receiver wouldn’t be new to recently hired coach John Harbaugh; in Baltimore, he used four Day 1 picks starting in 2015 on the position (Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Hollywood Brown and Breshad Perriman)…Tate would bring fantastic route running and reliable hands to MetLife Stadium. He caught 51 passes for 875 yards and nine scores for the Buckeyes this past season.”
As Kiper points out, the Giants’ leading receiver of this past season, Wan’Dale Robinson, is an impending free agent, and in a relatively thin wide receiver free agent class, he figures to get a deal towards the top of the market, pricing him away from New York.
Even Malik Nabers, who is an up-and-coming star in his own right, isn’t guaranteed to return by Week 1 of the 2026 season, meaning Jaxson Dart would be relying on Darius Slayton and whatever other pass catchers general manager Joe Schoen can scrounge up in free agency.
Landing Tate gives Dart a blue-chip prospect to grow chemistry with throughout the summer, and creates a dynamic one-two punch at wide receiver with Nabers when he returns.
Carnell Tate’s Draft Profile
In Tate, the New York Giants would be landing Kiper Jr.’s No. 3 overall prospect in the entire 2026 draft class, which makes sense, as he’s the first wide receiver off the board in his mock draft.
“Ohio State has turned into Wide Receiver U, with Emeka Egbuka being the most recent star wideout to come out of Columbus. And while most of the college football world focused on Jeremiah Smith (who isn’t eligible for the 2026 draft), Tate put up some serious numbers and showed why he is a top prospect for this class,” said Kiper Jr. when explaining just how good of a prospect Tate is.
“Tate produced big plays on a regular basis, averaging 17.2 yards per catch this season. He is a precise route runner, has great hands and displays outstanding body control. And he’ll also happily block for ball carriers, which NFL coaches love to see. Tate had a lower-body injury earlier this season and missed a little time.”
The Giants’ No. 1 priority should be putting their hopeful franchise quarterback Dart in the best possible position to succeed, and surrounding him with weapons sounds like a great step in the right direction.
New York’s next priority should be keeping Dart healthy and upright, which they can also attempt to do with their other draft picks.
Giants Mock Draft Lands Elite Ohio State Prospect at No. 5 Overall