The New York Giants may take a surprising route to replacing All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II by selecting the “best pure pass-rusher” in the 2026 NFL draft, despite Big Blue drafting edge Abdul Carter third overall a year ago.
Carter’s presence, along with 16.5-sack Pro Bowler Brian Burns, means the Giants are strong at outside linebacker. Yet, one analyst still expects the team to double down on the edge with one of their two first-round picks, the fifth and 10th selections, as well as targeting wide receiver help.
Speaking on The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football on FOX Pod, host Joel Klatt revealed he believes the Giants are “moving around trying to position themselves into a place where they can target and go draft Jordyn Tyson. Now, I don’t think they’re going to have to do that at five. I know it’s not a specific need for the Giants, but if you can get the best pure pass-rusher in the draft and become even more dominant in that area, I think that you do that. So David Bailey from Texas Tech is going to be my pick at five with the Giants.”
With a massive trade this week, here’s how @joelklatt feels the Giants will stockpile talent with picks 5 and 10.
Bailey might look like a luxury pick with Burns and Carter on the depth chart. Especially when the Giants also appear to have changed their stance on trading another edge-rusher they drafted in the top 10, Kayvon Thibodeaux.
There’s a strong case for the Giants targeting other areas of their defense, like the interior of the line after trading Lawrence, but Bailey’s skills and production will be hard to ignore for a franchise that won Super Bowls rotating waves of gifted pass-rushers onto the field.
David Bailey Pick Fits Winning Strategy from Giants History
The 2007 Giants won a Super Bowl by battering Tom Brady and the 18-0 New England Patriots with relentless pressure and hits from a quartet of game-wreckers. Michael Strahan led high-round draft picks Mathias Kiwanuka, Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck to the demolition of the star-studded Pats.
Brady was still taking punishment from the Giants four years later, but by this time Jason Pierre-Paul had replaced Strahan. Replicating the same dynamic would justify using a top-five pick to take Bailey.
He’s coming off a monster final season at the collegiate level, when Bailey recorded 14.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss, per Sports Reference. That level of production is tough to overlook for any team.
Especially one still waiting for its high-profile, young edge-rushers to make the grade.
Abdul Carter Yet to Live Up to the Hype
Injuries and middling stats are why 2022 fifth-overall pick Thibodeaux is often deemed trade material. The Giants don’t want Carter to go the same way, but the former Penn State standout has yet to come close to justifying the hype.
Carter’s rookie season was blighted by problems with tardiness and questions about his maturity. The 22-year-old also struggled to finish pressures with sacks, taking down quarterbacks just four times during his debut campaign in the pros.
What the Giants need is for Carter to heed Lawrence’s advice and become a productive leader. A rebuilding defense is short one of those after Lawrence was dealt to the Cincinnati Bengals for the 10th choice.
While Tyson is a logical target for the Lawrence pick, taking Bailey earlier arguably has more merit.
Giants Tipped to Repeat Abdul Carter Draft Strategy With ‘Best Pure Pass-Rusher’