Giants have Harbaugh-esque draft leaning on big, physical players

East Rutherford, NJ – The New York Giants’ first draft with John Harbaugh as head coach seemed pretty good to John Harbaugh:

• They drafted a physical player at linebacker Arvel Reese Ranked No. 5 overall. He is 20 years old, stands 6-foot-4, 241 pounds, runs a 40-yard dash of 4.46 seconds, and describes his game as “violent.”

• They caught a huge 6-5, 329-pound road-grading offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa With their second choice, No. 10 overall.

• At the beginning of Round 2, they selected cornerback at No. 37, colton hoodHarbaugh has been called the “Pit Bull” because of his way of playing and competing.

• third round pick Malachi Fields He is a big-bodied pass catcher at 6-4, 223 pounds, who general manager Joe Schoen said could be their “power forward” in the wide receiver room. Fields said he is proud of his interceptions and that it is one of his strengths.

This is a draft haul that smacks of the Harbaugh influence. And that doesn’t even account for the three sixth-round selections, who followed the same trend – a massive nose tackle. bobby jamison-travisAnother physical offensive lineman jesse davis And jack kellyWhich is called Scouts Inc. Said to be “a thickly built linebacker”.

It was the latest move for Harbaugh in reshaping the roster this offseason with bigger and physical players.

“Definitely a priority,” he said afterward. 2026 draft. “This is important.”

Harbaugh said New York added a group of players this offseason who are veterans, literally and figuratively. Which is essential for a team that wants to run power concepts on offense and impose its will on defense. Not the other way around.

They are not finished with the additions yet.

They signed veteran DL Shelby Harris But Thursday And I plan to sign another experienced defensive lineman in the coming weeks with the idea of ​​strengthening the front. The focus has been on the 330-pound dj readerwho spent the last two seasons together detroit lionsBut Schon said that after the draft, there may be a few more visits for some unsigned veterans.

“Definitely on our radar,” he said.

It is not unusual for a new coach and regime to want people who fit their mold. And that’s what has happened for the Giants so far this offseason. They’ve brought in players that fit what Harbaugh wants to do on the field. It’s a process that will likely take another full offseason to complete.

But the process continued in this year’s draft. The Giants took what Harbaugh called hyperbolically, the first-round lead, and no one made Reese at the No. 5 pick and Mauigoa at No. 10. It was a pleasant surprise that the Giants would have taken Mauigoa with the fifth pick had Reese been off the board.

The idea is that adding Reese won’t just be an asset as a pass rusher. He will start as an inside, weakside linebacker, who should help their run defense with his rare skills and physicality.

Meanwhile, Mauigoa will slide inside to right guard where the Giants did not have a clear starter last season. He played tackle in college at Miami and would make an immediate impact as a run blocker.

The Giants later praised him for landing two of the top five players on their board. Reese was New York’s top-ranked nonquarterback in this year’s draft.

“We want players that fit the way we play, and some of these guys really fit the way we want to play,” Harbaugh said. “The fact that they’re big players, long, heavy-handed type of guys, because especially in this division, you have to play that way. Your interior offensive line has to be physical. Look at the defensive tackles in this league. Especially right down the road.”

Harbaugh is talking specifically about the defending NFC East champions philadelphia eaglesWho has 650 pound interior defensive linemen jalen carter And Jordan Davis between. Obviously he’s building a team with them in mind.

Schoen has been Harbaugh’s trusted partner throughout the process Giants hire Harbaugh In January. But discussion hasn’t stopped around the league about whether Schoen will stay. He is in the final year of his current contract.

But Harbaugh has at least been publicly complimentary.

“Joe and I are working together every day, I mean, for hours, whether it’s planning or organizing or just talking about players or watching tape over and over again on these guys,” Harbaugh said. “I feel like it’s gone pretty well.”

With Harbaugh having a greater role in personnel matters than veteran coaches of the past, he has finally developed an identity. This draft was the latest step toward arranging the pieces for Harbaugh and his newly established staff.

He said, “On the surface right now, I feel pretty good about it. I don’t think we could have done anything better.” “I think we made the most of the draft, made the most of the resources we had. I’m really happy with the way it went.

“I hope whoever else feels the same way.”