No black and Big Blues here, according to New York Giants coach John Harbaugh.During the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers offered some critiques of New York's first pick, Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese, who was taken with the No. 5 overall selection. On a draft watch-along video, Nabers questioned where Reese was going to play along the Giants' defensive front, who last year drafted Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter with the No. 5 pick, as well as rostering star pass rusher Brian Burns and 2022 first-round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux.Harbaugh brushed off Nabers' criticisms, saying the two had a "great conversation" the following morning, and the coach detailed how he plans to use Reese."We don't get too worried about stuff," Harbaugh said.
"As long as the person's heart is in the right place, as long as the person really cares, the player, coach, or anybody, you really want what's best for anybody, you've got a good heart, in a good place, then say what you think, put it out there. ..."And so: Malik wants to know how we're gonna use our first-round pick? I want to show him. I want to explain it to him.
And the fact that he says it publicly? Who cares?"John Harbaugh on Malik Nabers’ draft analysis of the Giants’ picks in Round 1: Speak your mind, but let me show you pic.twitter.com/32vLKiBnQY— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) April 25, 2026The Ohio State product was considered to be one of the top options in the draft, though his ceiling as a top-tier pass rusher is murky. Not exclusively used as an edge rusher in college, Reese projects to play off-ball linebacker with the Giants, according to Harbaugh.The Giants had two first-round selections this year, and even more fortunate is that both picks fell inside the top 10.
Reese was selected at No. 5, while Miami offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa was taken with the No. 10 selection.Harbaugh added that Nabers was the first in the building to greet Reese upon his arrival in East Rutherford. For now, Nabers will have to wait and see how the rookie will acclimate and dominate at the next level."I know we've got a great vision for him," Harbaugh said. ... "Maybe that's hard for people to see, but you'll see soon enough."Giants 2026 NFL Draft picksHere's the complete list:Round 1, Pick 5: LB/Edge Arvell Reese, Ohio StateArguably the player with the most unrealized upside in this draft.
Reese split time playing off the ball and rushing the passer for the Buckeyes, hence the inevitable Micah Parsons comparisons he constantly garners. Reese, who turns 21 in August, has plenty of time to develop into a full-time pass rusher and maybe justify the comp one day. He had 6½ sacks season in a part-time role coming off the edge.
It will be interesting to see if the Giants opt for a mixed-use division of his responsibilities or allow him to focus on hunting quarterbacks. With OLB Brian Burns already in house and Abdul Carter arriving via the No. 3 pick last year, worth wondering if New York will soon ship Kayvon Thibodeaux elsewhere. — Nate DavisRound 1, Pick 10 (from Bengals): OT Francis Mauigoa, Miami (Fla.)While the mauling Mauigoa was purely a right tackle the past three seasons for the Hurricanes, he’s the kind of tone-setter any offense would want – and the Giants will probably want him to play guard initially with veterans Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eluemunor projected to be the starting tackles in New York.
Mauigoa comes in the wake of the Giants' weekend trade of Pro Bowl DT Dexter Lawrence and should help safeguard second-year QB Jaxson Dart, who was hurt too often as a rookie ... though his blocking wasn't always the devil-may-care passer's issue. And Mauigoa will most surely clear his share of running lanes with RB Cam Skattebo in tow in 2026. — Nate DavisRound 2, Pick 37: CB Colton Hood, TennesseeTheir strong draft continues with the selection of a second-team All-SEC performer. He's big enough (6-3, 193) and only surrendered one TD in three college seasons.
A physical player who will take on running backs, he's probably best deployed in man coverage. — Nate DavisRound 3, Pick 74 (from Chiefs via Browns): WR Malachi Fields, Notre DameA 4.61 40 at the scouting combine clearly hurt him. But a 6-5, 218-pound frame should serve QB Jaxson Dart well given how well Fields played in 2025 and at the Senior Bowl. His big catch radius helps explain 15 TD grabs since 2023. — Nate DavisRound 6, Pick 186: DT Bobby Jamison-Travis, AuburnRound 6, Pick 192 (from Dolphins): OL J.C. Davis, IllinoisRound 6, Pick 193 (from Cowboys): LB Jack Kelly, BYUThis article originally appeared on USA TODAY: John Harbaugh responds to Malik Nabers' Giants NFL draft questions