John Harbaugh Appears To Reveal Exactly Who The NY Giants Will Draft With The 5th Overall Pick
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh dropped a strong indicator of what his team will do with the No. 5 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Less than two weeks after the Baltimore Ravens unexpectedly fired John Harbaugh, he was hired as the next head coach of the New York Giants. Harbaugh replaced interim HC Mike Kafka, who took over as the coach mid-season after Brian Daboll’s firing.
Harbaugh inherits a Giants team with a promising young quarterback in Jaxson Dart and a rising superstar wide receiver in Malik Nabers. His Giants get the opportunity to add another cornerstone player with the No. 5 pick in the draft, too.
John Harbaugh has talked about the importance and evolution of the safety position.
John Harbaugh on the evolution of safeties: “You need a more athletic kind of guy. You need a guy that can run, but at the same time can get in there and tackle. Those guys are becoming as valuable as and more valuable than the so-called Glamour Positions. #NYGiants #NFLDraft
— WBG84 (@WBG84) January 25, 2026
Thus, fans wonder if Harbaugh and the Giants will select Ohio State safety Caleb Downs with the No. 5 pick.
𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚: John Harbaugh talking about the importance and evolution of the safety position could suggest the Giants’ interest in potentially drafting Caleb Downs.
“You need a more athletic kind of guy. You need a guy that can run, but at the same time can get in there and… pic.twitter.com/D0mO1ykUpD
— JPA (@jasrifootball) January 25, 2026
The Giants were a middle-of-the-pack team against the pass, so they could definitely use a do-it-all safety like Downs.
Then again, even if the Giants want Downs? They have to hope he’s available when it’s their turn to pick.
John Harbaugh Has Coached Many Great Safeties In His Career
Few NFL coaches have worked with as many great safeties as Harbaugh. He got to work with Ed Reed, arguably the best safety in NFL history, for five seasons in Baltimore. Another future Hall of Famer, Eric Weddle, spent three years with the Ravens.
Marcus Williams, Earl Thomas (albeit for only one year) and current All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton are some of the other big names that Harbaugh worked with during his Ravens tenure.
The Giants have many options with the No. 5 pick. One thing we do know is that the quarterback position will not be on the table with Dart asserting himself as the QB1.
