Giants news, 3/4: Mock drafts shift, and Abdul Carter changes numbers

From Big Blue View

Other Giant observations

John Harbaugh’s roster build should create turnover in middle of Giants’ field | New York Daily News

The Giants this offseason will be a lot like a bodybuilder strengthening their core, their body’s center and foundation, to support and tie together the rest. A lot of information out of Indianapolis falls into this roster philosophy.
Harbaugh stressed the need to stop the run on defense several times in Indianapolis. His Baltimore Ravens always invested big-time assets in inside linebackers, most recently acquiring Roquan Smith from the Chicago Bears in Oct. 2022 for a second-round pick, fifth-round pick and a player. And The Athletic is reporting that the Giants are expected to cut Bobby Okereke to save $9 million against the cap. So Sonny Styles’ increasing ties to the team with the No. 5 overall pick isn’t just about the Ohio State product’s impressive NFL Combine. It’s about Harbaugh’s roster philosophy and emphasis potentially matching with a dynamic player at that position.
New number for Abdul Carter
New # coming soon🙂‍↔️ It’s been a time 51 https://t.co/6BqKjyBaze
— Abdul Carter (@1NCRDB1) March 3, 2026

Joe Schoen is still the Giants’ GM. Some around the NFL wonder for how long | The Athletic

There would be little reason to fire Schoen after the draft unless there’s a breakdown in the relationship with Harbaugh. Schoen will have a prominent role in the two biggest roster-building tasks of the offseason: free agency and the draft. There’s nothing major for a GM to impact after the draft, so it makes sense to wait until after the season to fully evaluate the partnership.
There’s skepticism around the league that Schoen will last, but the Giants seem determined to make it work. For now, Schoen’s future shifts to the background as the heavy lifting of the offseason commences.

Mike Francesa warns Joe Schoen after Giants power shift: You’re ‘lucky to have a job’ | NJ.com

On the latest episode of “The Mike Francesa Podcast,” Francesa delivered a scorching assessment of Schoen’s recent public comments about his role within the organization.

“If there’s ever a guy trying too hard, who’s going to be… hung on his own words, if he doesn’t watch it, it’s Schoen,” Francesa said. “I mean, listen, he’s still there. He survived. He amazingly survived. Okay, maybe you can salvage that career. Maybe you can…but you know what? You can’t compare to what John Harbaugh has done. You can’t win that fight. And to talk about ‘I’m the leader of the football operation?’ No, you’re not. This is John Harbaugh’s football operation. This is John Harbaugh’s team. It is his franchise. He now runs it except for ownership. He only answers to ownership.”

2026 NFL Draft: Best-case scenario for all NFC teams | PFF

Goal: Protect Jaxson Dart. Ideal first pick: T Francis Mauigoa, Miami (FL). The Giants have struggled to build the offensive line in recent years. Outside of left tackle Andrew Thomas, the group has been a rotating turnstile of players. Arguably the best tackle in the class, Mauigoa would immediately slot in at right tackle and provide the protection the Giants need. His 87.0 PFF pass-block grade was one of the best in the FBS in 2025, while his 85.8 true pass set pass-block grade indicates he’s able to hold up one-on-one as well.

2026 NFL Mock Draft Post-Combine Predictions from B/R NFL Draft Scouting Dept. | Bleacher Report

5. New York Giants: OT Francis Mauigoa, Miami. “Mauigoa is a similar body-type to last year’s starting right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, who is also a free agent,” B/R scout Brandon Thorn said. “Mauigoa’s addition provides the team with a familiar-looking, younger and sturdier version. With Thomas on the other side and a new regime in place, the team enters a new era with their tackle position set.”

37. New York Giants: LB CJ Allen, Georgia

2026 NFL Mock Draft Top 10 3.0: Who will Jets and Giants select? | SNY.tv

No. 5: Giants- LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State. Pick from Mock 2.0: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State. The worst kept secret at the Combine was how much the Giants love Styles. The only question is whether John Harbaugh signs off on selecting him fifth overall. Styles would add high-end talent at the second level of New York’s defense, complementing Carter, Dexter Lawrence, and Brian Burns up front.

2026 NFL Mock Draft: Edge Rushers Dominate Top 5 | FOX Sports

5. New York Giants (4-13): Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State. Vacchiano: This pick could set up as the first big showdown between new coach John Harbaugh and general manager Joe Schoen. Safety has seemingly been a low priority on Schoen’s “positional value” preference chart. But Harbaugh will see in Downs what he had in Kyle Hamilton in Baltimore — a potential all-pro Swiss Army knife who can have an impact all over the back end of the defense. And given the potentially untapped pass rush Harbaugh has inherited, Downs’ impact in the secondary could be huge.
Teams not worried about Caleb Downs knee
We reached out to multiple NFL teams about Caleb Downs this morning..

They told us that there is NOTHING in the medical that would deter them from brining him in #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/4TSopny8aU
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 3, 2026

Justin Pugh named Commissioner of Italian Football League | Giants.com

In his new role, Pugh will look to help grow the game of football in Italy.

“Our objective is to position the IFL as a structured, credible and forward looking institution, capable of connecting Italian Football to the broader international ecosystem of the game,” Pugh wrote. “Italy has the talent, the market and the symbolic power to play a meaningful role in the global development of American Football.”