5. New York Giants - Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami (FL)
The New York Giants are a mess, but they may have started to clean up some of their mess this past offseason when they used a first-round pick on Jaxson Dart in the 2025 NFL Draft. Dart is not going to play immediately, as Russell Wilson is likely starting for them, but if nothing else, at least the Giants took a swing on a QB.
Heading into the 2025 NFL Season, Dart may end up red-shirting in his rookie season like other franchise QBs in the NFL have done. The Giants might hand the keys over to him in 2026, so fielding a top offensive line would be very important. That's a huge driving force in why we mocked Francis Mauigoa from Miami at pick five in this mock draft.
The Giants always seem to need another starting-caliber offensive lineman, and that might just be the case next April.
The New York Giants bolster their OL in this NFL mock draft.
6. Carolina Panthers - Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
I could actually see the Carolina Panthers resetting at QB if they end up with the sixth overall pick, but Caleb Downs might be too good of a prospect for them to pass up. Furthermore, if the Panthers can't get a year three jump from Bryce Young, I could actually see this team trying to swing a veteran QB trade. I believe this because their roster is actually good on paper, so they may want to find a win-now solution.
Caleb Downs from Ohio State might be the best non-QB prospect heading into the new college football season and is already on pace to be a top-10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Panthers make the move in this mock draft to draft him.