Giants ‘Holding Out Hope' for Special Draft Scenario

The New York Giants positioned themselves to have an exciting Thursday night when they traded defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for the No. 10 pick.

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The Giants now hold the No. 5 and No. 10 picks, giving new head coach John Harbaugh a chance to bring in two quality rookies in his first year with the organization.

There has been chatter that New York likes what they see from Ohio State defenders Sonny Styles and Caleb Downs. However, there appears to be another scenario the Giants are hoping for with the No. 5 pick.

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Jordan Raanan of ESPN suggested the Giants would have a hard time passing up Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love if he were on the board at No. 5. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN is reporting that some in New York are hoping Love will fall to them.

“There are people in the Giants building holding out hope for this scenario,” Fowler posted on X. “Would be hard to pass him up there.”

Love is the undisputed best running back coming into the draft. He rushed for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns in his final season at Notre Dame.

The Giants have been looking for a long-term solution at running back ever since they let Saquon Barkley walk to free agency in 2024.

2025 fourth-round pick Cam Skattebo looked the part early last season, but he suffered a dislocated ankle in October that ended his season prematurely. His style of play could be problematic on the injury front.

Love would give the Giants dynamic weapons all over the field for second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart. With Malik Nabers at wide receiver, Love’s running ability would open the passing lanes for Dart to hit his targets.

New York needs help on defense, and that could be addressed five picks later at No. 10.

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This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 1:48 PM.