The New York Giants are currently slated to pick first overall in the 2026 NFL Draft following Week 14’s Sunday matchups. That could change, but if the order holds, the Giants will be in a prime position to land an elite talent or trade down for a haul of assets.
If they do decide to stick-and-pick, though, the top-ranked prospect in this draft class doesn’t exactly match their roster’s needs.
Could the Giants take an edge rusher in the first round again?
Miami EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. is the projected No. 1 pick in this year’s draft. He ranks first overall on PFF’s Big Board and is a consensus top-five prospect on the ESPN board as well.
The ACC 2025 Defensive Player of the Year stands in at 6-foot-3, 270 pounds, providing plenty of size and power on the edge that helps him impact the game both as a pass-rusher and as a run defender.
Bain is considered an elite edge setter with plenty of pass-rushing upside. This season, he totaled 7.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in 12 games, but also generated a ridiculous 58 pressures and 24.1% pass-rush win rate. His 58 pressures ranked sixth among all edge rushers in the NCAA this season, per PFF, and his 24.1% pass-rush win rate ranked fifth.
Additionally, Bain’s 88.8 PFF run defense grade ranked fourth at his position. His size and power on the edge are something the Giants’ defense, which ranks 31st in run defense, seriously lacks.
The Giants’ current trio of edge rushers relies heavily on using speed to get to the quarterback. This, however, compromises their ability to defend the run and set the edge. Bain’s power and strength add that missing element.
The Giants have already invested a ton of resources into their defensive line
Taking another defensive lineman in the first round might sound like overkill for a Giants team that has already invested so much into the unit.
In 2022, they selected Kayvon Thibodeaux with the fifth-overall pick in the draft. They followed that up in the 2024 offseason by trading a second-round pick to acquire Brian Burns from the Panthers. In 2025, they tripled down on their edge rusher efforts, drafting Abdul Carter with the third-overall pick in the draft. Not to mention, they also handed DT Dexter Lawrence a $90 million contract extension in 2023.
Drafting another edge rusher with a top-five pick would be unconventional, but it can’t be ruled out completely.
Bain is an exceptional prospect who could be a game wrecker off the edge. Additionally, the Giants don’t have Thibodeaux under contract long-term. His deal expires after the upcoming 2026 season.
Rather than paying him a lofty contract, the Giants could potentially upgrade at EDGE by selecting Bain (whose salary would be cheaper than Thibodeaux’s), then trading Thibodeaux away for a valuable, likely top-100 draft pick.
That would give the Giants an edge rushing trio of Burns, Carter, and Bain, all under contract through the 2028, 2029, and 2030 seasons, respectively.
Granted, the Giants have more pressing needs to address this offseason. But if they are taking the best player available with their first-round pick, Bain will have to get some serious consideration.