Which top-flight draft prospect have Giants been advised to avoid? originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New York Giants have the ability to be one of the most exciting teams in the upcoming NFL draft. With John Harbaugh as the team's new coach, the idea of who the team will put with Jaxson Dart, Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo should excite those who are diehard fans of Big Blue.
One of the most tantalizing prospects in the entire class is Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. With the ability to be one of the best running back prospects the league has seen in years, the Giants have a chance to land the kind of player who had the hype that Saquon Barkley had when they drafted him at No. 2 overall in 2018.
While running back may not be the Giants' biggest need, Love is the kind of player you just can't pass on. I have been on the record for some time as stating exactly that. However, Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report suggests that the team should do the exact opposite when it comes to Love. Here was his take:
"There are a lot of reasons to be excited about the New York Giants offense moving into 2026. With John Harbaugh taking over in Jaxson Dart's sophomore season, the Giants seem to be headed in a good direction.
There's certainly a faction that would say the offense's development could be accelerated by taking Jeremiyah Love with the fifth pick. The Notre Dame product is the No. 2 player on our big board who could make Dart's life easier.
The reality is that the Giants running game was already a strength last season. They were fifth in EPA per rush and ran for nearly 2,200 yards as a team. Love would concentrate that production and make it more dangerous, but the Giants have bigger needs.
For instance, the defense was dead last in EPA allowed per rush and the pass coverage wasn't anything to write home about. A defensive playmaker or a receiver to replace Wan'Dale Robinson are more valuable selections for Harbaugh and Co."
On Saturday night, the Giants agreed to trade defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for the No. 10 overall pick in the draft. Now the Giants select twice between No. 5 and No. 10.
With that kind of firepower, the Giants now have major flexibility with their picks. They have a chance to land two premium players and even if they have two positional needs that they consider major, they don't need to try and fill those with these two picks.
HC Harbaugh, Giants are "especially high" on Jeremiyah Love, per @JordanRaanan:"If he's available, it's hard to see them passing up that opportunity." pic.twitter.com/a2EP3DdtqF
Instead, the Giants should look to land the best player on the board with at least one of these picks and unless the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals or Tennessee Titans select Love between picks two and four, he absolutely needs to be the Giants' selection at No. 5.
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The Giants could still have a chance to add one of the best wide receivers, offensive linemen, or defensive linemen at No. 10. That draft class would be a home run, almost regardless of how rounds two through seven went.
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