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Did John Harbaugh drop a hint about the Giants’ potential pick at No. 5 in the upcoming draft?
Well, not exactly.
Yet, he may have offered a subtle nod in that direction.
Harbaugh’s enthusiastic praise for Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and his clear admiration for the impact a standout player in that position can have is intriguing. While it’s not a definitive prediction, it’s certainly food for thought.
Above all, Harbaugh’s readiness to discuss draft prospects freely, even with the draft still over two months away, underscores his status as a seasoned coaching figure. He has the confidence to speak openly, unburdened by the need to be overly cautious with his words.
Yet, Harbaugh, 63, has not done it all in his nearly three decades in the NFL.
What he is about to embark on in his first draft with the Giants will be a slight departure from his previous 28 years in the league.
“This will be the highest pick for me ever as a head coach,’’ Harbaugh said recently on the “Mike Francesa Podcast.” “I think the only pick this high as an assistant coach was Donovan McNabb with Andy [Reid] in Andy’s first year. So this is pretty exciting to have a pick this high.’’
Harbaugh’s memory is on the money.
As an assistant and special teams coordinator on Reid’s Eagles staff for 10 years (1998-2007), the highest draft pick Harbaugh was associated with was McNabb, the Syracuse quarterback, taken No. 2 overall in 1999. The next-highest pick for the Eagles in Harbaugh’s time in Philadelphia was defensive tackle Corey Simon at No. 6 in 2000.
In his 18 years with the Ravens, Harbaugh made the playoffs 12 times and was part of just three losing seasons, the worst being 5-11 in 2015. That gave the Ravens the No. 6 pick in 2016, and they used it on offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley.
That was an extreme outlier for Harbaugh. The Ravens were so frequently an upper-division team that they picked no higher than No. 14 in any other draft in Harbaugh’s tenure.
That pick, in 2022, was used on Kyle Hamilton, a safety from Notre Dame, and what a pick that turned out to be. Hamilton is a three-time Pro Bowler and a two-time first-team All Pro.
So, there is a track record with Harbaugh taking a safety in the first round of a draft.
There is also a track record of Harbaugh having first-hand knowledge of what a difference-maker on the back end can do for a defense.
With the Eagles, Harbaugh was the defensive backs coach in 2007, toward the end of Brian Dawkins’ brilliant run in Philly — he was nine-time Pro Bowler and a four-time first-team All-Pro.
When Harbaugh took over in Baltimore, Ed Reed was well into his brilliant career — nine Pro Bowls and five first-team All-Pro selections.
If Downs is projected to be able to replicate what Dawkins, Reed or Hamilton produced, the Giants and Harbaugh would probably be ready to decide on him right here and now.
“Big fan, big fan,’’ Harbaugh said of Downs. “We favor Hall of Fame safeties, so if we have a chance to draft a potential future Hall of Fame safety in Caleb Downs, that would be just fine with me.
“We’ll take the best player. When you draft that high, you take the best player. It’s not a need pick, it’s the best-player pick because you’re going for the guy that’s going to be that kind of player. You’re talking about a guy that you would like to see someday wearing a gold jacket, if possible. That’s what the goal is with that pick.’’
It does not hurt the case for Downs that safety is a need for the Giants.
They have Jevon Holland, who was signed to a three-year, $45.3 million contract and did not make a big impact in his 14 starts in 2025. Tyler Nubin, the 2024 second-round pick, is coming off a lukewarm second season, and Dane Belton is a soon-to-be free agent.
It remains to be seen who the Giants decide is the best player available to them at No. 5. General manager Joe Schoen, personnel executives and the scouting department are engaged in draft meetings, which will conclude when the team’s draft board gets finalized.
The Giants are not in the quarterback market this year, so scratch Fernando Mendoza off the list.
They are probably not in the market for another edge rusher, meaning Rueben Bain Jr. does not figure to be a priority for them.
They definitely need a wide receiver — putting Jordyn Tyson, Makai Lemon and Carnell Tate in play — and they certainly have a place for linebacker Avrell Reese in their defense.
If Jermaine Eluemunor is not re-signed in free agency, offensive tackle Spencer Fano makes sense. Downs will be in the top five in many projected first rounds.
“That guy would be just fine with me,’’ Harbaugh said. “I’d take him in a second.’’