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The Giants want to trade back and select Caleb Downs, but they may not be able to

The New York Giants have done good work so far this offseason, but they aren’t out of the woods yet. In their quest to reemerge as a playoff contender, the Giants know that they are going to need to nail their upcoming picks in the 2026 NFL Draft if they want to speed up their process.

Armed with the No. 5 overall selection, New York has a big decision to make. It could stand pat at this pick, or trade back, acquire some draft capital, and still land a top-tier player. According to a new rumor, it sounds like the Giants have set their sights on Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs, but finding a way to bring him to town could be easier said than done.

Giants Want to Trade Back for Caleb Downs

During his time in college with Ohio State and the Alabama Crimson Tide, Downs has turned himself into a generational safety prospect. While players at his position typically don’t receive consideration as a top 10 pick, evaluators are so high on Downs that they believe he will break the mold and come off the board very early in the draft.

In 2025, Downs turned in another All-American campaign, as he finished the year with 68 tackles, one sack, two interceptions, two pass breakups, and two forced fumbles. Downs was so good for the Buckeyes that he even earned consideration for the Heisman Trophy, as he finished ninth in the voting for the prestigious award.

Based on pure talent alone, Downs is probably one of the five best players in his draft class. The problem is that it’s tough to justify using a top-five pick on a safety. That’s the conundrum that the Giants are facing, as they want Downs, but don’t know if using the No. 5 pick on him is their best path forward. With that in mind, Jordan Raanan of ESPN revealed that if all went according to plan, New York would trade back in the first round and select Downs a few picks later.

“In an ideal world, the Giants would like to move back a few spots, add more picks (they have just two in the top 100) and draft a player like Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. But that’s easier said than done,” Raanan wrote.

Why Giants May Not Be Able to Trade Back for Caleb Downs

GettyAnalysts expect Ohio State safety Caleb Downs to be a top 10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

It’s not too hard to see why this would be an ideal path forward for the Giants. Not only would they be able to land Downs, but they would also pick up additional draft capital, which they need heading into the draft. The problem is that there aren’t many teams looking to move up the board, which could force the front office to stand pat and draft the best player available.

Adding a guy like Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back or one of Downs’ Ohio State teammates, linebacker Sonny Styles, certainly wouldn’t be a bad outcome, but it leaves New York in a tough position with its lack of draft picks. Trading back for Downs would fix two problems for the Giants with just one move, but it remains to be seen if they are going to be able to find a willing partner to make this sort of deal with.