By most accounts, the New York Giants aced the offseason. The hiring of John Harbaugh signaled a new direction for the franchise, and two first-round picks highlighted an NFL Draft in which the team bolstered its young core on both sides of the ball.
Praise for the Giants' haul of incoming talent is not universal, though. Raul Allegre, a two-time Super Bowl champion kicker under coach Bill Parcells, did not offer the most glowing review of the team's draft picks. While he approved of the Jaxson Dart pick in 2025, Allegre pointed out a couple of potential pitfalls with the two first-rounders who landed in New York this spring.
Allegre said in an interview with Bolavip US that the Giants missed an opportunity to take a more impactful defensive player than linebacker Arvell Reese with the No. 5 overall pick. He also questioned the health of offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa, who went at No. 10.
Both Reese and Mauigoa are projected starters at positions of need, which helped earn the Giants glowing reviews for their draft. The two top-10 picks also added more high-upside young talent to a core that already includes Dart, Cam Skattebo, Malik Nabers and Abdul Carter.
Allegre, however, came away less convinced. He questioned the value of the Reese pick and the back issue that limited Mauigoa during the pre-draft process. Below are his thoughts on both selections.
LB Arvell Reese (No. 5 pick)
Reese joined the Giants by way of Ohio State, where he won a national championship in 2024 and was named a consensus All-American and Big Ten Linebacker of the Year in 2025. Allegre would have preferred the Giants pick one of his former Buckeyes teammates.
"The question here is whether the team is in a better position now," Allegre said. "Obviously, the fifth pick was already theirs, and they ended up going for Arvell Reese. Personally, the player I liked the most was Caleb Downs, and I debated whether or not to take him twice. He ended up going to Dallas, which is not positive at all for Giants fans."
Downs figures to make a sizable impact for what last year was a downtrodden Cowboys defense. As a do-it-all safety, he could have factored into the Giants' rotation, too. But Reese is a versatile defender in his own right who can line up in the middle of the unit or slot in as an edge rusher on passing downs, and he has a clearer path to a starting job than Downs would have had.
Reese has as much upside as any defender in the 2026 class. The matter of personal preference between Reese and Downs makes it difficult for Allegre to watch the latter go to a division rival, but draft analysts' rave reviews of the linebacker indicate the Giants will be in good shape with the first of their two top-10 picks.
Across 22 snaps in the first two weeks of the preseason, Reese stood out with his sideline-to-sideline range and executed his role fitting run gaps, according to CBS Sports draft analyst Josh Edwards.
2026 NFL rookie grades: How Fernando Mendoza, Ty Simpson and every first-round pick performed in preseason
Josh Edwards
OT Francis Mauigoa (No. 10 pick)
The Giants acquired the 10th pick when they traded defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals. That deal factored into Allegre's analysis of the selection, as he said the Giants would have been in the mix for the NFC East title if Lawrence were still on the roster. Now, it comes down to whether New York can adequately replace the stalwart in the trenches.
The other half of the equation is Allegre's concern about Mauigoa's long-term health.
"Unfortunately, he arrives at the draft with a back issue that is said to need surgery; I don't know which type or if he can recover without it," Allegre said. "But the fact that he has been diagnosed with back problems at the age of 20 -- I mean, 20! I developed back problems at 33. To me, it seems like a tremendous risk."
The back issue in question was a herniated disc. According to ESPN, the injury surfaced when Mauigoa underwent a medical recheck two weeks before the draft. It was asymptomatic at the time, but teams reportedly feared Mauigoa would require surgery if it worsened, and some believed he would need the procedure regardless of whether the injury progressed. That surgery would likely require a three-month recovery period.
