B
New York Giants
Grand theft in No. 105: the Giants steal Branch and grade out a B.
by Bobbyt5 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 4 steals
· 1 reaches
Every so often the board makes a mistake, and the Giants were there to profit. Zachariah Branch, the No. 60 name on the board, should have been long gone before the 105th overall pick.
The edge rusher spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. The Iheanachor reach is the anchor dragging on the value grade. Interior defensive lineman was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job.
Good work on the whole, with edge rusher the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 5 they get a two-high chess piece. Exactly the need they had to hit.
A premium they did not need to pay, Max Iheanachor a notch or two before his time. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Zachariah Branch in the 105th overall pick should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A tidy little value on Isaiah World in the 145th pick, a step better than break-even. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Nice patience on Seth McGowan, who had no business lasting to pick No. 186. It fills a real need, too.
Steal is underselling it; Marlin Klein at pick 192 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
The board had Zane Durant higher than the Round 6 slot, and the interior defensive lineman fell to them anyway. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.