After six weeks, the Giants’ 2026 draft class has delivered a little bit of everything, but not all of it has been good. Arvell Reese looks like a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate.
Francis Mauigoa is already hearing comparisons to Evan Neal, though the source calls them unwarranted. Beyond that, the rest of the class has largely been quiet.
One name is starting to stand out from the pack, though, and it’s not the one most people would have circled in April. Sixth-round offensive tackle J.C. Davis has gone from project pick to dependable backup in a hurry, and he may already be looking like the biggest steal in the group.
That matters because Joe Schoen hasn’t exactly built a reputation for getting much out of his later-round picks. When the Giants do hang onto Day 3 selections, those players often don’t last long.
None of the four Day 3 picks from the 2023 NFL Draft are still on the roster three years later. Davis, by contrast, has given the Giants real value almost immediately.
The former Illinois tackle was drafted with the idea that he could grow into a backup behind Andrew Thomas over the course of his rookie deal. Instead, he’s already filling that role with no learning curve attached.
His best showing came in Week 6 against the New Orleans Saints, when Thomas left to be evaluated for a concussion. Davis stepped in at left tackle and handled the job cleanly.
In 25 snaps, he didn’t allow a single pressure and held up against Chase Young and a Saints pass rush that had its moments. The rookie’s work helped the Giants keep pushing in a fourth-quarter comeback, and his pass-blocking grade is already the second-best on the offensive line, even if the sample is still tiny.
The Saints game wasn’t some isolated hot streak, either. Davis was sharp throughout the preseason, giving up just one pressure on 89 pass-blocking snaps. He came into training camp with no guarantee of making the active roster, but his play made it impossible for John Harbaugh to cut him.
There’s still a fair question hanging over all of this: how will Davis look when the pass rush gets truly nasty? If he ends up on the field against the Houston Texans in Week 7, Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter could make life miserable. But for a sixth-round pick who was expected to be a long-term project, Davis has already been better than anyone had reason to expect.
Right now, he looks like one of Schoen’s better late-round finds in recent years, and a player who could settle in as a dependable Giants backup for a long time.
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