Giants land playmaker in WR Malachi Fields but at steep cost in trade-up

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In exchange, the Giants sent their fourth- and fifth-round picks this year, along with a 2027 fourth-rounder. “We wanted the player, and we got him,” coach John Harbaugh said, adding they had a second-round grade on Fields. “It’s not just about how much you value him; it’s about where can you get him,” Harbaugh said when asked if they considered going after him earlier with the second-round pick. “(General manager) Joe (Schoen) and the scouting department do a great job of analyzing all that stuff. Sometimes you’re not right, but they kind of had it pegged in terms of where he was going to go in the order. That’s probably why we got it done.” So far, all four of the Giants’ picks in the 2026 NFL Draft are at least six feet tall, bringing size and physicality to a new regime under Harbaugh. The emphasis on toughness is evident with the coaching change. Even No. 5 pick Arvell Reese associates Harbaugh’s old Ravens with a “fast and violent” style. Both Reese and No. 10 selection Francis Mauigoa bring that. Hood, who the Giants had at the top of their Day 2 board, also brings that element even with his 6-foot, 193-pound frame. The Athletic’s draft expert Dane Brugler wrote that Hood “competes with the physicality of a bigger and longer player.” But the most recent addition (which the Giants gave up a lot for and we’ll get to the ramifications shortly) adds a much-needed playmaker for quarterback Jaxson Dart as he enters his second season in the league. “You throw the ball to him, he’s going to find a way to make the play around the defender,” Harbaugh said. “Not just — he’s got reach. He can outreach whoever’s covering him. He’s got great hands. He’s a contested type of receiver. You’ve seen those guys in the league for a lot of years make a lot of plays.” It wasn’t hard to guess the Giants would add an offensive playmaker through the draft. The question was just when, after top running back Jeremiyah Love went No. 3 to the Arizona Cardinals. But the wide receivers room was in dire need of a boost. Not only did the Giants lose last season’s leading receiver Wan’Dale Robinson in free agency, but star receiver Malik Nabers won’t be a sure thing to start the season as he recovers from a torn ACL and meniscus. Free agent pick-ups Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin are on one-year deals and provide veteran depth. For now, Mooney and Darius Slayton are likely to compete for the No. 2 role while Austin takes on the slot receiver role. Fields adds a completely different piece to the Giants’ offense thanks to his 6-foot-4, 218-pound frame. “He’s certainly a different body type than we currently have,” Schoen said. “Adding that was something we had talked about doing. We weren’t going to force it unless the value was at the right spot. Obviously being 6’4-1/2″, 218 pounds, and the catch radius and athleticism that he displays was attractive. All those things were almost like build a basketball team we talk about. You got your power forward now.” Shades of Michael Pittman, but must work on expanding his route tree. After four years at Virginia, Fields transferred to Notre Dame for one final season. With the Fighting Irish, Fields tallied 36 receptions for 630 yards and five touchdowns. He had an impressive showing at the Senior Bowl that stuck out to Giants scouts, even as Harbaugh and Schoen missed the annual event while sorting out the coaching staff. Schoen said Fields was the “best receiver down there” from the reports they got back. But for all the prospective benefits, the Giants gave up a lot. Especially considering dipping into the 2027 draft class, which is projected to be stronger than this year’s. Next year, the Giants have just five picks now: Round 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 after trading their seventh-rounder in the Darren Waller pick swap. A fourth-round comp pick is still in play. “I know the comp formula, we’ll see if we’re able to still get one there,” Schoen said. “There’s a chance we can maybe get a comp formula, a pick for Wan’Dale (Robinson). You may get one-for-one there. As we’ve seen throughout the draft, we’ve had opportunities to move back four, five, sixes. If you want to be intentional about it, you can certainly do that earlier in the Draft, move back a couple spots. Just excited to get the player we were able to get.” And it leaves Harbaugh and the Giants with just three remaining sixth-round selections this weekend: No.186, No. 192 and No. 193. While the Giants addressed wide receiver, a big missing piece remains in boosting the defensive tackle spot. That figures to be addressed not only in the sixth round, but also with remaining available free agents and undrafted free agency. “There was a player up there we coveted, and we felt really good if we’re able to get him, get him in the building,” Schoen said. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms