Giants Draft Pick Announced by Gold Star Family Honoring Fallen Hero

NFL Draft: Time For New York Teams to Shine

The 2026 NFL Draft kicked off on Thursday April 23rd, 2026.

This year the buzz around town was that the New York Giants and New York Jets were set to add some serious talent to their rosters.

After disappointing seasons, the Giants and Jets were on the search for topnotch talent to bring some wins back to MetLife Stadium.

The New York Jets had the 2nd overall pick and chose David Bailey from Texas Tech. They also had the 16th and 30th picks and went with Tight End Kenyon Sadiq from Oregon and Wide Receiver Omar Cooper Junior from Indiana.

Big Blue had the 5th overall pick and went with Arvell Reese from THE Ohio State. The Giants had the 10th pick as well and went with offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa from Miami.

A special moment transpired as the New York Giants were on the clock during their 5th overall pick.

Monroe, New York Gold Star Family Announces Giants Draft Pick

As the 5th overall pick for the NFL Draft began, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was joined on stage by the Voelke family.

Traci Voelke and her 2 sons, Andrew and Benjamin, are a Gold Star Family. For those who may not know, a Gold Star Family is the immediate family of a U.S. military service member who died while serving.

Sadly, Army Major Paul C. Voelke died on June 22nd, 2012, in Mazar E. Sharif, Afghanistan. His until was deployed to Afghanistan in February 2012 for a 9-month deployment according to his obituary.

Major Voelke was a massive Giants fan, as his love for Big Blue was passed down from generation to generation.

Thanks to a program called TAPS, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, and the NFL's Salute to Service the Voelke family honored Army Major Paul C. Voelke and announce Arvell Reese

More on TAPS and Army Major Paul C. Voelke

The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs explains while Voelke was serving "in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, he sustained fatal injuries from an accident involving a mine-protected vehicle."

Paul Voelke was a native of Monroe, New York and attended the United State Military Academy at West Point and graduated in 1998.

After his death, Voelke received the Bronze Star Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters and the Meritorious Service Medal.

TAPS provides "compassionate care and survivor support services for the families of America’s fallen military heroes." Both Andrew and Benjamin went to TAPS Good Grief Camps "where they connected with other children of fallen service members and Veterans."

Learn more about TAPS at TAPS.org.