The Giants are one of two teams (the other being the Jets) that currently have two top-ten picks in the April draft. However, the team may change this situation in the near future.
New York is “open for trading” with either the fifth or seventh overall pick, according to SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano. He adds that the package they will be looking to replace will include the first round of 2023. The list of potential trading partners could, of course, include teams wishing to select a quarterback.
Even though this year’s class is generally considered unimpressive, there is a chance Kenny Pickett and/or Malik Willis generated enough interest to ensure that interested teams (such as the Panthers and Falcons, who must pick sixth and eighth respectively) edged out the Giants to select them. This could see New York move into the middle of a mutually beneficial trading round.
As Vacchiano points out, finance can play a role in the giants’ decisions on this front. Having only one top-ten pick would save the team millions in terms of the overall cost of a draft year. To that end, the Giants “may want” to withdraw the traded pick entirely from the 2022 first round.
Another important factor is the status of the current starting QB. Daniel Jones. The Giants are not expected to exercise his fifth-year option, meaning New York may need a new franchise signalman next offseason. An extra top-round pick in this draft, which is predicted to have a stronger QB class, could make the process of replacing him more feasible.
While much remains to be determined in the realm of free agents, what the Giants plan to do in the draft will undoubtedly remain a storyline worthy of attention in the coming weeks.