The New York Giants have been connected to the Jaguars in a potential trade involving Yannick Ngakoue.
The rumor-mill is undoubtedly flowing with two weeks until the 2020 NFL Draft, and the New York Giants are in a position of leverage as quarterback-needy teams contemplate moving up in the draft to secure their player of choice. The Jags could be interested in moving up to the 4th overall pick to select a quarterback, considering they traded Nick Foles to the Chicago Bears this offseason.
With Gardner Minshew the Jags’ only passer, there’s a high probability they could be in the market for a first-round talent to compete with the outspoken 2019 draft pick. That’s where the connection with the Giants at No. 4 stems from. However, the Jags also need a left tackle, which represents an opportunity for GM Dave Gettleman to package Nate Solder into the deal.
Solder’s contract isn’t too bad, as the Giants soaked up most of the dead-cap over the last two seasons (about $60 million in dead cap). The next two years represent a fraction of that total ($16 million in 2020 and $6.5 million in 2021). Solder does count $19.5 million and $20.5 million against the cap over the next two seasons.
In this scenario, the Giants would gain the 9th overall pick and a star pass rusher in Yannick Ngakoue.
With the 9th overall selection, the Giants would be open to grabbing a top three tackle prospect to solidify the left tackle spot and adding another second-round pick (No. 42 swapped for No. 99 in trade) to allocate toward a position of need. Ultimately, the Giants have more holes than top draft picks, which is why this theoretical scenario is appealing.
However, the counter-argument would be — why would the Jags want Solder?
Realistically, they’re rebuilding too, and they are missing a left tackle. While Solder isn’t the best LT in the league, he’s serviceable and has proven in the past he can play at a decent level. In his first year with Big Blue, he didn’t allow a single sack in the second half the year. If you factor in the problematic situation with his child and the exhaustion stemming from that, you can come to the conclusion that Solder might have just been a father in distress.
Imagine if your child had cancer and needed treatment, your attention at work might dwindle. It’s also likely that Gettleman retains Solder and allows him to cover Daniel Jones’s blind-side. Solder staying cemented at left tackle is tricky, though, as drafting a lineman becomes less attractive. However, teams often plug-in tackles on the right side and then move them over to left — it’s not an unprecedented move in the NFL.
With reports indicating that the Giants are intrigued by Tristan Wirfs from Iowa, it’s possible they draft him and plug him in on the right side for 2020.