The New York Giants currently hold the No. 6 pick in the NFL Draft, but that could soon change. General manager Joe Schoen told reporters on Thursday that he has received a “surprising” amount of calls from teams behind the Giants looking to trade up to the sixth pick.
Meanwhile, the Denver Broncos are desperately looking to trade up into the top 10 for a quarterback. According to NFL insider Tony Pauline (h/t Johnny Venerable), Broncos HC Sean Payton is ready to give up a “king’s ransom” for a top quarterback prospect that would include the team’s All-Pro cornerback in the package.
The Denver Broncos are looking to trade up
The Broncos’ current quarterback room is led by Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci. The team needs to add talent to the position in the draft. They would like to add one of the draft class’s top-four quarterback prospects but will need to give up a haul to move up in the draft order to land one since they hold the No. 12 pick in the draft.
“Any package to move up will include at least one future first-round pick as well as CB Patrick Surtain II and the 12th selection in this year’s draft,” Pauline reported.
This could pave the way for the Giants to move down with the Broncos if the quarterback that New York prefers is not available with the No. 6 pick. Such a move would bring an elite talent to Big Blue’s secondary and give them a well of draft capital to rebuild their team for the future.
Adding Pat Surtain II would transform the Giants’ defense
The G-Men already made one blockbuster trade to upgrade their defense this offseason, sending a second-round pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for pass-rusher Brian Burns. But while this defense has been largely rebuilt, there is still a glaring need at outside cornerback opposite Deonte Banks.
Trading for Surtain would immediately fill this need with one of the best cornerbacks in the entire league. Surtain is a two-time Pro Bowl selection and was a first-team All-Pro in 2022. He’s racked up 36 pass defenses and seven interceptions across just three seasons. At 24 years old, Surtain has yet to even enter his prime but is among the best defensive players in the NFL.
Having Surtain playing opposite Banks would give the Giants one of the best young cornerback duos in the NFL. New defensive coordinator Shane Bowen would be utilizing a surplus of talent on both his defensive line and in his secondary in his first season with the Giants.
The Giants could also land a haul in draft capital with this trade
In this projected trade, the Giants would move down six spots but also land a 2025 first-round pick. The future first-rounder would be invaluable in the team’s search for a new quarterback next offseason. Perhaps the Giants don’t feel well-positioned enough to land a quarterback in this year’s draft without compromising too much draft capital. Instead, they could load up on picks for next year’s draft to attempt to land the best signal-caller available in 2025.
Additionally, moving down to the No. 12 pick would still give the Giants a chance to add a talented rookie to their roster. Among the players who could still be available include Georgia TE Brock Bowers, LSU WR Brian Thomas Jr., and DT Johnny Newton, among others at positions of need.
Or, if Schoen really feels like wheeling and dealing, he could move down to the 12th pick, then trade back up a few spots to take Washington WR Rome Odunze. The Giants would walk away from this draft with an elite cornerback, an elite playmaker to bolster their offense in 2024, and draft capital to find their franchise quarterback next offseason.