The New York Giants have been linked to an endless amount of rumors and speculation regarding their desire to land a quarterback in this year’s NFL Draft. However, taking one with the No. 6 pick will not be easy.
The Giants will likely need to trade up if they want to land one of this year’s top quarterback prospects. But trading up is easier said than done. According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, teams who have attempted to trade into the top-three picks have been “met with polite no’s.”
That will cause quarterback-needy teams to pivot to pick No. 4, which is currently held by the Arizona Cardinals. However, Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort told reporters on Wednesday that they are open for business and the No. 4 selection is available for trade. This could give the Giants an opportunity to move up for their quarterback.
The Cardinals are open to trading the No. 4 pick
The Cardinals’ general manager declared that his team is open for business during a press conference on Wednesday. When asked whether or not he would consider trading down in the first round of this year’s draft, Ossenfort made it clear that such a move is firmly on the table:
“There will be a big neon sign that says ‘open.’ I don’t like it blinking, it messes with my eyes, but we’re always going to be listening,” Ossenfort told reporters.
This comes amidst speculation that the Minnesota Vikings are attempting to trade up with the Cardinals. The Vikings made a trade last week to land themselves the No. 11 and No. 23 overall picks in this year’s draft. This move was viewed as the first step toward moving up further and getting inside the top five to draft a quarterback.
Could the Giants prevent the Vikings from trading into pick No. 4?
There is a chance that, although the Vikings may have more draft capital to offer, the Cardinals may find the Giants’ trade package more attractive. After all, trading down from pick No. 4 to No. 11 will result in a steep drop off in the quality of prospects available for the Cardinals.
However, trading down to six would still allow the Cardinals to still land one of the top 10 prospects in this class. Namely, they will still be able to draft one of the top three wide receiver prospects (LSU’s Malik Nabers, OSU’s Marvin Harrison Jr., or Washington’s Rome Odunze). Trading down to 11 would take away that possibility.
This might encourage the Cardinals to snub the Vikings and make a deal with the Giants instead. As a result, the Giants would send pick No. 6 and a combination of picks from the later rounds and future draft capital to move up for their quarterback.
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Who could the Giants draft with the No. 4 pick?
If the Giants were to trade up to the No. 4 overall pick for a quarterback, they would be taking the fourth quarterback off the board, who would likely wind up being Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy.
McCarthy is a polarizing prospect. Some view him as a bonafide top-10 prospect, while others believe he should be a day-two selection. But McCarthy has tools and the Giants have a need at quarterback. The reality of Daniel Jones’ situation is that his injury history makes it difficult for the franchise to depend on him long-term.
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As a result, they will likely add a young quarterback in this year’s draft who will hopefully develop into the starting quarterback long-term. Whether that be a first-round pick, like McCarthy, or a middle-round prospect, like South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler.
There is an outside chance that UNC’s Drake Maye or LSU’s Jayden Daniels fall to pick No. 4, but that is highly unlikely. If the Giants do make the expensive move up two spots to pick fourth, they would likely end up taking McCarthy.