New York Giants are mulling idea of doing the impossible…trading down

April 21, 2021
New York Giants, Joe Judge
Oct 4, 2020; Inglewood, California, USA; New York Giants head coach Joe Judge on the sidelines during the second half against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman has never traded back in the NFL draft, and that is a sample size spelling eight NFL seasons. However, the 2021 draft offers an opportunity to not only acquire more draft capital but also pick a playmaker in a trade down scenario.

We have gone through several trade back scenarios, where the Giants find themselves in a position to snag the best pass rusher available in a weak class, but the value they can add might not be worth passing on an elite talent like Micah Parsons or even one of the top receivers on the board.

The Giants have sent plenty of front office personnel to evaluate the edge rushers this year, including Gregory Rousseau, Jaelan Phillips, Azeez Ojulari, and many more. While they could be considering one of those options in the second round, depending on if any drop, one NFL analyst believes the Giants could realistically trade back, despite not having a history of doing so.

According to NFL Analyst Ian Rapoport:

The Giants are slated to pick No. 11 in the NFL Draft, and trading back is already something they are internally considering, I’m told. That spot will have real value. … How rare would a trade down be? GM Dave Gettleman has never traded down in the 1st round in 8 drafts as a GM

Trading back could return some great value for the New York Giants:

The idea of walking away with more draft capital and plugging multiple holes sounds good in theory. However, passing up in an elite talent at 11 would be difficult to do. There’s an argument to be made the Micah Parsons might be more influential than any of the pass rushers in the first round this year. As a potential generational talent who can do many things, including rush the passer and stop the run at an elite level, the value might be too much to pass on. Ultimately, the Giants can let the draft come to them and remaining patient, waiting to see if any quarterbacks fall and teams are looking to trade up.
The 11th overall pick is actually an advantageous one this year, with multiple quarterbacks expected to go in the first 10 picks, opening up the possibility for several elite players to fall right into Big Blue’s lap.
Again, Gettleman has never moved back in a draft before, and I wouldn’t expect a change in strategy at this point in his career. However, after adding Joe Judge and more forward-thinking personnel behind the scenes, their methodologies might be in flux.
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