The New York Giants secured their left tackle of the future in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. With the fourth overall pick, the Giants selected offensive tackle Andrew Thomas out of Georgia. Thomas has not allowed more than two pressures in a game since 2017 and is set to make an immediate-impact with Big Blue (statistic via PFF).
Heading into day two, there are plenty of intriguing options for the Giants to decide on. The draft board is still loaded with defensive talents, such as safety Xavier McKinney and edge rushers Zack Baun and Yetur Gross-Matos. It would be no surprise to see the Giants stay put and select a defensive prospect. But there is the possibility that New York elects to trade down.
Why Trade Down?
The Giants will be picking thirty-sixth overall today (the fourth pick of the second round). They will then have to wait until pick ninety-nine to make another selection. If the Giants stay put here, they will have sixty-three players drafted between their two selections. According to reports from the New York Post, trading down from thirty-six is something the Gmen are considering.
What Could the Giants Get From Trading Down?
The purpose of trading down from thirty-sixth overall would be to acquire an additional pick somewhere in the third round. New York traded away its original third-round selection (sixty-eighth overall) to the New York Jets to acquire Leonard Williams. It would be wise for the Giants to try to recoup a third-round selection in a trade today.
There are a few teams with multiple third-round draft picks that might look to move up in the second round. Among those teams are the Jets, the Vikings, the Broncos, the Raiders, and the Ravens. Ryan Dunleavy of the NY Post put out this intriguing mock-trade scenario on Twitter:
Hey, I've got a trade idea! #Jets trade up for No. 36. #Giants trade back to No. 48 and add pick No. 68 (AKA the Leonard Williams pick) in return! If that's too rich, #Jets also have No. 79. God, we'd have fun with that one. And it makes sense for both teams, too. https://t.co/evgFDSUFrz
— Ryan Dunleavy (@rydunleavy) April 24, 2020
Dunleavy’s mock-trade is a realistic possibility. If the Giants were to trade down today, they would likely be looking to acquire picks similar to the ones Ryan suggested in the third round. Trading down would allow the Giants to land an additional prospect in the third-round, a round that often sees players develop into quality NFL starters.