The New York Giants have a very difficult decision to make with the 11th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, as one of the top three wide receivers could fall to them. Of course, there is a possibility that star linebacker Micah Parson also ends up available, but nothing is guaranteed in the draft. The likelihood of one top-10 player falling to 11 is almost guaranteed, as teams try to fill specific needs, and pre-draft concerns always bubble to the surface.
However, the Giants should consider trading down in the draft to acquire more assets, which would allow them to solve more vacancies in the mid-rounds. For example, if the Giants were able to secure another second-round pick by moving back, they could solve not only the CB2 spot but add a pass rusher with upside that will fit the Giants’ 3-4 scheme.
The New York Giants might have to fight their GM to do it:
The problem, general manager Dave Gettleman has not been proactive when it comes to taking calls in the past in potential trade down scenarios. When he drafted Saquon Barkley second overall in 2018, he refused to even pick up the phone, and Barkley has missed a majority of his young career due to injury. With head coach Joe Judge in place, the expectation is that the Giants will consider all moves, which would be the logical thing to do.
Even if a premium draft pick falls to them, there could be a team looking to trade up and acquire a said player, especially if there’s a quarterback on the board like Zach Wilson. QB-needy teams are always looking to splash draft picks for ‘their’ guy. If the Giants moved back a few spots and landed more draft picks while still be in range for a dropping top-prospect, that would be ideal.
As we comb through prospects like Kyle Pitts, Rashod Bateman, Caleb Farley, and Patrick Surtain, the reality is the Giants can land a quality player in the middle of the first round, while acquiring more draft capital. They desperately need wide receiver talent, and with the draft stacked at the position, trading back could provide them with the ammo to bolster another weak spot. Realistically, the Giants have weaknesses at LB2, OLB, CB2, RT, and both guard spots depending on if they cut Kevin Zeitler.
More times than not, teams will usually go with the best player available in the first round, so adding more draft capital is only beneficial to their long-term plans of injecting youth with reasonable contracts. Cost-efficiency is going to be a major point in the NFL this upcoming season, with the cap expected to drop significantly, even as low as $175 million (down from $198M).
Teams are going to have to make difficult decisions on players, cutting veterans and trading away expensive commodities. The Giants are in a decent spot, with plenty of money in 2022. However, they can help themselves by adding youthful talent to fill positions that desperately need draft allocations.