The 2-11 New York Giants are looking at another NFL Draft with a potential top-three pick. For months, fans have been calling for one specific player in the 2020 NFL Draft: Ohio State edge rusher, Chase Young.Â
Unfortunately for Giants fans, Chase Young is not committed to entering the 2020 NFL Draft. The Heisman finalist reportedly plans on staying at college for his senior year and not declaring for the 2020 draft. This would create a significant shift at the top of the draft and would make the Giants’ pick a little more complicated.
Chase Young would be a home run pick for the Giants. It would be a situation where elite talent meets a positional need. However, if Chase Young is not in the draft class, this would not be the end of the world for the Giants. Of course, they could stay put and draft an elite playmaking wide receiver like Jerry Jeudy, or they could solidify their offensive tackle position with a prospect like Andrew Thomas. But the Giants’ best option is to trade down.
The Need For An Expanded Draft Class
The New York Giants have a young, rebuilding roster. The veterans on the team are past their prime and due to be replaced. The first and second-year players have shown flashes of great potential, but they have also had a lot of growing pains.
But overall, whether the roster is young or not, it lacks talent. A talented roster does not earn itself a putrid 2-11 record. Grabbing one star-potential prospect at the top of the draft is an easy way to make a considerable improvement at one position. But there is an alternative way to improve multiple positions and strengthen the roster as a whole.
Trading down would allow the Giants to do just that. New York could accumulate extra draft picks and expand their draft class to a more significant number (especially after trading away a third-round pick for Leonard Williams). The NFL Draft can be somewhat of a crapshoot, but having extra picks means you have additional chances to mine a gem.
The Indianapolis Colts’ Trade Down From 2018
The Indianapolis Colts are a perfect example of a team that rebuilt their roster with a key trade-down in the draft. The Colts had the third overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft before trading down with the New York Jets. The Jets had the sixth pick and were trying to jump ahead of the Broncos to secure their franchise quarterback, Sam Darnold. The Jets did precisely that, but it came at a high price.
The Colts traded the third overall pick for the sixth overall pick, the 37th overall pick, the 49th overall pick, and a 2019 second-round pick. Indianapolis drafted two All-Pros with those picks: left guard Quenton Nelson (sixth overall) and linebacker Darius Leonard (36th overall). The trade was a success for both teams. The Jets got their franchise quarterback, and the Colts added two building-block players that will lead their team for a long time.
The Giants Have Their Franchise Quarterback
The reason the Colts were able to make this trade was that they already had their quarterback situation figured out. This was before Andrew Luck’s retirement. The Giants drafted their franchise quarterback in 2019, and the 2020 draft will be all about building a team around Jones to develop him in the future.
Trading down makes much sense for the Giants if Chase Young does not declare. They do not need a quarterback but are projected to end up with a top-three pick. Quarterback needy teams will be willing to pay a hefty price to move up to the Giants’ spot and get their signal-caller. If Chase Young is not on the board, trading down is what the Giants need to do.