Yes, they might.
No, perhaps not.
For those advocating a “trade down” strategy for the Giants at the No. 5 pick in this year’s draft, there are some serious hurdles ahead.
It seems that more teams are interested in trading down rather than up, and, you know, deals require both sides to agree.
This draft is a bit unusual in that many of the top talents don’t hold positions that are typically valued highly by NFL teams. Generally, quarterbacks, wide receivers, edge rushers, and cornerbacks demand the highest salaries, but the top of this draft doesn’t really feature those roles.
There’s really only one quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, who looks set for the first round, which could limit the number of teams wanting to leap into the higher rounds. The standout players this year are a running back (Jeremiah Love), an inside linebacker (Sonny Stiles), a safety (Caleb Downs), and probably a guard (Vega Ioane). It’s interesting because those positions usually don’t rank in the top 10, but they might this time around.
“You want to be in a spot where you’re paying a lot of money to get surplus value, but this year might be different, and that’s fine. We’ll assess every position and every player to decide what’s best for us,” commented Giants general manager Joe Schoen on Tuesday.
This is where it gets tricky. If the Giants pick a wide receiver at No. 5, which Ohio State’s Colonel Tate seems to be suggesting, that receiver could end up being paid as the 40th highest in the league according to rookie contracts. On the other hand, if they go with Love, he could become the 10th highest-paid running back. How do they decide if picking a player from a non-premium position is the right approach? Or, would a trade down potentially yield more benefits, perhaps an extra second- or third-round pick?
The Giants have seven picks, though they lack a third-round pick (traded to the Texans for Jackson Dart in a previous draft) and also don’t have a seventh. They do have three picks in the sixth round.
“I always want to accumulate more picks, but it really depends,” Schoen remarked. If they could move down three spots, find five players they like, and snag an additional pick, that would be ideal. But if there’s a significant gap in talent, say at cornerback, after that, you can’t gamble. You’ve got to make sure you don’t miss out on the right player.”
If the Giants choose to go with Stiles, it would immediately enhance their defense, just like Downs would. Love is seen as a promising running back, but selecting him at No. 5 raises some questions. New head coach John Harbaugh has expressed his desire for a run-heavy offensive strategy, and Love would be pivotal in that.
Schoen did echo the sentiment that Love shouldn’t be treated like a standard running back.
“He’s an offensive weapon for sure. He’s not just a running back; he can catch the ball, even play on third down,” Schoen noted.
However, given Shane’s evaluation of the current roster, he didn’t prioritize the running back position.
“We feel pretty good about our running back situation right now,” he remarked. [Cam Skattebo] had an impressive rookie year, and Tyrone Tracy has been outstanding over the last two seasons.”
Schoen also mentioned Devin Singletary, Dante Miller, and Eric Gray, but his main focus seemed to be on Skattebo and Tracy.
“We’ll see how things unfold on draft night; I’m content with our current lineup,” Schoen concluded.
Schoen inherited Saquon Barkley from the earlier administration but couldn’t get a long-term deal with him. He placed Barkley under the franchise tag, only to see him sign with the Eagles later.
Clearly, running back isn’t at the top of Schoen’s priorities. He argued that improving the offense hinges on enhancing the offensive line and getting a quarterback on a rookie contract. He referred to the Giants’ current situation as “in a different place.”
“Just last year, we ranked fifth in rushing, so I’d say we accomplished our mission,” he said.
What’s next for them in 2026? Will Love be their running back? Stay tuned.
