With the NFL Scouting Combine underway in Indianapolis this week, teams at the bottom of the 2024 standings and, subsequently, the top of the NFL draft order will be the focus of lots of scrutiny. Top prospects will be evaluated and pundits will predict where they'll wind up in April.
The New York Giants are among the franchises that will be discussed the most, especially because they are in need of a franchise quarterback (and, really, a sense of direction as GM Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll fight for their jobs). 2024 first-round pick Malik Nabers proved to be the most dangerous weapon in New York's arsenal, but his ceiling remains low without a certified passer under center.
With the No. 3 overall pick, Schoen will have a big decision to make on draft day. Will he hold steady and pick the best available player, even if that's not a QB? Or will he trade up to make sure he gets one of the top passing prospects available?
One NFL insider suggested the latter is more likely than people realize.
Giants could trade No. 3 pick to guarantee its choice of a first-round QB
Benjamin Allbright (a Denver Broncos insider) posted a cryptic message on X Thursday, hinting that the Giants could make a deal with the Tennessee Titans for the No. 1 overall pick.
Would not be surprised to see a trade in the top 5 of this draft to get to #1
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) February 27, 2025
A large trade. A Giant one. Titanic if you will.
While Allbright's message should be taken with a grain of salt as it's not official reporting, he is a trusted reporter who's on the ground in Indy, and it bears mentioning that isn't not too far off base with a strategy that's been tossed around for several teams already this offseason.
Miami's Cam Ward and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders are considered the best available QBs in the first round, but it's unclear if both will be selected No. 1 and No. 2 by whichever teams wind up there. The rumors of teams like New York trading up to grab one of them first overall are likely fueled by the fear that a different team like the Las Vegas Raiders (pick No. 6) or the New York Jets (No. 7) could take the initiative to jump the Giants and Cleveland Browns (No. 2).
That being said, the value of players like Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter and Colorado DB/WR Travis Hunter will dictate what Tennessee and Cleveland do with their own picks ahead of those potentially desperate enough to trade up. Plus, the steep price Tennessee is likely to drive for their pick could deter teams from moving at all. But you know what they say about desperate teams, and few teams are more desperate than New York.