A Giants-Patriots draft trade that helps address both teams’ glaring needs

The New York Giants are ready to move on from Daniel Jones. Their offseason has made that abundantly clear, from the addition of Drew Lock to the onslaught of rumors about a potential QB target in April's NFL Draft.

Situated at No. 6 overall in the first round, New York should — key word: should — be able to land one of the leftover top-four QBs. The general expectation is that Chicago, Washington, and New England will select quarterbacks 1-2-3, while the Arizona Cardinals (No. 4) and Los Angeles Chargers (No. 5) have more glaring needs elsewhere.

That said, a single trade could change that all. What if the Cardinals trade back? Or the Chargers? We know several teams currently sitting below New York, such as Minnesota (No. 11), Denver (No. 12), and Las Vegas (No. 13), are itching to move up for QB help. If the Giants want to guarantee that "their guy" is on the board, whoever that may be, it could require a trade up.

We know the Giants are linked to Michigan's J.J. McCarthy, but another source of intrigue is Jayden Daniels. There's a good chance that McCarthy tumbles outside the top 3, but Daniels is a virtual lock in the range of Washington or New England (or a team that trades up with New England). Well, the Giants could decide to get bold and stake their claim on one of the draft's top quarterbacks.

Giants, Patriots trade centered on first-round NFL Draft picks

This trade could benefit both sides. The New England Patriots "need" a quarterback, but Jacoby Brissett is a perfectly suitable starter. Nothing, aside from the perceived weakness of the 2025 draft, is holding them back from waiting another year to solve their QB crisis. A quality prospect or, better yet, a substantial free agent target could emerge by this time next year.

New England's most glaring immediate need is actually at WR, where DeMario Douglas is essentially on an island right now. The depth chart is a mess, and unless JuJu Smith-Schuster can meaningfully improve his output, we can safely presume that it will be a mess in the regular season. That is, unless the Patriots address the problem.

A few of the best WR prospects in recent memory adorn the top of the 2024 draft class. While the Pats might not land Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. at No. 6, one of LSU's Malik Nabers or Washington's Rome Odunze is virtually guaranteed to fall into the Patriots' lap. That gives them a bonafide WR1 to benefit Brissett and their future QB, whoever he may be.

New England also gets Tommy DeVito, who operated passably as the Giants' emergency QB last season. Any QB who starts games as a rookie and doesn't completely wet the bed deserves a second look. He can phase out Bailey Zappe, who was no better than Mac Jones last season.

The Patriots also land a second-round pick, potentially supplying Eliot Wolf and the front office with enough ammo to either target another QB in the second round (Bo Nix) or trade back into the first round for the consensus QB5 on draft boards, Michael Penix. There's a world in which New England addresses its WR need and still lands a quarterback to take over for Brissett down the line.

As for Giants, the hope would be that Daniels falls past Washington. Either way, though, Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy is a suitable consolation prize. The McCarthy buzz has gone a little overboard of late, and New York should be careful about sacrificing key assets for the wrong QB — especially with how poor the offensive personnel is right now.

That said, quarterback is the most important position in football. Teams don't win without quality QB play, and Daniel Jones' days are numbered in NYC. This move allows the Giants to fast-track his successor.