The New York Giants need a quarterback. That was always the case even when Daniel Jones was on the roster, but now that the Giants released Jones in the middle of the 2024 campaign, they need somebody to take over under center.
The Giants were reportedly heavily pursuing Matthew Stafford, but he re-signed with the Los Angeles Rams. They could look to add a different veteran, whether that be Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, or even Sam Darnold, but the ideal solution for New York would be to draft a quarterback.
The issue with that plan, though, is that the Giants hold the No. 3 overall pick in a year where there are really only two quarterbacks — Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders — worthy of being selected early in the first round. The Giants could stick at No. 3 overall and hope one of them falls in their lap, but they would not control their own destiny, and would not get to select their preferred option if only one of them falls.
With that in mind, trading for the No. 1 overall pick, currently held by the Tennessee Titans could be the best course of action for the Giants franchise. Connor Hughes of SNY revealed what it might take to get a deal done, and fortunately, it isn't much.
"The return compensation won't be egregious, a slight reward for the Giants only dropping to three following their Week 17 win over the Colts. An exchange of first-round picks and two threes is likely enough to get it done, according to one general manager (unaffiliated with the Titans and Giants). The Giants might need to part with a second- and third-round pick if Tennessee can create a bidding war," Hughes wrote.
Potential Titans asking price should make Giants trading for No. 1 overall pick a no-brainer
From his discussions with one general manager, Hughes believes all it would take for the Giants to trade up to No. 1 overall would be to swap firsts with Tennessee and fork over two third-round picks. Two thirds might feel a bit excessive to move up only two spots, but this isn't going from No. 19 to No. 17 — the Giants would be moving up to the No. 1 slot, earning the opportunity to select any player they want.
At the end of the day, this Giants franchise has been starved for elite play at the quarterback position for nearly a decade. The Giants have not had a top-10 offense since 2015. They have been a bottom-three offense in each of the last two seasons. If all it takes to get their franchise quarterback is a pair of thirds, you do the deal in a heartbeat. Heck, it won't cost this, but if the Giants had to trade two first-round picks to get their guy, they'd be justified in doing so if the pick hit. Do you think the Kansas CIiy Chiefs care about trading a future first-round pick in a package that landed them Patrick Mahomes?
If the Giants think there's a franchise quarterback in this upcoming draft, they should be doing pretty much anything they can to land that player. If all it takes is two third-round picks, that makes the decision to move up an even bigger no-brainer.