New York Giants Draft: Making the Case to Trade Down
New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman has never traded down in the first round of any draft.
Whether that's because he believes so strongly in his board that wherever he picks a good player is coming, or he's never gotten a good enough offer, is unknown. But there is always a first time for everything, and in this installment of "Making the Case," we'll look at why Gettleman might break with what's become a tradition.
The last thing the Giants want to do in any round of the draft is reach for a player--they've done that as an organization at least twice in the first round over the last six years, starting with Ereck Flowers at No. 9 in 2015 and cornerback Eli Apple at No. 10 on 2016, and both times proved disastrous.
For the Giants, there aren't many impact players projected to be there when they go on the clock at No. 11, as depending on which mock drafts you believe, Florida tight end Kyle Pitts, Penn State edge Micah Parsons, Oregon tackle Penei Sewell, LSU receiver Ja'Marr Chase, and Alabama receiver Jaylen Waddle could all be with new teams by the time the Giants go on the clock.
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The question then becomes if Rashawn Slater is on the board, do the Giants snap him up at No. 11 or look to drop a few spots where he should still be sitting there? If the Giants view Slater as strictly a guard, drafting him at No. 11 might be too much of a reach to where maybe it becomes worthwhile to drop a few spots and pick up an extra pick.
And if the Giants lose out on Slater, there should be options on Day 2 for them to explore if offensive lineman is high atop their wish list.
The benefits of trading down are that it not only results in additional picks (great for a team with only six picks in this year's class), it also prevents the temptation to reach on a prospect that has a first-round grade but maybe isn't a top-15 pick.
I also put this question of whether the Giants should stand pat or trade down to former NFL head coach Jim Mora in the video below. My personal feeling is that the Giants won't trade down this year, but there's a first time for everything.
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