Giants Country

Would Myles Garrett’s Trade Request Impact Giants' Draft?

It all depends on what happens in free agency.
Dec 22, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) warms up before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium.
Dec 22, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) warms up before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

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New York Giants

Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett is tired of losing and has officially made it known that he wants out of Cleveland, where he has spent his entire eight-year career.

"While I've loved calling this city my home, my desire to win and compete on the biggest stages won't allow me to be complacent. The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton; it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl," Garrett said.

The Browns’ initial response, at least initially, is that they don’t intend to trade their star pass rusher and that they aren’t at a point as a franchise where they need to tear everything down and start over.

Before going any further, let’s get the obvious out of the way.

No, the Giants, who have roster holes across the board, the biggest of which is at quarterback, shouldn’t even be thinking about picking up the phone to inquire about a trade. 

Given what the Giants spent to acquire Brian Burns from the Panthers last offseason (a second-round pick, an exchange of fifth-round picks, and a 2025 fifth-round pick), Cleveland will want more than that, potentially even a first-round pick, which the Giants have zero chance of giving up.

But what the Browns, who pick second in the draft, ultimately do with Garrett could impact the Giants.

Cleveland needs a quarterback, be it a bridge or a rookie, given Deshaun Watson’s injury setback that might sideline him for the 2025 season. If they trade Garrett, that likely increases the odds of them selecting a quarterback in the draft because moving a key cornerstone player such as the pass rusher would signal a full-scale rebuild.

If the Browns keep Garrett, they might be more likely to acquire a veteran quarterback who can hit the ground running, whether that quarterback comes via trade or in free agency, and instead add an impact player at another position.

If that plays out, the Giants would likely be assured of getting one (or maybe both) of Ward and Sanders in the draft, assuming they want one or both, assuming the Browns don’t look to trade with another quarterback-needy team eyeing Ward or Sanders.

We won’t know for several weeks if the Browns do plan to move Garrett via trade. However, with free agency starting next month, that will likely offer more clues into what they might think about the quarterback situation and its impact on the Giants.

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