Giants Aren't Done Exploring Making Trades

Fresh off flipping Daniel Faalele for a sixth-round pick, Harbaugh hints New York could look to swing more moves before the roster is set.

Aug 22, 2026; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh reacts from the sideline against the Miami Dolphins during the second half at Hard Rock Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A week after trading offensive lineman Daniel Faalele to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a sixth-round pick, the New York Giants might not be done yet trying to make deals.

“Yeah, I mean, if we could, we'd do it as much as we possibly could,” head coach John Harbaugh said on Monday. “We'd like to take advantage of the opportunities, if they'll come up, as much as we can.”

The Faalele deal came as a surprise to many, largely because he was trending toward not making the roster to begin with, plus the Giants were able to get a concrete sixth-round pick with zero conditions attached.

The additional pick gives the Giants six in next year’s draft, with the team, again, looking to add more picks wherever they can.

“We do have some guys,” Harbaugh said of the possibility without going into specifics. “We're kind of deep in a few positions, and maybe that'll happen. It doesn't happen that often, but maybe it will.”

That the Giants are in a position to make a deal speaks to the job Harbaugh and general manager Joe Schoen did in assembling the training camp roster.

“You know, it's not too often you can trade a player for a sixth-round pick in the middle of training camp,” Harbaugh said. “But sometimes teams have needs.

“Any time you can add picks, it's a valuable thing. It's a future thing. Doesn't seem like much now, but it'll matter on Day 3 of the draft. It'll be something that we'll be happy we've got.”

Among the leading possibilities for a trade are kicker Ben Sauls, one of receiver Darius Slayton or Darnell Mooney, and perhaps an offensive lineman like center/guard Jake Kubas and inside linebacker Darius Muasau.

But for a trade to happen, the Giants will obviously need to find a team that isn’t willing to be patient and wait out the waiver-wire game.

As for the Giants, if they can swing another deal or two and land a compensatory pick, Big Blue could put itself in position to have a full hand of seven picks—and then some. 

They're also in position to acquire a fourth-round pick if former offensive lineman Austin Schlottmann, now with the Tennessee Titans, wins and holds the starting center job there. 

“The draft is a little bit of a numbers game,” Harbaugh said. “The more swings you can take, the more chances you have to hit on guys. So, having more picks over time, I hope that's something that we're able to accumulate and have a lot of picks year to year.”

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