NY Giants Mailbag: Dexter Lawrence Trade Rumors and Final NFL Draft Strategy

Welcome to the weekly New York Giants On SI Reader Mailbag! From offseason moves to game-day strategies, nothing is off-limits. So, let's dive right into your questions!

Looking at mock drafts, with their number one pick the Giants will select either a wide receiver, linebacker, safety, or running back. Not looking at the names, which position do you think could have the most impact for them this year if they selected it in round 1?
— Kris Kauffeld (@dublk52) April 16, 2026

Kris, I've been on the defensive bandwagon since the start and I'm not backing off of that. The middle of the defense has been a huge issue the last several years, so if it comes down to one spot, I'd go off-ball linebacker and not even think twice about it.

If I can't get the off-ball linebacker, then I go safety--when was the last time the Giants had a true play-making safety in their defensive secondary? Not recently, right?

Pat, would you expect the Giants to use any acquired FRP from a Dex deal on say Peter Woods or another DT?
— Robinson L. Wittmore (@RobiWittmore) April 17, 2026

Robinson, I think regardless, the Giants have to add another defensive tackle to their roster. I don't know exactly where analysts have Peter Woods slotted--I'm guessing around picks 19-25 or possibly even second round?

Anyway, it all depends on what they were to get in return from the team acquiring Dexter, assuming there is a trade. Right now I'm not 100% there will be.

Will that change in the coming days? Perhaps, but I highly doubt the Giants have given up on working something out with Dexter, and apparently I'm not alone in that belief.

For the @Giants, or at the national level, why does the bottom 4/5 of every roster not pressure NLFPA leaders to work with the NFL on a more even distribution of player $$$ ? Are votes weighted? Is it a lottery mentality? Do they believe it is meritorious as is? #askPTrain
— James L. McMahan Jr. (iJames) (@theijames) April 17, 2026

James, I have to be honest here. I don't know if I totally understand your question. What I think you're asking me is why guys on the back end of the roster aren't paid like the top of the roster. And if so the answer is simple.

One, you can't pay everyone equally, nor should you. Two, there is a structured tier that states the minimum for each player based on his years of accrued experience.

Teams have X number of dollars under the cap so they have to make the pieces all fit under that.

I also think that those guys who make up the bottom of the roster are genuinely just happy for an opportunity to play--and if they catch on, they could be eligible for performance pay adjustments.

I hope that answers your question.

Patty do you think the draft will reveal any clues as to who is really making personnel decisions now that its perceived that Schoens power has been diminished?
— Andrew Bogdan (@AndrewBogdanCT) April 16, 2026

No I don't. The Giants, when they do their pressers, will say it was an organizational decision, so unless someone lets it slip who made the call on a player selection, I don't think we'll know who actually made it.

Also, Schoen will still very much have a voice in the draft room. It's just that John Harbaugh will likely have the louder voice.

Why are the Giants making this difficult? Pay him, add the void years and voila! Done deal. Also, P-Train is hysterical.
— Lewie Smalls🇩🇴 (@UnderRatedDub) April 17, 2026

How do you know it's not Dexter's side making this difficult? And no, your scenario isn't as cut-and-dried as you make it out to be. There's much more to this than throwing voidable years into a deal.

P.S. Thanks for the compliment. I’m here all week for your entertainment.

Seems like a little bit of smoke the Schoen’s fired after the draft. I saw Harbaugh isn’t done making personnel changes and will make more after the draft. What’s the chance Schoen gets fired, and who would be other personnel that would go?
— Bryan Carey (@bryancarey_II) April 17, 2026

Bryan, I am not 100% convinced right now that Schoen is out after the draft. His contract, I believe, runs through the end of the year. I think this will all boil down to how he and John Harbaugh continue to work together.

So long as they don’t butt heads, I don’t think there is any reason to move on from Schoen, unless it’s to save money.

Now that said, I remain surprised that Schoen wasn't given a contract extension to put him on the same timeline as the head coach. But that doesn't mean that ownership won't do that.

On another note, I do think there will be some scouts who are let go after the draft, and I also wouldn't be shocked if some of that big committee Schoen has been known to have around him thins out a bit.

Any injury updates on Nabers and Skattebo? Either ready for TC?
— TheeInsider (@mockdraftscout) April 17, 2026

The last update we had was when Harbaugh spoke at the start of the offseason program. The recap is here.

giants consider taking bain at 5???
— bmura (@_bmura) April 17, 2026

Doubt it. Again, who they take depends on how the board falls, but I don't think they will pick Bain even if he's there. I think it will be Sonny Styles or Caleb Downs with a very outside chance it could be Jeremiyah Love if he makes it past Tennessee.

Patricia where does your gut feel pick 5 will sway. Offense RB Jeremiyah Love or Defense with either Sonny Styles or Caleb Downs if u had to predict
— ☆Dhilan☆ (@DhilanPatel12) April 17, 2026

"Defense! Defense! Defense!" As of right now, I think it's either Styles or Downs, depending on who is on the board.

#askPTrain are you worried that Sonny Styles is too raw, I hear conflicting stories about his pass coverage. Any thoughts?
— Ross McLaren (@nsross) April 18, 2026

Nope. When was the last time a rookie came out of the draft 100% pro ready? Every rookie has something he has to work on as he adjusts to the NFL.

I get where the concern is--Styles hasn't played off-ball linebacker all that long and some people have compared him to Isaiah Simmons, who didn’t really pan out in the way I think a lot of people thought he would.

But Styles is a converted safety and I think so long as whoever his defensive coordinator is has a plan on how to use him (which he Cardinals really didn't have with Simmons), Styles will be just fine.

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