What if New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman decided he wanted to finally explore the trade market on draft day? He’s never done it — trading back, that is — so we decided to put ourselves in his shoes and just see what we could get in return for the No. 4 overall selection.
Using the Pro Football Network’s mock draft simulator, we not only traded back once, but twice, finding that there were still plenty of players on the board that could come in and help fortify the Giants’ roster.
Trade One
The Giants send the No. 4 overall selection to the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for the No. 6 overall selection plus the Chargers’ 2020 third, fourth and fifth rounders (Nos. 71, 112 and 151).
The Chargers might see the need to move up to beat the Miami Dolphins (who own the fifth pick) to their quarterback of choice, either Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa of Justin Herbert of Oregon. In this mock draft exercise, the Chargers took Tua.
Trade Two
The Giants send the Atlanta Falcons the No. 6 overall selection in exchange for the Falcons’ 2020 first, second and third round picks (Nos. 16, 47 and 78). The Falcons would then take either Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons or Auburn defensive lineman Derrick Brown. In this scenario they selected Brown.
The Giants’ draft at that juncture would then have 16 total selections, six in the Top 100 and nine in the Top 150.
The following slide shows how the draft would possibly play out for them should they make no further trades.
Draft results post-trade
Round 1, Pick 16: Jedrick Wills Jr., offensive tackle, Alabama – the left tackle they’ve sorely needed for years. Plug and play.
Round 2, Pick 36: Cesar Ruiz, center, Michigan – a boss at center who is both quick and powerful. Another plug and play piece.
Round 2, Pick 47: Julian Okwara, defensive end, Notre Dame – a natural pass rusher with an impressive tackle-for-a-loss resume. Wind him up and watch him go.
Round 3, Pick 71: Jeremy Chinn, safety, Southern Illinois – a big, fast, physical safety who will lay down the law in the secondary.
Round 3, Pick 78: Logan Wilson, inside linebacker, Wyoming – an off-ball, three-down backer that will compliment Blake Martinez.
Round 3, Pick 99: Jonathan Greenard, outside linebacker, Florida – explosive against both the run and pass that reminds scouts of Dante Fowler.
Round 4, Pick 110: A.J. Green, cornerback, Oklahoma State – a big, cover corner with a penchant for pass breakups.
Round 4, Pick 112: Alex Highsmith, defensive end, Charlotte – an edge rusher with a motor who is always around the football.
Round 5, Pick 150: Isaiah Hodgins, wide receiver, Oregon State – the large-framed, physical wideout the Giants desperately need.
Round 5, Pick 151: Colton McKivitz, offensive tackle, West Virginia – a 6-foot-6 tackle prospect the Giants can develop.
Round 6, Pick 183: Yasir Durant, offensive tackle, Missouri – another 6-foot-6, 330-pound prospect with long arms and plenty of upside.
Round 7, Pick 218: Colby Parkinson, tight end, Stanford – a 6-foot-7 red zone specialist out of Stanford. Enough said.
Round 7, Pick 238: Juwan Johnson, wide receiver, Oregon – a 6-foot-4 monster who was on the other end of many a Justin Herbert delivery.
Round 7, Pick 247: Lamar Jackson, cornerback, Nebraska – a 6-foot-2 corner with long arms and 4.5 speed.
Round 7, Pick 255: Michael Warren II, running back, Cincinnati – short, powerful battering ram with low center of gravity who is effective in short yardage situations.
Analysis
The Giants traded down twice and picked up six additional picks. They also got the four things they needed the most with their first four selections: a left tackle, a center, a pass rusher and a safety.
Is it logical they use all 16 of their selections? No. They would likely package a few and trade back up at some point. Plus some of the draft capital they would get in return in these deals would probably be for 2021. This exercise is just the framework of what a creative general manager who doesn’t fall in “full bloom love” with a single player can do with No. 4 overall selection.
