INDIANAPOLIS _ Giants head coach Joe Judge gave an NFL draft nugget during his press conference at the combine. The Giants are open to trading down from the fourth overall pick, according to Big Blue's rookie head coach, but nothing is set in stone this early in the game.
"We don't have to do anything, but we'll listen to anything," Judge said of flipping the No. 4 pick for more draft assets. The Giants are in an advantageous position picking so high in the draft. If a team wants to trade up for Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa or Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert, the Giants are in a prime spot to trade down with a quarterback-needy team.
The Giants do not have a third-round pick this year after they traded for Leonard Williams in the middle of last season. So acquiring more picks to fill a roster riddled with holes is a sound idea. Judge comes from the Patriots, who have been notorious for trading down in the draft.
"It depends on who's available at that time, what you think their value is," Judge said. "If you don't think there's someone worth taking at that point and you can gain maybe more assets, there's value in that. So look, everything's on the table as far as options. We'll listen to everybody ... We don't have to do anything just because we're listening to somebody. But our ears are open right now and we'll be open to whatever's out there to offer."
That's a bit of a contrast from how Dave Gettleman has run the draft in the past. Gettleman has shown the tendency to stay where his draft slot is and select the top player on his board. Surely, discussions surrounding trading down will be explored between now and the first round.
There is one area where Judge and Gettleman are definitely aligned: taking the best player available wherever they wind up making their selections in the draft.
"I think with the age of the team right now and where we're at, there's a blanket just to look to add as many good players as we can," Judge said. "So whether it's building the line or the secondary or skill players, you've got to have enough people at the position that it gives you versatility and depth. But we're at a point right now in the program where I don't think there's any one position we're targeting. It's really let's look at everything as a whole."
Gettleman echoed those same sentiments about collecting the best talent on the board.
"We're gonna take the best player," Gettleman said. "More often than not, when you draft for need, you're gonna make a mistake."
Whoever the best player is left on the board for the Giants, it's safe to assume they will be a member of the team. At this point in time, the Giants haven't solidified who is going to be on their big board.
"As far as evaluating the tape, you've got to create more hours in the day if that makes sense," Judge said. "You gotta be clear on how you're managing your time ... At this point we've gotten through all the free-agent prospects. I haven't watched everybody in the draft yet, but I've got a snapshot of the players through talking with the scouts and getting their reports."
Gettleman is aware the Lions are actively shopping the third pick in the draft, hoping to receive a ransom of draft picks for a team that's thirsty for a quarterback. "I mean, they've announced they're open for business," Gettleman said. "That third pick is, as Joe would say, beachfront property. We'll see. Of course what they do will affect what we do. Absolutely."
If the Giants stay at fourth overall and a team trades up to the third pick for Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, they'll be in a prime position to land Ohio State cornerback Jeffrey Okudah, Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown, or Clemson linebacker/safety Isaiah Simmons. In the event that they trade down into the lower areas of the top 10, they have a slew of offensive tackles to choose from to solidify the protection in from. Iowa's Tristan Wirfs, Alabama's Jedrick Willis, Georgia's Andrew Thomas, and Louisville's Mekhi Becton will all be worthy candidates.
The Giants, again, are in the advantageous position of picking near the top of the draft. If they can maximize their asset allocation they'll be in a good position to improve upon their 4-12 record from a season ago.
At the very least, Judge and Gettleman seem to be on the same page in regards to their thoughts on the draft.
