Should Dave Gettleman Trade Back in the 1st Round?

By Michael Stewart/@golferbad

Introduction: The New York Giants for the second consecutive season will be selecting in the top 10 of the 2019 NFL draft with the 6^th overall pick. Mock drafts have already been revising their picks and the majority have determined that the Giants will select quarterback Dwayne Haskins out of Ohio State. It’s extremely hard for me to believe that the Giants would select him with the 6^th overall pick in a draft that is so deep on the defensive side, especially the defensive line with top tackles and edge rushers.  I understand that the Giants do need to find Eli Manning’s successor as he will be entering the final year of his contract in 2019, unless they re-structure his contract; which would give relief to the cap space and extend Manning’s contract to 2020.However; if you’ve been watching the Giants this past season, their defense had many weaknesses, especially along the defensive line against the run and a lack of a pass rush. So would it make sense to draft Haskins at #6 and have him sit for a year and not contribute or would it make more sense to draft a defensive player, who can make an impact as a rookie? Another option could be to trade back from #6 for additional picks to add more depth and talent to a roster that needs a face lift. If the Giants GM Dave Gettleman decides to entertain the idea of trading back; which he has never done as a GM in the 1^st round, here are a few teams that could be calling him:

1. Denver Broncos (#10): Denver has been rumored to be looking for a quarterback and if they are more invested in Dwayne Haskins over the other quarterbacks entering the draft and feel he won’t be there when they select, then perhaps they would be willing to make a deal with the Giants. If so, then it’s going to cost them their 1^st round pick (#10) and their 2^nd round pick (#41) for the Giants 1^st round pick (#6), 4^th round pick (#101) & 5^th round pick (#132).  The 2019 draft value chart lists Denver’s 1^st and 2^nd picks at 1790 points and the Giants 6^th overall pick, 4^th and 5^th at 1736 points. This would still give the Giants a top 10 pick in the 1^st round and an additional pick in the 2^nd (#41).
2. Cincinnati Bengals (#11): The Bengals have also been rumored to be considering on drafting a quarterback in this year’s draft and if that is the case and again, they value Haskins much higher on their board over the other quarterbacks in this draft, then perhaps they would be willing to make a deal with the Giants. Bengals 1^st and 2^nd round picks (#11 & #42) combine for a total of 1730 points. The Giants could offer their 1^st round pick (#6), a 4^th rounder (#101) and a 7^th (#209); which adds up to 1703 points. This would give the Giants the 11^th overall pick and an additional pick in the 2^nd (#42).
3. Miami Dolphins (#13): The Dolphins have been tinkering with the notion of finding a successor for quarterback Ryan Tannerhill for the last two seasons and if they feel that they could land Haskins and leap frog over the Broncos and Bengal’s then they could be very interested to see what the Giants have on the table. The Dolphins would need to sweeten the pot a little bit more to keep Gettleman on the phone, perhaps their 1^st (#13) 2^nd (#48) and 3^rd (#78) valued at 1770 points for the Giants 1^st (#6), 4^th (#101) and 5^th (#132) valued at 1736 points could get it done. This would give the Giants the 13^th overall pick, an additional 2^nd rounder and a 3^rd.

Final Thoughts: These three scenarios may never come into play, but it does add intrigue to the options that GM Dave Gettleman can explore prior to the draft or during the draft. Again, he has never traded back in the 1^st round throughout his GM career and many believe he will continue this trend in the upcoming draft. However; there’s a first time for everything and we should never assume that these scenarios would not be an option. I believe the Giants could have additional picks available (currently have 9 picks and a projected two more through compensation) by the time the draft approaches with a few trade options. So the big question here is: Should the Giants consider trading back in the 1^st round for additional picks or should they stay at #6 and pick the best player available or quarterback Dwayne Haskins?