Giants Eyeing Trade-Down Options

With the noise about Baker Mayfield being a surprise Browns No. 1 pick increasing, the Giants could further shake up the draft Thursday night. They are exploring options about trading out of the No. 2 slot.

A Giants source informed ESPN.com’s Dianna Russini (Twitter link) that the team is looking to trade down. Although Russini notes the team is “contemplating all options,” the thinking here is the Giants have many needs to fill after a disastrous 2017 season.

However, this would run counter to Dave Gettleman‘s comments this offseason. The new GM seeks a “gold jacket player” with the No. 2 pick, and buzz about Saquon Barkley being Big Apple-bound gained steam over the past few weeks. The Giants trading out of the top five could remove them from the Barkley equation.

But Big Blue does have needs on its offensive line, in the secondary, at running back and now at wide receiver after the Brandon Marshall release. The Giants have not traded down in many years, and a Giants source told Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv last week the team would be better off picking a superior prospect at No. 2 than moving down and starting its draft with a lesser-regarded one. The Giants have been linked to a possible Quenton Nelson pursuit in the event of a trade-down, but the team many expected to be in the mix for the No. 2 slot — the Bills — may not be especially interested in surrendering enough picks to move that high.

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