Giants Country

This Team Makes Most Sense for Giants to Target in Potential Trade

If the New York Giants are going to trade with one team in the draft, this one makes the most sense. Here's why.

Evan Orris

A detailed view of the Buffalo Bills helmet
A detailed view of the Buffalo Bills helmet / Denny Medley-Imagn Images
In this story:

The New York Giants could still add a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft even after signing Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson in free agency.

Top prospect Cam Ward is expected to be off the board by the time the Giants are on the clock with the No. 3 overall pick, and it doesn’t look as though there is as much interest in Shedeur Sanders. In fact, there is a growing opinion that the Giants might look to trade back into the bottom of the first round for their franchise quarterback of the future.  

There, the Giants could target the next tier of quarterback prospects, including Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss), Jalen Milroe (Alabama), and Will Howard IV (Ohio State), whose draft stock has been rising since his Pro Day in the second round.

However, if they wait for their coveted franchise quarterback, they risk another quarterback-needy team selecting their target. To ensure they get the apple of the eye and on a first-round contract that carries the fifth-year option, general manager Joe Schoen could trade back into the first round to ensure their quarterback choice.

If the Giants were to trade up, the Buffalo Bills would be the perfect trade partner. Schoen already has a relationship with the Bills' front office staff and could contact their general manager, Brandon Beane.

 

Owner John Mara and general manager Joe Schoen during the first day of training camp.
East Rutherford, NJ -- July 24, 2024 -- Owner John Mara and general manager Joe Schoen during the first day of training camp for the 2024 New York Giants. / Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

The two worked together in the Carolina Panthers' scouting department before reuniting in Buffalo. When Beane was hired to become the general manager of the Bills in 2017, he hired Schoen as the assistant general manager. They worked together for five years in Buffalo before the Giants hired Schoen.

The two sides made their first deal in the 2023 offseason. The Giants received Boogie Basham and a 2025 seventh-round draft choice from Buffalo in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick.

The Bills are no strangers to trading back to acquire more draft capital. They traded back from their original pick twice in last year's draft, moving from the No. 28 pick to the No. 32 overall pick. Buffalo then traded back one spot with the Panthers, leading them to have 10 picks in this year's draft.

After falling just short of reaching the Super Bowl, the Bills signed star quarterback Josh Allen to a six-year, $330 million extension. After other free agent signings, Buffalo has just $4.54 million.

They could look to trade back again and gain more draft capital to shore up roster holes, allowing them to build the roster around rookies on cheap contracts while they have to pay Allen and their other veterans.

New York Giants co-owner John Mara (left) and New York Giants General Manager Joe Schoen speak with Head Coach Brian Daboll
New York Giants co-owner John Mara (left) and New York Giants General Manager Joe Schoen speak with Head Coach Brian Daboll / Kevin R. Wexler / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Meanwhile, the Giants could use the selection to select their quarterback to gain the fifth-year option on their rookie contract. This is often why teams trade their second-round pick to move back into the first round. Front offices frequently implore this tactic in the past, which helps teams build a well-rounded squad around their rookie quarterback.

The Baltimore Ravens sent the No. 52 and 125 picks in 2018 and a 2019 second-round selection to the Eagles in exchange for the No. 32 and 132 selections in 2018. They used the last pick of the first round to select Lamar Jackson, which worked out well for them.

A potential trade between the Bills and Giants could look very similar. I created a mock trade using PFF's mock draft simulator.

In this trade, the Giants send the No. 34 pick, their third-round compensatory pick (No. 99), and their 2026 second-round draft pick in exchange for the No. 30 overall pick and the No. 177 selection, which the Giants sent to the Bills in the Basham trade.

JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA! Follow and like us on Facebook. Don't forget to check out our YouTube channel. And if you want to send a letter to our mailbag, you can do so here.

More New York Giants Coverage

Published
Evan Orris
EVAN ORRIS

Evan Orris is a 2022 graduate of Indiana University. In college, he covered the Indiana Hoosiers football and men’s basketball teams for the Daily Hoosier and Hoosier Huddle. Evan also wrote for FanSided, the New York Post, and NBA.com. During his time with the Post, he covered the New York Giants and the New York Jets.

Home/Draft