NFL Draft 2024 Rumors: Rivals See Giants as Team to Leapfrog to Trade Up for Top-4 QB
March 18, 2024
If any teams picking below sixth in the 2024 NFL draft eye one of the top four quarterbacks, they may need to make a deal to get above the New York Giants.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported that the Giants had "investigated the price" of potentially moving up and that teams behind New York in the draft believe they are a team to "leapfrog."
"That it slipped that Drew Lock will compete for the Giants' job with Daniel Jones only re-opens the discussion on New York taking a quarterback in the first round. Like a few teams, they have investigated the price of going up. And teams below them, whether right or wrong, view the Giants at No. 6 as a team you may need to leapfrog to get one of the top four quarterbacks."
The Giants finished 6-11 in 2023 and missed the postseason for the sixth time in the last seven seasons. Trading up would likely indicate that the Giants would take a quarterback, as the position is expected to be very highly in demand at the top of the draft.
New York have Daniel Jones as the incumbent quarterback and he will absolutely be on the roster next season, as cutting him would result in a dead cap penalty of $69.3 million, per Spotrac. The team has an out following the season, which would result in a dead cap hit of only around $11 million.
That option is certainly enticing for a Giants team that otherwise would owe him nearly $100 million over the next two seasons if it didn't take the out, and having a proper succession plan would be key. While Drew Lock could be a potential option, taking a higher-ceiling signal-caller and having them learn for a year before taking over does make sense and could make a trade-up worth it.
The Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Chargers will not be on the market for a quarterback at the draft, but many teams below the Giants could be candidates to trade into those picks. In order to ensure a top-four quarterback, New York may have to cough up some draft capital.
The first round of the NFL Draft is scheduled for April 25 in Detroit.
