The New York Giants “had a few options” to move back from No. 37 in the 2026 NFL Draft, and were willing to move down had Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood not been available to them, GM Joe Schoen said in Part 2 of the ‘Giants Life’ draft video on the team’s website.
According to Schoen’s discussion with head coach John Harbaugh, the Giants had offers to move back from the Cincinnati Bengals (pick No. 41) and New Orleans Saints (pick No. 42) and could have gotten two fourth-round picks and a fifth-round
pick to drop a few spots in the draft. Schoen also references the possibility of getting “118, 128, 157” in a trade. That would have been the Detroit Lions, who had pick No. 50 in Round 2 along with the three aforementioned picks. The Lions eventually traded 128 to move up with the New York Jets.
Schoen said it was “an easy decision for us” to select Hood rather than move down.
Harbaugh pushed the Malachi Fields deal
The other takeaway is that Harbaugh was a driving force behind the Giants giving up picks 105, 145, and a 2027 fourth-round pick to get into the third round and select wide receiver Malachi Fields at No. 74.
Harbaugh is heard saying to Schoen “try to figure out a way to get back up and get Fields … would it be worth it?”
The Cleveland Browns were a willing trade partner after Schoen was rejected by several teams, and teh Giants decided it was.
“We were all very certain that he was not going to be there” in Round 4 when the Giants were next scheduled to pick, Harbaugh said.
Schoen called the deal “really goo0d value for a player that we coveted.”
