The New York Giants are off this week, enjoying a much-needed and well deserved bye week. The Giants stunned much of the football world with their overtime upset of the Houston Texans in Week 7, and now have control of the NFC East no matter what happens in Week 8.
The Giants simply out-played the Texans despite being 10.5-point underdogs on the road. Their win, and how they went about it, has many around the media landscape reconsidering their playoff chances. The 4-2-1 Giants are now considered
(slight) favorites to win the NFC East as of this writing, edging out the 3-4 Dallas Cowboys.
This, in turn, has some wondering if the Giants should go “all in” on the trade market to reinforce their roster before the trade deadline.
‘With that in mind, we want to know what position you think the Giants should target as we approach the trade deadline.
Running back – Cam Skattebo’s response to his non-benching may have changed John Harbaugh’s perception of the Giants’ backfield. However, it’s still possible that the Giants’ head coach wants the kind of “bellcow” back that he enjoyed throughout his time as the Baltimore Ravens head coach. The Giants have been using a running back rotation throughout the season, but it’s clear that Harbaugh would like one runner to shoulder most of the load. The giants could also use an explosive option out of the backfield to threaten and stretch defenses. Colts’ star running back Jonathan Taylor has been brought up as an “All In” option for a number of teams, while Tennessee Titans back Tony Pollard has been brought up as a possible “budget” option. It’s also possible that the New York Jets could consider trading Breece Hall in light of Braelon Allen’s recent success while Hall has been injured.
Wide receiver – The Giants’ receiving depth chart is dangerously thin and good defenses may be able to take Isaiah Likely and Malik Nabers away, forcing Fields and Mooney to carry the load. Adding another WR 1b or WR 2 could make it tougher for good defenses to limit J.J. McCarthy’s options. Likewise, Malik Nabers has been remarkably productive out of the slot this year. Adding a second big perimeter receiver would allow Nabers to play in the slot more often, getting him matchups against more slot corners. At the same time, another field-stretching wide receiver would play to J.J. McCarthy’s strengths as a deep ball passer.
The Jaguars seem to be in the process of moving on from 2024 first round pick Brian Thomas Jr., who has rare length and speed, as well as a close relationship with Malik Nabers from their time together at LSU.
Offensive guard – The Giants’ offensive line has been… Uneven. Their pass protection has generally been strong, however their run blocking hasn’t consistently lived up to expectations. It’s understandable for rookie Sisi Mauigoa to be inconsistent, however veteran Jon Runyan Jr. has struggled mightily with missed blocks over the past few weeks. It might be awkward — considering the Giants just extended him — but should they try to find an upgrade on the trade market? Quenton Nelson’s name was tossed around as a possible target, but he’s now a Seattle Seahawk.
Defensive tackle – It’s fair to say that the Giants’ defensive line has outplayed expectations. D.J. Reader has turned the clock back and is not just a stout run defender, but also one of the best pass rushing defensive tackles in the NFL. Shelby Harris has played well, Darius Alexander continues to flash and improve as is C.J. Okoye. But there’s also room for improvement and the Giants could likely use another player to raise the ceiling and improve their depth.
A player like Indianapolis NT Grover Stewart could help improve the Giants’ run defense as well as help to keep Reader fresh later in the season. There may also be bigger name tackles who surprisingly become available.
None – The Giants don’t have much in the way of draft capital with picks in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd rounds, as well as a pair of 6th round picks. The Giants are anticipating a 4th round compensatory pick, but they don’t have that yet. The 2027 NFL Draft is anticipated to be a remarkably deep and talented one, and the Giants could get good players at each of these positions in the first three rounds. They might also have enough confidence in the current roster to bypass the trade market and prefer to save their resources if getting longer-term answers is prohibitively expensive.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Giants fans and fans across the country.
