Michael Hutton asks: I’m new here, and to this. So OK my question is I know Hyatt is on the roster bubble. So why don’t we try him at the slot position I’m pretty sure that’s where he had most of his success in college. I know Dabs didn’t use him there much or if at all. So why not try it this year since Robinson is gone. We might be surprised.
Ed says: Michael, welcome to the festivities. The Giants have tried Jalin Hyatt in the slot some, but with Wan’Dale Robinson that was never a real option.
Maybe now they will take a longer look, I don’t know. Hyatt’s production and usefulness have gone backwards in each of his three NFL seasons. My guess is that like Evan Neal and Josh Ezeudu, the John Harbaugh coaching staff will take a look at Hyatt this spring and summer. I am not optimistic that they will find something useful.
Andrew Polsky asks: Ed, people tend to focus on whether it is worth it to trade back from pick 5 in the first round of the upcoming draft, but it seems to me that the Giants might do better to move back in the second round if this could net a late third round pick. Usually some “first round talent” falls in the upper end of round two, and perhaps a team picking later in that round would want to jump up. If this were to happen, the Giants would still have a round two pick and would add one in round three, which they curently lack. I’ve tried this on draft simulators and found “takers.” But is this at all realisitc? If so, would you make such a move?
Ed says: Andrew, I have no issue with trading down a few spots in Round 2. I think, though, that it is very difficult to engineer a trade worth doing that would net a third-round pick for the Giants. The two most commonly referenced trade charts are the Jimmy Johnson chart and the Rich Hill chart. Following are examples from both charts of trades where the point values match up.
Johnson Chart
Pittsburgh Steelers get: Pick 37 | Value: 530 points
Giants get: Picks 53 (Round 2) and 85 (Round 3) | Total value: 535 points
Do you “really” want to move down 16 spots in Round 2? An awful lot of desirable players are going to come off the board from 37 to 53.
Hill Chart
Green Bay Packers get: Pick 37 | Value: 162 points
Giants get: Picks (52) Round 2 and 84 (Round 3) | Total Value: 160 points
Same question. Is that third-round pick really worth moving down 15 spots? I have a hard time moving down that far.
If you can get a third-round pick by moving down and not ending up choosing from a completely different class of players in Round 2, fine. That would be ideal. I just think it’s going to be very difficult to find the right deal.
Gino Phillips asks: I am mock-drafted out already. In your years of experience, have you found a few mock draft publishers that have been more credible or insightful than others? It seems that the field is crowded these days with anyone with an opinion or a strategy to make some outrageous predictions just to get some more clicks.
Ed says: Gino, this is what happens when fans start thinking about the next draft as soon as the current one ends, or at least as soon as the season begins.
Anyway, I have several favorite draft analysts. I love guys like Emory Hunt and Doug Farrar because they think for themselves, and stand on their opinions. I love the work of Matt Waldman of The Rookie Scouting Portfolio. Former BBV-er Joe DeLeone is going to become a go-to. Chad Reuter of NFL.com is a guy I enjoy talking to. Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic, as well. I’m sure I have forgotten to mention a couple of people.
If you want intel, I think the best guy to pay attention to is Todd McShay of The Ringer. He is an absiolute must listen to, and his newsletter is invaluable. Dane Brugler of The Athletic and Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network, as well.
David Whitford asks: Hi Ed, was wondering what your thoughts are on the Giants drafting a QB in the later rounds of the draft? There are some intriguing QBs that had 1st round grades on them last year (Allar, Klubnik) but they slipped due to injuries or just not great 2025 seasons. With it not being a certainty Jameis will be on the team after this year, can you see them taking a shot on one of these guys with say a Round 5 or 6 pick if they are still there? If they develop into a starting-caliber QB, it would be a great “problem” to have.
Ed says: David, the Giants have three sixth-round picks. I don’t have an issue with using one of those picks on a developmental quarterback. That player would likely never be more than a backup quarterback, but if you can get a useful one at that point there is nothing wrong with that.
John Brazel asks: With all the questions about the roster and draft I thought it would be appropriate to remind all my fellow Giants fans that we are in really good hands again. Go back and look at how the Ravens handled their drafts while Harbaugh was coach. Is there another team the past 15+ years that handled the draft better? Between the selections that hit and the way they approached the draft, they seemed like magicians at maximizing where they were slotted, adding comp picks, and maneuvering to get someone they wanted or to add more draft capital.
I know we all have so many questions and we are anxious after the past decade plus, but in my opinion we should relax and enjoy the ride. I realize that there is no guarantee that we will have the same success the Ravens had under Harbaugh, but there is a reason he’s been given the keys to the franchise. Your thoughts?
Ed says: John, my thoughts are that I don’t have a lot to add. John Harbaugh will make mistakes. Everyone does, including you and me. His track record of success and what he learned about team-building in Baltimore tells us he will make far more good decisions than bad.
He deserves to be trusted, and to be given the opportunity to shape the Giants the way he believes is best.
Tom Vayda asks: When trading between near draft picks, for example 5 and 6 or 5 and 7, does the team receiving the earlier pick discuss who their pick will be?
For example, if we traded with a team that we thought was going to pick someone other than Styles, we would probably want to be sure that we were still going to get him. At least as sure as possible. Or is it just hope?
Ed says: Tom, I don’t know that the player names get discussed in those scenarios. The team moving back a spot or two might ask “are you coming up for offense or defense?” I remember Joe Schoen saying that was what the Jacksonville Jaguars wanted to know when the Giants moved up one spot to take Deonte Banks in 2023. It is a valid question. If a team says “offense,” and you were planning to draft an offensive player that would probably give you pause.
A team might also ask “what position are you coming up for?” before deciding whether to move back a spot or two. If you are moving back 10 or 12 spots you can’t really ask that question because the answer doesn’t matter. That many spots later you will be choosing from a differen pool of players.
Doug Mollin asks: Hi Ed — with limited draft capital this year, would you be ok going into the season with the current WR group? Nabers with several WR3 types — Slayton, Mooney, Austin plus Likely too (who is likely to be our de facto WR2 in terms of targets I think).
As much as I’d love a true WR2, I think that DT/OL/LB/CB are bigger needs than WR at this point.
Ed says: Doug, this is the kind of thing general managers talk about when they say they don’t want to “shop hungry” in the draft. Or, as John Harbaugh said, “You don’t want to go to the buffet table hungry.”
I think the Giants could get by in 2026 with what they have at wide receiver, but they could use more. A player with WR2 potential would be nice. I think it is also important to remember that Darius Slayton won’t have any guaranteed money past 2026, and that Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin are on one-year deals. If you don’t add to the room with a 2026 draft pick, the cupboard might be pretty bare in a year.
It is really all about value. Yes, you have needs in other places. But, if you make a list of Giants’ needs wide receiver is on it. If you are sitting there at 37 or 105 or 145, or whever, and your board says the player who can help you the most is a wide receiver, you take the wide receiver.
I say it every year, but taking a lower-rated player just because you feel like you must take a player at a certain position is how mistakes get made.
Andrew Martin asks: Why does everyone always talk about Kayvon Thibodeaux getting traded, but no one ever talks about him getting a second contract? Why is it a foregone conclusion that the Giants wouldn’t want to keep him beyond this year? I understand that he’s their #3 pass rusher, which you can argue makes him a luxury. But you can also argue that you can never have enough quality pass rushers (injuries happen), and the Giants’ most recent Super Bowl teams featured 3 quality pass rushers. He’s a good, not great pass rusher. He shouldn’t command top of market money based on his production. Why can’t they work out a deal this offseason that gives him some financial security over the next few years at a price commensurate with his production that helps the Giants lower his 2026 cap hit and also gives him the ability to do another contract in his prime that lets him get big money if he elevates his game? Shouldn’t that be the goal for the Giants rather than letting another quality home grown player leave for nothing or a low draft pick?
Ed says: Andrew, to borrow a line from Joe Schoen I understand the question. I agree with the sentiment that the Giants need to be in the business of keeping as many of good, home grown players as they can. I have expressed that idea for many years.
The problem in this case is that the NFL is a salary cap league. There is a hard cap on spending, and teams have to make difficult decisions sometimes about divvying up their resources. Brian Burns will cost $44 million against the cap in 2027 and 2028, unless the Giants were to decide to move on. They can’t really do that in 2027 because they would take a $37 million dead money hit. They could save $25 million against the cap by cutting Burns in 2028, but they would still be taking on $18.5 million in dead money.
Abdul Carter carries a $12 million cap hit in 2027, and a $14 million hit in 2028. If he becomes what the Giants think he will, he is going to want to really get PAID after that.
Thibodeaux is a former No. 5 overall pick, and he is going to be seeking his own big-money deal next offseason. Provided he does not suffer a catastrophic injury in 2026, someone will give it to him. Quality edge defenders always get paid. The Giants aren’t going to get into a bidding war that forces them to pay top dollar to keep Thibodeaux when they already have Burns and Carter. It’s just business.
As for Thibodeaux, he would be foolish to take a deal right now that would end up looking like a home town discount. His best play is to ride it out, get to the open market, let a few teams bid against each other and drive up the price, then take the best offer. Players have the free agency card at their disposal, and they should use it to their advantage.
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