New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh made clear on Monday that the recent trade of offensive lineman Daniel Faalele reflected confidence in the team’s interior depth more than any dissatisfaction with the veteran.
Last week, the Giants sent Faalele to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round draft pick. The 6-foot-8 former Raven had signed with New York in free agency after starting 34 consecutive games for Harbaugh in Baltimore, but the selection of Francis Mauigoa in the first round and solid play from others pushed him down the depth chart.
“I think it says we feel good about our depth, for sure,” Harbaugh told reporters. “We do feel good about our depth on the offensive line generally and inside. And it’s not too often
you get a trade like that. You know, it’s not too often you can trade a player for a sixth-round pick in the middle of training camp. But sometimes teams have needs, and Daniel’s started many games in the National Football League, so they felt like that was valuable for them.
"With us, Daniel was doing well for the role he was going to be playing, and yet we have other guys that were doing well, too. So, it was a luxury for us. Any time you can add picks, it’s a valuable thing. It’s a future thing. Doesn’t seem like much now, but it’ll matter day three of the draft. It’ll be something that we’ll be happy we’ve got.”
Harbaugh indicated the organization remains open to further moves before the roster deadline.
“If we could, we’d do it as much as we possibly could,” he said. “We’d like to take advantage of the opportunities, if they’ll come up, as much as we can. We do have some guys. We’re kind of deep in a few positions, and maybe that’ll happen. It doesn’t happen that often, but maybe it will.”
Possible candidates could include kicker Ben Sauls, wide receiver Darnell Mooney (teams have already inquired), or a running back such as Tyrone Tracy Jr. or Devin Singletary.
Asked whether the long gap between picks in last year’s draft influenced the push for extra Day 3 selections, Harbaugh said it did not factor heavily.
“It was a long time, though. It was like the desert for a while,” he recalled. “The draft is a little bit of a numbers game. I mean, the more swings you can take, the more chances you have to hit on guys. So, having more picks over time, I hope that’s something that we’re able to accumulate and have a lot of picks year to year.”
With cutdown day approaching, the Giants appear willing to convert surplus depth into future assets whenever the right opportunity surfaces.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants' John Harbaugh wants to keep adding draft picks before cutdown day
