Giants Wanted Draft Trade-Up for Star WR Prospect: Report

The New York Giants wanted to pick Flowers in the 2023 NFL draft.

General manager Joe Schoen attempted to trade up to draft Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers with their first-round pick, league sources told The Athletic’s Dan Duggan. 

Schoen’s call were ultimately made in vain, though. The Ravens selected Flowers three spots ahead of the Giants with their 22nd overall selection in the 2023 NFL draft.

New York showed serious interest in Flowers throughout the entire pre-draft process, attending the receiver’s pro day, taking him out to dinner, and hosting him on a top 30 visit.

Multiple sources even told Heavy Sr. NFL reporter Matt Lombardo they thought Flowers would be Big Blue’s pick at No. 25 overall.

“…The feeling (around the NFL) is if Zay Flowers somehow makes it to the Giants at No. 26, he won’t make it a pick further. After trading for Darren Waller, the Giants drop another explosive weapon into Daniel Jones’ supporting cast with the addition of Flowers, who averaged 13.8 yards per reception and caught 12 touchdowns last season.”

A Flowers-Giants pairing wasn’t meant to be, though.

Schoen told reporters his big board was “depleted” the pass-catcher run that started with the Seahawks at No. 20 overall (Jaxon Smith-Njigba), included Flowers, and ended with the Vikings at No. 23 overall (Jordan Addison). 

New York eventually settled on cornerback Deonte Banks in the first round and filled its receiver need later with third-round pick Jalin Hyatt. 

Here’s what else you need to know about Flowers and the Giants’ missed connection:

Giants Just Missed on Zay Flowers in First Round

Big Blue just missed on Flowers, considered by many to be the draft’s best pure separator. 

That news was disappointing for many — and maybe even Flowers himself. 

On the NFL draft’s red carpet, he told SNY’s Michelle Margeaux he had a “great visit” with the Giants and that it’d be “a great place to play.” He said he was aware of Jones and running back Saquon Barkley, but laughed when pressed on his impression of Giants coach Brian Daboll.

“(Daboll) is a funny guy, but he’s cool,” Flowers said with a smile. “I like him a lot.”

Flowers won’t learn under Daboll now. He’ll join ex-Giants star wideout Odell Beckham Jr. in Baltimore, forming a receiving corps many Giants fans hoped their team would assemble instead.

Beckham Jr. wasted no time welcoming Flowers to his team — and hinted he played a role in Baltimore’s choice.

Meanwhile, New York’s receiving corps still lacks its alpha.

Daboll will deploy Hyatt alongside veteran receivers like Parris Campbell, Darius Slayton, and Sterling Shepard. But his passing game could very well flow through new star tight end Darren Waller without a talent like Flowers out wide.

What It Would’ve Cost the Giants to Trade up for Zay Flowers

Only Schoen and the Giants front office know what their move-up offer was.

It wouldn’t likely have been cheap, though.

According to the widely-used NFL draft trade value chart, the difference between New York’s original first-round pick (25) and Baltimore’s (No. 22) is about 60 points. 

That’s the same points total as a mid-fourth-rounder. But Schoen would’ve likely needed to spend more to jump over the Ravens to lock in Flowers.

A jump to the Buccaneers’ pick at No. 19 overall — right before the four-wideout first-round run — would’ve likely cost Schoen his third-round pick.

New York used its first-rounder to upgrade its defensive backfield. And it used its third and fourth-round picks to secure a receiver in Hyatt that 24/7 Sports’ Will Backus believes was a late first-round value.

“Another first-round guy — on paper, at least — that took a surprising slide,” Backus said. “Tape shows he is much faster than his 4.4-second 40-yard time from the NFL Combine. He is dinged a bit as a “one-note” wide receiver, but that “one note” is leaving defenders in a cloud of dust. If an expanded route tree is all he needs to thrive at the next level, look out.”

Schoen and his staff were ready to make that trade-off in the moment. However, they might’ve ended up with more value in the long run than if they traded up for Flowers.

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