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We are now just a couple days away from the 2022 NFL Draft, and everyone is wondering what the New York Giants will do with their two top-10 picks.
Armed with Pick No. 5 and Pick No. 7, the Giants could use one of those picks on a blue-chip prospect then trade back with the other pick to acquire more draft capital. If they do consider trading back, the Pittsburgh Steelers may be a willing trade partner.
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Speaking to the Pittsburgh media on Monday, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert discussed the possibility of jumping up the draft board and mentioned Pick No. 7.
“We’ll calculate the value to move up from 20 to 7,” Colbert said, per Nick Farabaugh on Twitter.
Does this mean that a trade between the Giants and the Steelers is in the works? No, but it would make a lot of sense for Pittsburgh to want New York’s pick. The Steelers have an obvious need at quarterback, after Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement this offseason, and several of the top signal callers in this year’s draft should still be available at Pick No. 7.
Trading back would make a lot of sense for the Giants, too. Last year, former general manager Dave Gettleman traded back for the first time ever. They went into the first round with the No. 11 overall pick and ended up trading back with the Chicago Bears, who had their sights set on Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields with that pick. The Giants ended up with Pick No. 20 (used to select wide receiver Kadarius Toney) in last year’s draft, as well as Chicago’s first-round pick in this year’s draft (Pick No. 7). They also got a 2021 fifth-round pick, which they packaged in a trade with the Denver Broncos to move up in the third round and select cornerback Aaron Robinson.
Draft trades can make your head spin, but the basic point is this: Trading back in the draft always results in more picks. And having more picks is a good thing for a team that’s trying to rebuild under a new general manager in Joe Schoen and a new head coach in Brian Daboll.
Which Quarterbacks Are The Steelers Eyeing?
The Giants probably wouldn’t have traded back in last year’s draft, if Fields did not fall to Pick No. 11. So, which quarterbacks should Giants fans be watching on Thursday night?
This isn’t a very strong draft class at the quarterback position, and there’s no consensus on who has the best arm. One quarterback who would fit right in is Kenny Pickett, who played at Pitt in college and is already a star in Western Pennsylvania. If Pickett is still available, maybe the Steelers make a trade with the Giants for Pick No. 7.
The Steelers could also have interest in a different quarterback. During the pre-draft process, they met with Liberty’s Malik Willis, Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder and North Carolina’s Sam Howell, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network and Kevin Patra of NFL.com.
Keep an eye on each of these quarterbacks, because one of them could spur a potential trade between the Giants and Steelers on draft night.
The Panthers Are The Wild Card at No. 6
If there’s one team that could spoil a potential trade between the Giants and the Steelers, it’s the Carolina Panthers. They currently own the No. 6 pick — right in between New York’s two top-10 picks — and are also in the market for a quarterback, despite offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo’s premature decision to name Sam Darnold the starter for 2022.
The Panthers met with six different quarterbacks this month (including all the ones previously mentioned), according to Albert Breer of The Monday Morning Quarterback. If they take the one Pittsburgh likes best, the Steelers may be content sitting back at Pick No. 20 and seeing who falls to them.
The Giants could still trade back with a different team, but at the moment, no one has dropped a hint as candid as the Steelers did on Monday.
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