The New York Giants didn’t plan for this to happen. But sometimes, the best things in football come from the things teams didn’t plan.
When Xavier McKinney left for Green Bay last offseason, it felt like a punch to the gut. Not only did the Giants lose a team captain and defensive playmaker, but they got nothing in return—at least, not immediately. Fast forward one year, and McKinney’s departure has turned into a full-blown blessing in disguise.
Because of McKinney’s All-Pro campaign with the Packers, New York was awarded a third-round compensatory pick—No. 99 overall. That pick, as it turns out, became a central part of the trade that helped the G-Men move back into the first round for Jaxson Dart.
And that move, as of mid-July, has saved the Giants from the mess unfolding across the league.
Xavier McKinney helped Giants dodge NFL’s messy rookie standoff
This year’s second-round class is stuck in limbo. After two early second-round picks (Jayden Higgins and Carson Schwesinger) negotiated fully guaranteed rookie contracts, several others are holding out of training camp until they receive the same treatment... or at least more guaranteed money.
And thanks to NFL rules, no unsigned second-rounder is allowed to participate in training camp or preseason games.
It’s become a contractual cold war.
The Giants have nothing to do with it. Because the second-round pick they once held—No. 34 overall—was shipped to the Houston Texans as part of the package to move up to No. 25. That deal also included No. 99 overall (the comp pick from McKinney) and a 2026 third-rounder.
It’s a rare win-win. Ironically, the Texans used No. 34 to draft Higgins, which kicked off the guaranteed-contract drama. The Giants, meanwhile, walked away with a franchise quarterback, a fully signed rookie class, and zero training camp nonsense.
Say what you want about losing McKinney for nothing. But that compensatory pick came in handy. McKinney had a monster 2024. His eight-interception season in Green Bay helped push the comp pick to the end of the third round, giving Joe Schoen just enough ammo to get back into the first round.
Read more: Jaxson Dart didn’t wait for training camp to go viral with jaw-dropping throw
Without it, New York probably wouldn’t get Jaxson Dart. Without Dart, they're stuck staring at another long-term quarterback question mark. And without trading up, they’d be the ones trying to negotiate with an unsigned second-rounder right now.
There’s something poetic about McKinney accidentally saving the Giants from a crisis by playing well somewhere else. The player who once captained the defense might've just helped this front office find its next captain on offense.
So while other teams fight with their rookies, the Giants are sitting back with a full rookie class at camp—and a quarterback who already feels like the future. All thanks to a comp pick no one expected and a former Giant who had no idea he was still helping out.