It was instant rage on Sunday, following the New York Giants' third win of the 2025 season, as they surrendered the first overall pick in the 2026 Draft to the Las Vegas Raiders.
While Big Blue isn't out of the running yet, the Raiders seem determined to do everything they can to come away with it once the clocks read zeroes in Week 18. They'll play the Patrick Mahomes-less Chiefs, while the G-Men will play host to the Cowboys. If Vegas loses, they get the pick -- regardless of New York's outcome. However, if they win and the Giants lose, we're all the way back in the driver's seat.
But if things stay as they are, the Giants are still in a prime spot to take advantage of quarterback-needy teams with the second overall pick, especially if Oregon's Dante Moore declares for the draft. Here are 4 trade-back scenarios that Big Blue could exploit. After all, they must do everything they can to build out a competitive roster for rookie quarterback sensation Jaxson Dart.
Giants’ updated draft spot could fuel blockbuster trade
Not-so sneaky: Cleveland Browns, New York Jets
It's hard to come by teams that have had it rougher than the Giants over the past decade or so, but the Browns and Jets make it look easy. These might be the two worst-run franchises in the NFL, and that's saying something coming from a fanbase that's seen two winning seasons in that span.
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Both teams need a long-term answer under center. Neither team has a top-two pick. However, they do have two first-rounders to help them move up into the top two if they so choose. The Browns have the sixth and 27th picks, while the Jets have the third and 18th. There's definitely something here.
Throw them off the retirement scent: Los Angeles Rams
How much longer is Matthew Stafford going to play football? That's the question the Rams are faced with as they enter 2026 with two first-rounders of their own. Unlike the Jets and Browns, the Horns are a competitive team with Super Bowl aspirations. But the future under center looks bleak.
Stafford turns 38 in February, and neither Jimmy Garoppolo nor Stetson Bennett is the answer moving forward, making them an interesting trade-back option. They currently own the 12th and 24th pick, making them a very interesting team to monitor come draft night.
Giving 5/10 hide-and-seek vibes: Arizona Cardinals, Pittsburgh Steelers
You can run, but you can't hide the fact that there are QB issues -- or however the saying goes. The Cardinals still aren't sold on Kyler Murray, while Aaron Rodgers just turned 42 and is a free agent. Neither team has a backup plan, but will convince itself they're closer to competing than it actually is, which is where a draft-day trade makes a lot of sense.
How many more seasons will the Cardinals let Murray miss the playoffs? And how many more years can the Steelers have a winning record only to blow it with an early playoff exit? If either team is looking for their next QB of the future -- which they should -- a trade with the G-Men makes a lot of sense.
Ghillie suit in the Amazon Rainforest at night: New England Patriots
Wait a minute. Why the heck are the Patriots here? Isn't Drake Maye the MVP frontrunner?
Yes, he is... yet here we are. Who said the pick has to be a quarterback? For New England, the goal might be to get the best pass-rusher in the class and build out Mike Vrabel’s defense. Ohio State’s Arvell Reese fits the bill perfectly.
Reese is coming off an All-American campaign, posting 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. If the Patriots want him badly enough, the Giants can absolutely take advantage -- think New England’s first this year, a future first, and possibly a player or more draft capital. It’s a deal worth exploring if the board falls the right way.