This really could have shaken up the entire 2023 NFL Draft for the NY Giants if things would have gone the way general manager Joe Schoen originally wanted them to. Leading up to Thursday's first round, everyone knew Schoen had a WR1 on his mind.
Instead, he traded up to the No. 24 pick to land Maryland cornerback Deonte Banks. However, The Athletic's Dan Duggan is reporting that Schoen was actually trying to move up even more in the first round, as he was hoping to take Boston College wideout Zay Flowers. This really would have been something:
League sources said the Giants were actively trying to trade up in the first round, with Boston College WR Zay Flowers believed to be their top target. Much more on that and other insights into the Giants' draft: https://t.co/ouZQtGq7CN
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) May 1, 2023
Giants tried trading up to draft Zay Flowers in the first round of the NFL Draft
"Conversations with league sources indicated the Giants actively pursued opportunities to trade up, having discussions with at least one team picking in the middle of the first round. A source from another team believes the Giants were trying to move up to land Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers."Dan Duggan
Outside of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Flowers was the No. 1 wideout on our board. The Boston College standout saw his stock rise quite a bit after a fantastic showing at the NFL Combine. He took a Top-30 visit to East Rutherford as well, and it looks like he impressed both Schoen and head man Brian Daboll.
In the end, the Ravens ended up bringing in yet another weapon for Lamar Jackson by sending Flowers' name in. With Flowers off the board, Schoen traded up with Jacksonville to make sure no one else would snatch up Banks.
In the end, things worked out pretty well for Schoen, as he took center John Michael Schmitz in the second round. He was then able to trade up and land speedster Jalin Hyatt to add to the receivers room. Flowers would have been a great get, but Giants fans are more than thrilled with the way the draft panned out for the G-Men.
READ MORE: Jalin Hyatt will be a high-flying weapon for QB Daniel Jones