ESPN analyst’s direct message to New York Giants adds more reasons to trade back in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft
The Giants are looking to nail their first draft with John Harbaugh as head coach. ESPN’s Ben Solak recently laid out the path to doing so and it makes sense.
Like every NFL team, the New York Giants want to crush the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Giants still have important needs after a busy free agency run and they’re in a solid spot regarding draft position. Yea, they don’t have a third-round pick, but they still pick close to the top of each round, which is a small win on its own.
With a new head coach and a potential franchise quarterback, the Giants really need to have a good draft. It would help jumpstart the John Harbaugh/Jaxson Dart era. Whereas, a bad draft class would slow it down.
ESPN’s Ben Solak recently released an article detailing perfect draft strategies for all 32 teams and his message to the Giants was pretty clear:
“The true must-get: a defensive tackle with run-defending ability. The Giants’ defensive line is oriented toward penetration and pass rush, and they suffered with easy yardage on the ground accordingly. Even if Dexter Lawrence II stays, adding a rotational nose tackle is a wise proposition — but with Lawrence’s trade demand on the table, the need becomes even bigger.
The bottom line: Plug right guard and add to the defensive tackle room (especially if Lawrence might really leave). Go “best player available” otherwise.”
Ben solak
ESPN
Solak’s analysis lends further credence to Giants trade back in Round 1 of the draft
This is where not having a third-rounder hurts the Giants. There’s no guard or run-stuffer worth taking at No. 5 overall and taking a guy like Lee Hunter at 37 is a bit too high.
It’s exactly why the Giants should consider trading back from fifth overall. I recently proposed this situation in a mock draft and amassed the following slate of picks after trading back from No. 5 to No. 8 (bold denotes acquired picks):
- No. 8 overall
- No. 37 overall
- No. 42 overall
- No. 105 overall
- No. 145 overall
- No. 150 overall
- No. 193 overall
Creating this situation allows the Giants to take a guy like Olaivavega Ioane at eight instead of five. Eight still might be a little too high, but it’s justifiable in the grand scheme of things.
And then the Giants have the luxury of taking Hunter at 42 overall now that they have another top-50 pick and they could even address receiver, running back, or cornerback with the other pick.
Just like that – the Giants take care of their biggest needs in a sensible and logical fashion. Granted, they need a partner to truly trade back in the draft. At the same time, however, the Saints have been mentioned as a potential trade-up team by some around the league.
Either way, the Giants need to trade back in the first round of the draft and it’s easy to see why.