The New York Giants will have a lot of different routes to take with the third overall pick in this year’s draft. While the expectation is that they will use the pick to draft a player who can help them win right now, the idea of trading the pick is not out of the realm of possibilities.
Giants could pursue LSU offensive tackle in the draft
In CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin’s latest mock draft, he had the Giants trading down with the Carolina Panthers from the No. 3 pick to the No. 8 pick to select LSU star offensive tackle Will Campbell.
Campbell is one of the top offensive linemen in this year’s draft class and plays a position of need for the Giants. Their biggest need coming into the offseason came at the quarterback position, but after signing Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, they have a bit more flexibility in the draft.
New York made improvements to their offensive line last offseason, but it all broke down as soon as Andrew Thomas suffered a season-ending foot injury. Furthermore, they are still trying to make up for the whiff of a pick that Evan Neal was back in 2022, and Campbell could be a strong replacement.
The Giants need to build a team that can win now
Of course, the organization’s bad luck with drafting offensive linemen in the first round may make them reluctant to try again, but Campbell could be a player worth selecting. He is a 6-6, 320-pound offensive tackle, albeit with shorter arms, giving him guard flexibility. New York needs to give Wilson proper pocket protection, so beefing up the offensive line could be a good strategy.
If the Giants choose to stay at third overall, shooting for an offensive lineman could be a reach. One of Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders, or Abdul Carter will be available at their pick, and it may be in the team’s best interest to simply go best player available to help their team win games now.
The NFL Draft is approximately two weeks away, and the Giants’ plans for the draft will continue to evolve until they are on the clock.
