New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen is always working, trying to find ways to make his team better.
Two weeks ago, on the first night of the 2025 NFL draft, Schoen was holding the third overall pick in the first round but was antsy. Anything could happen. The fate of his night — and future — hinged on what the two teams drafting in front of him did.
The Tennessee Titans had the first pick, followed by the Cleveland Browns. The consensus was that Tennessee would take Miami quarterback Cam Ward first overall and were not budging.
In a recent video released by the Giants, as part of their “Giants Life” series, Schoen is seen lobbing a call into Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi with seven minutes remaining on the clock during the first selection.
“Were you waiting for this?” Schoen said to Borgonzi on the phone. “I had to it. I had to it.”
Borgonzi told Schoen he would not be trading the pick.
“Well, good luck to you, man,” Schoen replied with a smile. “I thought I’d give one more swing.”
Schoen was exhausting all avenues once again to move up in the draft. Which player he was angling for is still unknown. Was it Ward? Or Colorado’s Travis Hunter, who went second to Jacksonville after a trade with Cleveland?
This is the second straight year Schoen attempted to trade up in the first round. Last year, he had the sixth overall pick and tried to get into the top three to select a quarterback but found no takers.
Instead, he landed LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers at No. 6. That worked out well. This year, Schoen landed Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter. That could be another great consolation prize.
Schoen did make his Day 1 trade, however, when he moved back into the first round to take Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.