The New York Giants have seven selections in the 2026 NFL draft later this month, but only two in the first three rounds.
They will field offers for their top pick (No. 5 overall) but also have several tradeable pieces in their possession, such as former first-round picks Kayvon Thibodeaux, Deonte Banks, and, dare we say it, Dexter Lawrence.
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In a recent mock, ESPN draft analyst Bill Barnwell suggests that the Giants could make a slight trade down in the first round to obtain more draft capital.
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Dallas Cowboys (home, away)
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New York Giants’ 2026 opponents
Washington Commanders (home, away)
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New York Giants’ 2026 opponents
Philadelphia Eagles (home, away)
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New York Giants’ 2026 opponents
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New York Giants’ 2026 opponents
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New York Giants’ 2026 opponents
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In this mock draft, Barnwell sees the Giants in the mix for several players, some of whom could be there several slots down the order. He suggested the Giants trade the No. 5 overall pick to the New Orleans Saints along with Banks in exchange for the No. 8 overall pick, a third-rounder (No. 73), and a fifth-round pick (No. 172).
The Giants could be in the mix for (Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah) Love or (Ohio State wideout Carnell) Tate, but their ideal addition would be (Ohio State linebacker Sonny) Styles, who should still be available at No. 8. They traded away their 2026 third-round pick as part of the move up for Jaxson Dart a year ago, and while Love would be their long-term replacement for Saquon Barkley, getting that third-round pick back might not cost the Giants very much given their potential range of non-Love additions in Round 1.
Mickey Loomis and the Saints, of course, are never shy about moving up if there’s a player who fits their roster. They would likely need to leap the Browns and Commanders to jump the queue for Tate, who would slot in alongside Chris Olave and Devaughn Vele as the starting wide receivers for Tyler Shough. New Orleans would also take a flier on a 2023 first-round pick at cornerback in Banks, who has prototypical size for an NFL cornerback at 6-foot-2 but hasn’t lived up to expectations through three years in New York. Banks would figure in as the likely kick returner for the Saints in 2026, too.
The trade does several things for the Giants. They still get Styles, who many believe is at the top of their board, while gaining two valuable picks to play with. In addition, they subtract Banks, resulting in a cap savings of $2.6 million.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants send Deonte Banks packing in Bill Barnwell’s all trades mock