Whether it happens before or during the event, the NFL Draft is no stranger to trades, and there will certainly be a few coming this spring. According to a recent mock draft, two teams to watch include the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants.
New York Giants Projected To Trade Up for Miami QB Cam Ward
The most intriguing storyline to track during this year’s NFL Scouting Combine (Feb. 27 to March 2) will be who engages in trade talks to move up to draft one of the few top quarterbacks.
Owning the worst record in the 2024-25 NFL season, the Titans currently hold the coveted No. 1 pick this year. But with so many needs to address and new decision-makers in the front office, the club might be better off wheeling and dealing for a handful of picks than standing pat with one.
Tennessee has only one top-100 selection and eight picks overall in this year’s draft. Given the Titans’ situation, turning one pick into a haul would be a wise move for first-year general manager Mike Borgonzi.
The New York Giants, who pick fourth and are in dire need of a quarterback, could be the perfect team to swap with Tennessee. PFSN’s Joe DeLeone projects Big Blue will trade up from No. 3 to No. 1 to grab 2024 Heisman Trophy finalist Miami’s Cam Ward.
“The Giants coaching staff and front office are in desperation mode,” DeLeone wrote in his seven-round 2025 NFL mock draft on Feb. 22. “They can’t miss out on the best quarterback prospect in the class. Someone will try to move up by draft night for Cam Ward, and in this case, it’s New York landing the gunslinger out of Miami.”
What Would the No. 1 Overall Pick Potentially Cost the Giants?
There have been 13 trades for the top pick in the NFL Draft since 1967, but it has been 50 years since the team slotted to pick third overall moved into the top spot.
The most recent trade for the No. 1 overall pick came in 2023 when the Chicago Bears dealt it to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for wide receiver D.J. Moore, the No. 9 pick, a second-round pick, another first-round pick in 2024, and a second-round pick in 2025. The Panthers selected quarterback Bryce Young with the top overall selection in that QB-rich draft.
But this year’s quarterback class isn’t so rich.
NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah believes that, given the underwhelming state of this year’s crop of QBs, it could cost less for a team to move up.
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“It does vary in terms of the overall feel of the class and how much they want to move out,” Jeremiah said on Thursday’s annual pre-NFL Scouting Combine conference call with media members.
Still, Jeremiah thinks one element of the package would need to include New York’s 2026 first-round pick. “To move back to three, I mean, you’re getting next year’s one [first-round pick], I guess,” he said. “You start there, but in terms of how much on top of that.”
Giants Eye Shedeur Sanders, Cam Ward in Pre-Draft Scouting Process
The Giants have and will continue to do their due diligence on the draft’s top QB prospects, including Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. At this stage, however, there has been no definitive indication if New York likes either — at least, not publicly.
If the Giants move up the board, they’ll want to be secure in who they pick in hopes of avoiding a Daniel Jones 2.0 situation. Otherwise, they’re best to let the top two picks play out or trade down for an extra 2026 pick when the QB class is anticipated to be deeper.
Given the risk of trading up for a quarterback, Jeremiah thinks the Giants might be better off signing a veteran free agent.
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Unfortunately, though, pickings are slim. Sam Darnold, who revitalized his career with the Minnesota Vikings, is the most attractive free-agent signal-caller according to PFSN’s Top 100 NFL Free Agent Rankings.
“You want to get your quarterback of the future, but there’s some pressure, at least from the outside, not knowing any on the inside, to have a good year next year. Relying on a young guy there can be a little bit tricky,” Jeremiah said.
“The veteran options–somehow trading for [Matthew] Stafford would be way, way up there for me in the short term, at least with Sam Darnold being, I just don’t see that as a possibility there,” he added.
