Dexter Lawrence was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals, and in this way the New York Giants added a new first-round pick for the upcoming draft. Joe Schoen knows he has in John Harbaugh one of the coaches who has put in the most effort at this stage in a long time.
“This guy does more work in the draft than any coach I’ve ever been around,” the General Manager told Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer. “The bar is high with his passion for the draft and the amount of work he does; he’s always learning. And I always want to learn.
“And, obviously, he’s got a tremendous track record, and he’s been in an organization for the previous 18 years that won a lot of football games. So we have a process in place, but we’re always open to being more efficient. It’s whatever we need to do to get to the endgame.”
Harbaugh already has his eye on Thursday
Everyone already has their mind set on what will happen next Thursday in Pittsburgh, including the Giants. A new edition of the draft will take place there, when the vast majority of teams select young talent coming from college football.
Head coach John Harbaugh.
The last-minute move involving Lawrence’s departure increased the number of picks the G-Men will have when this major event begins. Harbaugh is analyzing every step to make the most of each of his picks.
- Round 1 – No. 5
- Round 1 – No. 10 (via Cincinnati)
- Round 4 – No. 105
- Round 5 – No. 145
- Round 6 – No. 186
- Round 6 – No. 192 (via Miami)
- Round 6 – No. 193 (via Dallas)
What do the Giants need?
With the #5 and #10 picks, the Giants’ primary objective is filling the massive void left by Dexter Lawrence’s departure by targeting a high-impact interior defensive lineman or a versatile edge rusher to anchor the front seven. Simultaneously, New York needs to capitalize on this draft capital to bolster a struggling secondary or secure an elite playmaker like a top-tier running back to support their young quarterback.
Under John Harbaugh’s direction, expect the front office to prioritize a balance of blue-chip defensive talent and offensive explosiveness to quickly retool a roster that is now pivoting into a new era.
