If the Giants plan to use the Bengals’ first-round pick, it would have been better to acquire the selection in exchange for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence when the pick was on the clock. That prevents a team like, say, the Cowboys at No. 12, from trading up and guessing right as to the guy the Giants were waiting to pick.
But there’s one sound reason for having the tenth overall pick in hand as draft week begins. The Giants now have the ammunition to package the 10th and fifth picks together in an effort to move higher in round one.
Obviously, they won’t be trying to go all the way to No. 1, since the Giants have their quarterback. No. 2 becomes a possibility, as does No. 3.
That’s not to say any deal would be as simple as, for instance, No. 5 and No. 10 for No. 2 or No. 3. The Giants likely would get more in return than an increase by two or three spots. Still, having the ability to give a team two top-10 picks in return for one becomes a valuable enticement.
Either way, everyone knows the Giants now have two picks in the top 10. It’s possible that those picks could become the starting point for inching higher in the draft order.
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