Connor Orr of SI.com projects the Giants trading the No. 7 pick to the Saints for No. 16, No. 19, No. 49 (a second-round pick) and a second-round pick in 2023.

No. 5: CB Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner (Cincinnati)

New Giants defensive coordinator Don Martindale could very well change his stripes in East Rutherford and blitz less, though even in a more reserved 2022 the Ravens were sending extra rushers on almost a third of their defensive snaps. Gardner would take James Bradberry’s spot and pair with Adoree’ Jackson for a cornerback tandem that is good enough to stay afloat in the NFC East right away. The Giants certainly have some more work to do, but I was always impressed by what Brian Daboll did with Josh Allen while the Bills’ offensive line was a work in progress. Maybe they’ll press a top need here and hope for the best two picks later. Or maybe (see below) …

No. 16 DE George Karlaftis (Purdue) - via trade with Saints

The Giants have some room to play with here and a defensive line that needs some serious attention. While I might go with an interior player here, Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll come from a Buffalo team that has brilliantly stockpiled edge talent in the last two years, preparing for a series of deep playoff runs against elite quarterback play. Karlaftis was double teamed frequently at Purdue, which led to some misconceptions about his speed. We had a chance to view part of a private workout with Karlaftis and came away impressed. The Giants can bookend their defensive line and get tougher in a hurry.

No. 19: LB Nakobe Dean (Georgia) - via trade with Saints

I covered the Giants for a few seasons as a day-to-day beat reporter, so I understand I’m going to be littered with compostable material when I mock them an inside linebacker. The Giants, you say, just don’t draft inside linebackers in the first round. My retort? The Giants have an independent eye on their scouting process for the first time since the late 1970s. Off-ball linebackers have never been more important. The Giants’ defense seems, right now, to be far away from a Wink Martindale blueprint. Dean would be a critical piece toward the amoebic looks that made the Ravens’ so hard to contend with. And he’s not just a product of a generationally great defensive line at Georgia. There’s a good deal of independent work happening there, and it’s impressive.

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