It may have hurt some Giants fans to read the news that Ohio State DE Chase Young was officially entering the 2020 NFL Draft, knowing that he will almost definitely be off the board by the time they pick at No. 4 overall. What could have been changed completely when the Giants defeated the Redskins in Week 16, with Washington moving to No. 2 in the draft order and New York falling.
But maybe you're the Giants fan that has accepted the fact that Young likely won't don Big Blue threads next season, and you're looking forward to who GM Dave Gettleman will draft this year in the first round. There are loads of prospects to choose from other than Young, and that's where things might get tricky for the Giants.
If the Giants were in position to take Young, they probably sit with their feet up on the war room table and simply wait to be on the clock. But now Gettleman doesn't have that courtesy, and has several options to go with at the top of the draft.
At the end of the day, though, there are two main moves that Gettleman can make. The first is staying at No. 4 overall and choosing the prospect that best fits what the Giants are trying to build. The second is trading back to get some more draft stock, and still choose a prospect likely in the Top 10.
Let's explore that second option. The Giants currently have eight draft picks to work with after their first round selection, including the compensatory third-rounder that's projected from losing Landon Collins in free agency. But three of those seven picks come in the seventh round with one pick in rounds 2-6.
If the Giants believe they can still get someone they love a little later in the draft order, trading down to gain some more draft capital would be a great move. Teams like the Dolphins (No. 5 pick), Chargers (No. 6), Panthers (No. 7), and maybe the Jaguars (No. 9) could be looking to move up to select a quarterback like Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert after Joe Burrow likely comes off the board with the first overall pick. And the Giants can still find a good player like Iowa T Tristan Wirfs or Alabama T Jedrick Wills when they trade down.
But, if Gettleman wants to stay at No. 4, someone like Georgia OT Andrew Thomas could get past the Lions -- a team that desperately needs to keep Matthew Stafford off his behind next season. There's also this draft's top corner in Ohio State's Jeff Okudah, who some mock drafts have the Giants taking.
The options are expanded now with Young out of the question (unless something really weird and insane goes down). It's now up to Gettleman and his team to figure out if they love a prospect at No. 4 enough to stay and nab them, or if it is smart to trade down with a quarterback-needy team and still choose someone to fill one of the many holes on the roster.