NFL Draft could be blown wide open as New York Giants and Cleveland Browns consider trades
This week's NFL Draft could be turned upside down amid a bombshell report on Tuesday that the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants could trade away their top picks.
The Browns hold the second pick behind the Tennessee Titans and the Giants have the third choice. They were expected to tussle between two elite prospects in pass rusher Abdul Carter and cornerback and wide receiver Travis Hunter.
But according to ESPN, both teams are now considering offers to trade those picks away after receiving calls in the last 48 hours from unnamed teams.
In the report's phrasing, neither the Giants nor Browns are 'outwardly rejecting' attempts to acquire their top picks.
Both teams are in dire need of an overhaul after miserable 2024 campaigns, and while the higher draft picks are a coveted prize, a package of players and future picks could force teams to consider a move at such a late stage.
Heisman Trophy winner Hunter is an especially intriguing player given that he can play on both sides of the ball.
Giants GM Joe Schoen could opt to trade away his team's No. 3 overall pick on Thursday
Travis Hunter is expected to go within the top three picks of the NFL Draft on Thursday
Last week, Browns GM Andrew Berry compared him to Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani.
The Titans, meanwhile, are said to be holding on to the No. 1 pick for Thursday night in Green Bay, where they are widely expected to go for quarterback Cam Ward.
While Ward and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders were once seen as rivals to go No. 1 overall, the gap in their respective evaluations has widened, with Sanders now pegged by some to fall out of the first round entirely.
Following their signings of Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, the Giants now appear more likely to use their No. 3 pick - if it is not traded - to select Carter or Hunter rather than Sanders.
However, the Giants have extensively scouted the son of NFL icon Deion and worked him out at their facility in New Jersey last week.
That has led some to float the possibility that Big Blue could look to select him later in the first round if they can acquire another pick on Day One of the Draft.
Browns GM Andrew Berry has previously compared two-way star Hunter to Shohei Ohtani
Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter is also expected to be one of the early prizes of the Draft
Cleveland, meanwhile, badly needs a quarterback as well after Deshaun Watson continued to badly struggle last season while playing on a $230million contract.
The team reunited with 40-year-old Joe Flacco this offseason but will be looking for their passer of the future after going just 3-14 last year.
Watson is also a doubt to suit up in 2025 after suffering his second Achilles rupture since October in January.
Beyond Ward and Sanders, Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart could also be a quarterback taken in the first round, while the likes of Will Campbell, Ashton Jeanty and Jalon Walker are expected to be high picks as well.
After the Titans, Browns and Giants, the Patriots (No. 4), Jaguars (No. 5), Raiders (No. 6), Jets (No. 7), Panthers (No. 8), Saints (No. 9) and Bears (No. 10) round out the current top ten order.
