The Giants are sitting in a good spot coming out of the bye, and that alone has turned the Nov. 10 trade deadline into a real moment for New York. At 4-2-1 and perched atop the NFC East, the Giants got exactly the kind of help they needed while they were off. The Cowboys coughed up a 14-point fourth-quarter lead to the Cardinals at home, and the Commanders knocked off the Eagles to pick up their second win of the season.
That has pushed Big Blue into clear buyer territory, with running back and defensive tackle looking like the two most obvious areas to address.
The backfield is where things get especially interesting. Jonathan Taylor is the biggest name being floated, but the Colts star could come with a price tag the Giants don’t want to touch. That’s why Ashton Jeanty has entered the conversation, especially after New York showed real interest in him during last year’s draft.
Jeanty’s name picked up steam after a rough Sunday for the Raiders. Las Vegas beat the Jets 38-33, but not in the way anyone would have expected from its sixth overall pick.
After some pregame trash talk, head coach Klint Kubiak barely used Jeanty at all, giving him just two carries while rookie Mike Washington Jr. handled 25. Jeanty did contribute as a receiver, catching three passes for 64 yards, but the workload drop was still striking for a 22-year-old back drafted sixth overall just last year.
That kind of usage naturally sparked trade chatter, and FanSided’s Christopher Kline suggested New York could take advantage. As he wrote, “This is the chance for New York to buy low on the most prized college running back in years, potentially forming one of the NFL’s best backfield duos for the foreseeable future.”
On the surface, it’s easy to see the appeal. Jeanty and Skatt together in North Jersey would give the Giants a young, dynamic backfield, and the idea gets even more intriguing with Jaxson Dart set to return next season.
But the reality is tougher than the theory. Jeanty is only in his second season, and the Raiders can control him through 2029 with his fifth-year option. One quiet Sunday doesn’t mean Las Vegas is suddenly ready to move on from a former top-six pick.
And even if the Raiders were open to it, the asking price would matter. Taylor’s reported cost has already been described as steep - second-, third-, fourth-, and fifth-round draft picks - and Jeanty would almost certainly not come cheap either. He’s averaging 3.1 yards per carry this season, which keeps the conversation from getting too far ahead of itself.
The Giants do need help. Tyrone Tracy Jr. is on IR, and Najee Harris was recently released.
But that also makes it hard to justify spending premium draft capital on a running back who would have to be more than just a short-term fix. New York just moved on from a player averaging 3.2 yards per carry after he publicly questioned the backfield rotation, so the bar for another expensive addition is high.
If the Giants want a more practical option, Tony Pollard could make sense. Tennessee is 1-7, and the 29-year-old would provide depth without demanding the kind of blockbuster package Taylor or Jeanty would require.
Jeanty would be a fascinating addition, but the Giants may be better off finding a cheaper answer elsewhere if they want to push for the division without emptying out their draft cupboard. Unless the Raiders are willing to make a deal that makes no sense for them, Jeanty probably isn’t the move.
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Giants May Have One Real Edge In The Jonathan Taylor Chase
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That matters because the clock is ticking, and the market for a proven runner is unlikely to stay quiet for long. John Harbaugh has also built a reputation for pushing aggressively on trades, which suggests the Giants could keep pressing if Taylor remains available. For now, the question is less about whether New York is interested and more about whether it can turn that interest into the kind of move that changes the conversation around its offense. [Read more 🡒]
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For a Giants roster trying to steady itself through a long season, that kind of presence matters. Schoen pointed to Winstons leadership and the way he has helped the team in the locker room and around games, a reminder that backup quarterbacks can shape a season in ways that never show up neatly in the box score. [Read more 🡒]