The New York Giants already have a backfield that looks solid on paper for the 2026 season, but the conversation changes fast if you drop Jonathan Taylor into it. That’s the premise behind a trade idea from Lee Vowell of Horseshoe Heroes, who floated the Colts star as the kind of explosive piece that could change things in New York overnight.
Vowell didn’t frame it as something Indianapolis should be eager to do. Still, he argued that if there were a team that made sense as a landing spot for Taylor, it would be the Giants.
"New York has a decent stable of backs, but none of the players are truly capable of Taylor-type greatness. New York might need that to help ascending second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart have a chance to improve more rapidly," Vowell wrote.
"The Giants would be better with Taylor, and Dart would be a better quarterback. For a team trying to rebuild once again, the running back is the exact kind of player they need."
The deal Vowell laid out would send Taylor to New York in exchange for a second-round pick in next year’s draft and Tyrone Tracy Jr. going back to Indianapolis.
That naturally raises the question of what happens to Cam Skattebo, who is expected to be the Giants’ lead back. Vowell said that shouldn’t stop the team from considering the move.
"New York has Cam Skattebo, and he is currently expected to be the team's lead back. He did get injured in 2025, though, so how healthy he remains is unknown. Plus, Taylor is clearly the better player, and having Skattebo would allow both players to remain fresh during games and late in the season."
The appeal is obvious: Taylor would give the Giants a weapon few teams can match, and that would take pressure off both Skattebo and Jaxson Dart.
Even so, this is still firmly in hypothetical territory. Taylor is under contract for the 2026 season, and unless the Colts stumble badly early in the year, they’re likely to keep him.
Still, the idea is easy to understand. If New York could land a player like Taylor for Tracy Jr. and a second-round pick, it’s the kind of move that would be hard to turn down.
In Other News...
Giants Rookie Colton Hood Is Suddenly At Center Of A Huge Battle
The Giants are still sorting out their cornerback picture, and rookie Colton Hood has pushed his way into the conversation at exactly the right time. With Paulson Adebo locked into one side, the real question has become who can handle the job opposite him, especially after Greg Newsome II and Deonte Banks have both left the team looking for more stability on the back end.
Hood has given the staff reasons to believe he can be part of the answer, even if the learning curve is still obvious. Addison Lynch and Donald DAlesio have both praised the way he has handled spring work and said he looks like he belongs, but they have also pointed to the finer points of NFL coverage that still need tightening up, which is why this battle feels far from settled. [Read more 🡒]
John Michael Schmitz Could Create A Familiar Giants Problem
John Michael Schmitz is heading into a pivotal stretch for the Giants, and it is one that could end up looking a lot like a problem this franchise has seen before. The 2023 second-round pick is now in the final year of his rookie contract, which means his next season will do more than just help stabilize the middle of the offensive line. It could also determine whether New York is staring at a difficult decision on a young player it drafted to be part of the solution.
If Schmitz takes another step forward, the Giants may not be the only team paying attention. A strong year could put him on track to be one of the more attractive centers on the market, and that is where the tension starts to build for a team that would prefer to avoid another expensive search at a premium position. The fallback possibilities are there in theory, but neither Ted Karras nor Andre James looks like the kind of answer that would quiet the long-term questions for good. [Read more 🡒]
Braxton Berrios Has A Real Chance To Change Giants Fans Minds
Braxton Berrios arrived in New York with the kind of resume that usually points first to special teams, and that is still the clearest path for him to help the Giants. He was signed primarily as a kick returner, and with the return jobs open, he enters camp in a real competition for those spots. For a team looking to sharpen every edge on the roster, that alone gives Berrios a meaningful lane to stick.
But there is a little more here than just field position. Berrios also gets a chance to show he can be part of the receiver mix as training camp unfolds, which is the sort of opportunity that can quietly change how a player is viewed inside a building. If he handles the return game and gives the offense something useful on the side, the Giants may find themselves with a tougher decision than they expected. [Read more 🡒]