NFL Confidential: How the Giants could flip 'the draft on its head'

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Flipboard
• Print
• Email

The Tennessee Titans have been on the clock for months, but the real action will begin soon after they select Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick Thursday night in Green Bay.

With the NFL Draft just over 24 hours away, let's dive into the madness to decipher what's real, and maybe more importantly — what's not — when it comes to all the buzz you've been hearing. 

Carter or Sanders could slide

Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter might be the best player in this class, but his landing spot is still a mystery. Several sources believe general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll wish to take him at No. 3 overall, character or injury chatter be damned.

"He's an alpha," an AFC GM told FOX Sports. "That's what you want in a pass rusher." Another executive added, "Classic Philly kid. Tough as f---, played through a broken foot and didn't even know it. That tells me everything. … He also dominated as a linebacker for Penn State earlier in his career, then switched to edge and dominated again."

Just don't rule out Giants owner John Mara as a wild card — and that could lead to Shedeur Sanders in New York.

"Mara loved Josh Allen back when they took Saquon [Barkley]," one source said. "He had his Eli (Manning) successor in Allen and didn't push for it. That's stuck with him. What if Thursday night he just says, ‘F--- it, it's my team. I want the QB.' That flips the draft on its head."

If that happens, what about Carter? The Patriots are a possibility — they hosted him — but most believe they're locked in on LSU OT Will Campbell even if Carter is there.

"Three-year starter. Just a vintage Mike Vrabel player," a former GM said. 

The Pats recently signed Morgan Moses, but he's best at right tackle. They missed out on Jaylon Moore (Chiefs) and Dan Moore (Titans) in free agency and mostly focused on defense. Campbell also met with owner Robert Kraft — which was not a coincidence. 

"Drake Maye is now your franchise," a former GM added. "Protect him with Campbell and you're set for a decade. That's the ultimate luxury."

Next up: the Jaguars at No. 5 — and they're maybe the biggest wild card of them all. A new regime, and zero "30 visits" conducted, has left teams guessing. I've seen mocks with DT Mason Graham or OLB Jalon Walker, but I think it'll be offense. They just paid their QB and the goal for Liam Coen — an offensive guru — is to help Trevor Lawrence reach his full potential. 

Now, should the Giants take Carter at 3, I'm not sure if there's another logical destination for Sanders until Pittsburgh, at 21. But would GM Omar Khan be a little more cautious, considering he picked Kenny Pickett at 20 just three years ago? That's a legitimate question being asked among league circles heading into the draft. 

Meanwhile, the expectation around the league was that the Steelers would have a decision by draft day from Aaron Rodgers, which leaves them in a precarious spot.

"There's no way they don't take a quarterback — or maybe even two — in the draft," a current executive said. "Right now it's just Mason Rudolph. You have zero clarity from Rodgers and you just spent $150 million on [DK] Metcalf. I'm sorry, but you have to address this, and you probably have to do it at 21. If Shedeur's there and I think he could be, he's the obvious pick."

Don't expect the Saints to go QB at No. 9. They're not in love with any of the options — at least not that high. They've made calls about trading up, even as high as No. 2 with Cleveland, but there's little indication the Browns want to move. That's a huge drop for GM Andrew Berry, who has his eyes on Travis Hunter.

Day 1 desires

Tight end Tyler Warren is a name who could go very high, unsurprisingly. The Jets (No. 7), Bears (No. 10) and Colts (No. 14) all love him — and yes, even the Saints could take him at No. 9. Teams view Warren as a true blue-chip prospect — Rob Gronkowski-like tools, elite character. 

"He's the kind of player you'd reach for — and I only say ‘reach' because you rarely see TEs go that high," a current college scouting director said. "But he's a game-changer."

Colston Loveland won't be far behind. He's big, strong and fluid — and Michigan's all-time single-season receptions leader by a tight end (56), despite shaky QB play. Don't expect him to get past the Chargers and Jim Harbaugh at 22, but that's his absolute floor.

There's a growing expectation of a strong first-round run on offensive linemen. 

"There are six, maybe seven guys who can start Week 1," one high-ranking scout said. "Then there's a drop. If you wait, you might have to reach later — or miss entirely."

Trade bait

Several teams picking in the top 10 are open to trading down. Their challenge has been finding clubs willing to move up, per league sources. But the 49ers, who own a league-high 11 picks, are a team to watch with the No. 11 pick. 

"They haven't picked this high since the Trey Lance draft," one NFC West exec said. "They could jump a few spots for a better player and still have plenty of picks. The trenches would make sense for them and where they are organizationally."

Bears GM Ryan Poles said he expects a "wild" draft with "a lot more movement." I'm not convinced, at least not near the top of the draft. Most teams want to trade back, and I haven't sensed teams are trying to move up to the top of the draft and pay what it would require.

George Pickens is one intriguing trade name to watch. Pittsburgh has taken and made calls on the talented WR, who's now extension-eligible. After paying Metcalf, league sources are skeptical the Steelers will pay two receivers.

"It's just not in their DNA to spend that much on two wideouts," the AFC GM said. "Pickens is more available than people think. Green Bay's been serious, and they're not the only ones."

The Texans have been making calls to move up from No. 25, and the belief is it's for an offensive lineman. GM Nick Caserio has been aggressive in trade-ups several times over the past few years.

The Vikings have the fewest picks of any team with just four, and they are the first logical team that could trade out of Round 1 to stockpile picks, with the partnering club coming up to draft a QB.

The belief on Kirk Cousins, according to several league sources, is that owner Arthur Blank is going to keep him there — on the bench — simply to back up Michael Penix Jr.  

"There's been all this perceived chatter about Cleveland and Pittsburgh," a current executive noted. "I don't see it. The Browns just got [Joe] Flacco, I heard they're out on Cousins. The Steelers still want Rodgers and are for sure drafting a quarterback. Atlanta's telling teams to eat some of that Cousins money, which nobody wants to do. Like nobody. My read is that the owner's going to just make his ass sit for another year and then cut him. That's a mess."

Diamonds in the rough

With so much emphasis placed on the very top players at each position, here are a few prospects not getting enough attention.

AlabamaLB Jihaad Campbell:People really like him and he's a bona fide top 10-15 talent. Widely viewed as the top linebacker prospect in the draft, Campbell is getting healthy with the expectation he will be ready by training camp. He's impressed teams with his coverage ability, sideline-to-sideline range and blitzing skills. One executive I spoke with compared him to 49ers' All-Pro LB Fred Warner.

LouisvilleQB Tyler Shough:Gifted thrower of the football with prototypical size (6-5, 219 pounds) and a real pension for executing tough-slotted arm angles. "He can play right now and win you a game," an area scout said. Nobody seems to care about the fact he's 25 or the fact he's had an injury history. "More fluky than anything else," the scout added. "He's mature and he understands who he is as a leader and person."

Bowling GreenTE Harold Fannin Jr.:One of the most productive tight end seasons in college football history cannot be ignored. Fannin, a former high school wide receiver and safety, caught 117 passes for 1,555 yards and 11 touchdowns. "He's the closest thing to Antonio Gates I've seen," the scout said. "He's not as big, but just his deceptiveness as a route-runner, how slippery he is once he gets the ball. I love him." Fannin — who, like Gates, hails from the Mid-American Conference — played his best ball against the best teams (and best defenses), including 11 catches and 137 yards versus Penn State and eight receptions for 145 yards and a score against Texas A&M.

Jordan Schultzis an NFL Insider for FOX Sports. He also co-hosts the "Why Is Draymond Green Talking About Football?" show. You can follow him on X at @Schultz_Report.

Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.

(责任编辑：知识)