If merely selecting college players in a predetermined order was all that happened on Draft Day, tomorrow would be fairly boring for the local teams. The Jets, picking seventeenth and unable to land a difference-making quarterback (except for maybe Josh Freeman), would probably select someone like Maryland wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey. The Giants, picking 29th and unable to get Darrius Heyward-Bey, would pick whichever wide receiver is left, possibly North Carolina’s Hakeen Nicks. But the Draft Day trades often end up having as big an impact as who picks whom — after all, even Eli Manning wasn’t actually drafted by the Giants. After the jump, a look at who could end up in New York over the next two days.
In a perfect world, the Jets would come out of this weekend with a new quarterback. Having lost out on Jay Culter, Draft Day presents their last real chance to replace Brett Favre with someone from outside the organization. With the seventeenth pick, the best they could do is take Kansas State’s Freeman, meaning that they might go all-in and try to trade up, possibly to No. 8, to pick USC’s Mark Sanchez. (There’s even a scenario in which the Browns take Sanchez at No. 5, making Brady Quinn expendable and giving the Jets yet another option.) If none of this works out, they could still take Heyward-Bey, and just hope Kellen Clemens or Brett Ratliff or whoever’s lining up under center can find a way to get him the ball.
The Giants, meanwhile, desperately need a receiver to replace Plaxico Burress — especially since Amani Toomer’s departure cuts down on their once-impressive depth at the position. The Daily News reported today that they’d like to trade down to the fourteenth pick to select Heyward-Bey, but they’ll also explore poaching someone from a current NFL roster. Talks with Braylon Edwards appear to be stalled, but the Cardinals are listening to offers for Anquan Boldin. (The Giants also have a lot of picks in the draft — ten altogether — which would help in potential trades.) And to complicate things just a bit, if a star receiver’s available and the Giants are in the mix, the Jets would probably be interested, as well.
