No one really knows which draft picks will turn into the best NFL players, but the more picks you have, the greater your chances of hitting on some of them. That’s something Giants General Manager Joe Schoen thought about during the second round of the draft.
Schoen started Round 2 of the draft with the 36th overall pick, but he traded down to 38 and picked up a fifth-round pick in the process. Then he moved down again, from No. 38 to No. 43, and picked up a fourth-round pick in the process. Schoen said those additional players are a part of his roster-building plan.
“We just thought it was what was best for us at this time. More picks would benefit us the most, we thought, based on who was on our board,” Schoen said, via ESPN. “We had deals in place before the draft started. So we were confident. We knew we could move back. That was part of the plan.”
The Giants ended up with Kentucky wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson in the second round, then grabbed Iowa safety Dane Belton with his extra fourth-round pick and Indiana linebacker Micah McFadden with his extra fifth-round pick. Only time will tell whether Belton and McFadden become solid contributors to the Giants’ defense, but Schoen gave himself a better chance of improving his roster by adding more picks.