Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love could help the Giants with a trade-down scenario if he's still on the board at No. 5 MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Best Trade Partner for Giants in First Round

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Mar 24, 2026 10:00 AM ET

The New York Giants have a top-five pick in the NFL draft next month, but that doesn't necessarily mean they will leave with a top-five player at the end of the weekend.

The Giants have been viewed by many as a potential trade-down candidate in the first round because it would allow them to acquire more draft capital down the line, both this year and in future years.

With a lot of strong defensive talent at the top of the draft, teams may be content on taking whoever falls to them, but there is one offensive player that stands out above the rest in Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love.

If the Tennessee Titans don't take Love with the No. 4 pick and the Giants don't want him at No. 5, there is a chance that some team could trade up to select him. That team could be the Cincinnati Bengals.

Bengals, Giants NFL Draft Trade Makes Sense

The Bengals are a team that could benefit from adding a running back, as Chase Brown is entering the final year of his deal. On top of that, the Bengals are close enough to the Giants that a trade down wouldn't hurt New York as much.

Last year, when the Jacksonville Jaguars traded up three spots to acquire Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, they had to surrender a second, fourth, and first-round pick next year to the Browns for a fourth and a sixth-round pick. That should be a similar trade to what the Giants are looking to do if they were to move off the fifth pick.

If that were the deal Cincinnati and New York agreed to, the Giants would acquire 10, 41, 110, and next year's first-round pick. This means the Bengals would get Nos. 5, 105, 186.

The Giants have three picks in the sixth round, within seven selections of each other, so it makes sense for them to move off of one of those picks. They also get an additional second-round pick on top of number 37.

Having three players in the first 41 selections would give the Giants the ability to add multiple starters for the team, while possibly getting the player they could be targeting at No. 5 (Mansoor Delane, maybe?) would be a massive win for New York.

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