Giants Weigh Trade-Deadline Deals to Lock Up NFC East Lead

The New York Giants control their own fate in the NFC East this season, and the question facing general manager Joe Schoen and head coach John Harbaugh is whether to spend draft capital now to secure it, according to a New York Post column published Nov. 3 by Ryan Dunleavy.

What is the Giants' position in the NFC East?

Dunleavy writes that the Giants are in the division's "driver's seat" heading into the trade deadline, framing a division title this season as the equivalent of the franchise's "Super Bowl." The column does not cite a specific won-loss record, but it stakes out a clear argument: the Giants have not won anything beyond a single wild-card playoff game since 2022, and the franchise has not won the NFC East outright since 2011. That drought is the backdrop for the column's central claim — that Harbaugh and Schoen "should go all in" at the deadline rather than play it safe.

How does the NFL trade deadline affect the Giants' options?

The trade deadline is the point in the NFL calendar after which teams can no longer exchange players for picks or other players; roster upgrades after that point have to come from free agency, waivers, or in-house development. That mechanism is why the column frames this week as decisive: any defensive-line or backfield help the Giants want has to be acquired before the window closes, not after. Players added before the deadline are eligible to suit up for the stretch run and any postseason games, which is the lever Schoen would be pulling if he moves.

Which players could the Giants target?

The column names two veteran running backs as potential targets. Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts is cited directly, with the Post running a photo of Taylor picking up a first down against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium on Nov. 1. Dunleavy also raises Derrick Henry as a possibility "should he become available." Beyond the backfield, the column flags a need for a "starting-caliber defensive tackle," without naming a specific player, as a second area where the front office could look to upgrade before the deadline passes.

What would these moves cost the Giants in draft picks?

The column spells out the currency Schoen would likely have to spend. For a back of Taylor's or Henry's caliber, Dunleavy writes the Giants should say yes even "if Jonathan Taylor — or Derrick Henry, should he become available — costs a second-round draft pick." For a defensive tackle, the price floated is lower: Dunleavy argues the team should pay "if a starting-caliber defensive tackle costs 2028 mid-round draft assets." The distinction matters in roster-building terms — a second-rounder is a premium asset teams typically protect, while mid-round picks two years out are the kind of capital front offices more readily move for an immediate need.

How does this fit the Giants' recent history?

The column's urgency is rooted in a specific timeline of futility. The Giants' last division title came in 2011. Their only playoff appearance since then of any note was a wild-card-round win in the 2022 season — a single game, not a division crown or a deeper postseason run. Dunleavy's argument is that a division title this year, modest as it might sound in other franchises' histories, would end a drought stretching back a decade and a half, which is why he frames the stakes as "anything that boosts the Giants' odds of winning something" for the first time in that span.

What happens next?

The deadline itself sets the clock: once it passes, Schoen's roster for the rest of the season is largely locked in outside of waiver claims and free-agent signings. The column does not specify which day the deadline falls on this year, but its Nov. 3 publication date places the decision squarely in the days ahead. Whether the Giants move on Taylor, wait on Henry, add a defensive tackle with future-year picks, or stand pat will determine whether Harbaugh and Schoen enter the stretch run with reinforcements or with the roster they already have. The Post column's position is unambiguous: in a division the Giants are positioned to win, the cost of an in-season addition is lower than the cost of falling short again.

Read the original column at the New York Post.