Skip Bayless Gets Called out by Fans for Saying the Giants Should Trade Their Two Top-10 Picks

Skip Bayless suggests that the Giants trade their two first round draft picks to the Cardinals to acquire the 3rd overall draft pick and select RB Jeremiyah Love.

Skip Bayless Gets Called out by Fans for Saying the Giants Should Trade Their Two Top-10 Picks

John Harbaugh, Jeremiyah Love and Skip Bayless inside the circle (Image via IMAGO/X)

In Short
  • Skip Bayless suggests the New York Giants trade their 5th and 10th overall picks to draft running back Jeremiyah Love at 3rd overall.
  • Fans criticize Bayless for prioritizing a running back over addressing the team's defensive needs.
  • The Giants recently acquired the 10th pick by trading defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, raising concerns about their defense.

On Thursday, April 23, the New York Giants will get two chances to draft in the first round. Mock drafts project the team of John Harbaugh and Joe Schoen taking linebacker Sonny Styles at 5 and safety Caleb Downs at 10.

In doing so, the Giants will address the leaky defense that let them down nearly every game in 2025. Skip Bayless, on the other hand, wants to see the Giants trade up the chart and draft a running back, Jeremiyah Love.

From Bayless’s perspective, the Notre Dame alum is the best player in the 2026 draft—ahead of reigning Heisman Trophy winner and college football final champion quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

Drafting Love will be a bold move for GM Schoen, who is under a lot of pressure to make the right choice this time. Bayless presented a couple of reasons for backing the idea of drafting Love. For his first reason, he noted that the Giants picked Kayvon Thibodeaux and Evan Neal in the top 10 the last time they had two picks (in 2022). Neither Neal nor Thibodeaux has had a successful career in the NFL.

Second, the veteran sports critic referred to an article from Adam Schefter, in which ESPN‘s NFL insider hinted that there’s a shortage of elite defensive talent near the top of the pile, which could force teams to make trades (both up and down).

Bayless suggested the Giants trade the 5th and 10th overall picks to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for their 3rd overall pick and draft Love. Bayless said on The Arena Gridiron show:

I would shoot the moon on this one. I will take No. 5 & No. 10… And I think you [the Giants] are gonna have to go to No. 3 because I think Jeremiyah Love is gonna go 3. I just think Arizona’s sitting on that… Cause [then] I could say, I got the best player of the draft. I got a guy who’s at his position, everybody believes is better than Fernando Mendoza is at his position.

Fans of the New York Giants call out Skip Bayless for suggesting that John Harbaugh should trade away 5th and 10th overall picks to draft Jeremiyah Love

Bayless is a polarizing figure. And more importantly, he’s a staunch supporter of the Dallas Cowboys. If the Giants forfeit Styles and Downs, it leaves the door open for the Cowboys to swoop in and take either one or both of them.

Skip Bayless Gets Called out by Fans for Saying the Giants Should Trade Their Two Top-10 Picks
John Harbaugh (Image via IMAGO)

Moreover, the Giants acquired the 10th overall pick by trading defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals last week. So they lost a key player of the defense, which ranked at the bottom in stopping the run last year.

Sure, they can use Love and Cam Skattebo in a similar way the Detroit Lions used Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, but most Giants would agree that making quality additions to the defense should be their top priority. And that’s why they called out Bayless for suggesting the trade.

Skattebo is not the only running back the Giants have on the roster. They also boast veterans Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary. So, the running back should not be the Giants’ first priority unless they decide to part ways with one of them.

Also Read: