New York Giants' Top Trade Candidate is Not Who You Think

Throughout the offseason, we have heard speculation that the New York Giants could trade edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux. It's been pretty constant. Nevertheless, Thibodeaux seems primed to begin 2026 with the Giants.

Of course, that could change before Week 1. If another team comes along and offers New York a second-round pick in exchange for Thibodeaux, it's hard to imagine the Giants saying no. However, the chances of that actually happening are rather slim.

But are there any other potential trades that could surface for New York between now and the start of the regular season?

Well, one potential trade candidate no one seems to be mentioning is linebacker Micah McFadden.

McFadden has been a feel-good story for the Giants ever since arriving. He was selected by New York in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, had an impressive rookie year and then became a full-time starter as soon as his sophomore campaign.

In fact, the Indiana University product actually put together two very strong seasons in 2023 and 2024 before a Lisfranc injury essentially stopped his 2025 campaign before it started, as he went down in Week 1.

The Giants re-signed McFadden on a one-year contract back in March, but things are a bit dicey for the 26-year-old heading into his fifth NFL season.

New York added Tremaine Edmunds in free agency and also selected Arvell Reese with the fifth overall pick of the draft, so McFadden has already lost his starting job. He's a terrific depth piece, but he won't be seeing excessive snaps any longer.

That makes you wonder: could the Giants consider trading McFadden?

Remember: New York also has Darius Muasau — who admirably filled in for McFadden last season — on the inside, and it also selected the very intriguing Jack Kelly in the sixth round of the draft back in April.

McFadden has value. Yes, he is coming off of a severe injury, and that could be a red flag to other clubs, but if a team is in need of an off-ball linebacker in training camp or an injury occurs elsewhere, McFadden could be of interest.

Would the Giants stand to reap a major return for McFadden? No. Unless you're Fred Warner or one of a select few others, inside linebackers do not typically hold significant value. But could New York land a Day 3 pick for McFadden? Almost surely.

It's nice to have McFadden for depth, especially if Reese struggles during his rookie season. It's also worth noting that Edmunds has played just two full seasons since entering the NFL in 2018.

But again, the Giants have Muasau, who proved he can play last year. And if Kelly performs well enough in camp, he may be able to carve out some playing time himself.

This isn't an order for New York to trade McFadden as soon as possible, but it is worth noting that it's something that could be on the table for the G-Men.

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