The New York Giants sit atop a soft NFC East at 4-2-1 and sense a rare chance to seize the division, yet their ground game has not matched the opportunity.
Coach John Harbaugh has made clear he wants a true bell-cow back—the kind of Derrick Henry or Saquon Barkley workload that can carry an offense—and the current committee has not delivered it.
With Indianapolis listening on Jonathan Taylor, New York has emerged as the most aggressive suitor willing to push hard before the deadline.
Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports reported that the Giants “really want him. Badly,” and that the only real question is price.
An executive told him Indianapolis is seeking an “extraordinarily high” return, comparable to the multi-pick package Carolina received for Christian McCaffrey or even one that includes a first-round selection.
Because New York already lacks fourth- and fifth-round picks in the upcoming draft, matching that ask could force the Giants to include a first-rounder.
Vacchiano noted it “seems clear Harbaugh would” do so, and a scout told him the team knows it has a window in a weak division and “they want it.”
That willingness reflects the specific fit. Taylor has already topped 600 rushing yards this season and remains under contract through 2028, giving the Giants more than a rental.
Adding a proven 27-year-old workhorse would let Harbaugh install the kind of physical, lead-back offense he has long preferred, while also complementing the passing game around Malik Nabers.
Team sources have indicated to Vacchiano that New York is “thinking big,” and he predicts Taylor will land with the Giants—even if the deal feels like an overpay and even if the team somehow avoids surrendering a first-round pick.
Skeptics point out that running backs rarely command first-round capital and that age and durability always carry risk.
Yet the Giants’ draft-pick scarcity leaves them fewer creative ways to meet Indianapolis’ number, and the division race supplies urgency.
If the Colts ultimately demand a first, Harbaugh and the front office appear prepared to meet it rather than let the chance slip.
For a club that has spent years searching for a back who can set the tone, Taylor represents the clearest path to the circumstance Harbaugh has openly coveted.
