Giants will give up seventh-round pick in Ross Cockrell trade

The New York Giants will surrender a seventh-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for last season’s acquisition of cornerback Ross Cockrell. That information, which comes directly from the Giants, runs counter to a claim on the Steelers’ website that the conditional pick had become a sixth-rounder.

The Steelers’ writer who asserted the belief the pick would be a sixth-rounder has since admitted his mistake.

Expected to be the Giants’ fourth corner, Cockrell played far more and far better in 2017 than could have been anticipated. He started nine games, had three interceptions, and played more snaps that any other cornerback on the Giants’ roster.

The 26-year-old can be a free agent next month. The view here is that the Giants should make a strong effort to retain Cockrell.

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Giants’ draft picks

Even with losing the seventh-rounder to the Steelers the Giants are expected to have seven picks in the upcoming draft. They should be awarded a fourth-round compensatory selection for the loss in free agency of Johnathan Hankins. Those picks have yet to be announced by the league.

The exact order of the final three selections will obviously be impacted by the compensatory selections. Here is the order as of now.

Round 1 (No. 2 overall)

Round 2 (No. 34)

Round 3 (No. 66)

Round 4 (No. 98)

Round 4 (Expected compensatory pick/TBD)

Round 5 (No. 130)

Round 6 (No. 162)