Giants general manager Joe Schoen met with reporters Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

And to no surprise, he didn’t rule out anything for the 2024 NFL Draft — including trading up to No. 1, in a deal with the Bears, to get USC quarterback Caleb Williams.

Of course, why would Schoen rule anything out at this point, with about two months left until the draft?

But Schoen made one thing clear Tuesday: He wants to get more familiar with this quarterback draft class — including meeting with prospects — before he decides whether to trade up.

“I think at that position, it’s a different stratosphere,” Schoen said. “You’ve got to get around these kids, and you’ve got to get to know them. And until you’re able to do that, it’s hard to make those kind of moves. This is the start [at the combine]. A lot of these prospects, this is the first time we’re going to get around them. We’re looking forward to it.”
Schoen said he wants to be “comfortable” with this quarterback draft class before he makes any big decisions.

“We’re at six, so we’re going to evaluate everything,” Schoen said.

The Giants are indeed sixth in the draft order. It’s possible that quarterbacks (Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels) could go in the top three — to Chicago, Washington, and New England. Even though Arizona at No. 4 and the Chargers at No. 5 won’t take a quarterback, Schoen could find himself boxed out of getting Daniel Jones’ replacement this offseason.

There’s also this: What if the Patriots, Cardinals, and/or Chargers want to trade down, in a deal with a quarterback-needy team? The Falcons at No. 8, Vikings at No. 11, and/or Broncos at No. 12 could all be looking to move up for a quarterback.

Schoen is higher than those teams, of course. So it wouldn’t cost him as much to move to No. 3, 4, or 5. But what if he wanted to jump to No. 1, presuming the Bears decide to keep Justin Fields?

Well, that would cost Schoen a lot more than just the extra second-round pick he got from Seattle last year in the Leonard Williams trade. Which means Schoen better be sure that Caleb Williams is indeed a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback.

So how much would Schoen have to surrender for a move from No. 6 to No. 1? Obviously, he doesn’t have to climb that high. He could trade up to, say, No. 3.

NFL.com projects a sixth-to-first move would cost Schoen his top second-round pick this year (No. 39) and lone third-rounder this year (No. 70) — plus the Giants’ first-rounder in 2025 and 2026. That’s an enormous haul.

And while it likely would give Schoen and coach Brian Daboll job security beyond 2024 — as Giants ownership lets Daboll mold Williams — it could cripple the franchise’s future, if Williams flops.

Yes, it often pays to be bold at quarterback. Still, this would be an especially bold move by Schoen, just one year after he gave Jones what is essentially a two-year, $82 million contract, with an escape hatch for the Giants after 2024 — but no sooner.