EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- There are nine games remaining in the season, and the New York Giants spent the early part of the week positioning themselves for the draft. It almost feels like they are preparing for Easter in the fall.

This is the Giants' reality after losing six of their first seven games.

The Giants (1-6) made a pair of trades after their most recent loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night. Two defensive starters have since found new homes: cornerback Eli Apple in New Orleans and defensive lineman Damon Harrison in Detroit. In exchange, the Giants received three draft picks.

Harrison will bring back a fifth-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft once the deal becomes official, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Apple commanded a fourth-round pick in ’19 and seventh-round selection in ’20.

There could be more trades before the Oct. 30 trade deadline.

All these moves aren’t going to help the Giants win now. Their talent pool is shrinking in the short term, with eyes on the future. Draft capital is gold when it comes to building a winning NFL roster. The Giants currently have five starters remaining from their 2015-17 drafts. Only three teams (Packers, Titans and Raiders) have fewer.

As it stands now, the Giants have nine picks in next year’s draft.

This is what the Giants have become, a team looking toward the future, with this season having slipped away. They are currently tied with the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals for the worst record in the NFL.

They’re in this position following a miscalculation in the offseason that has forced a midstream change of direction. With the intention of quickly rebounding from a 3-13 season, the Giants signed veterans such as left tackle Nate Solder, guard Patrick Omameh and running back Jonathan Stewart. They traded for linebacker Alec Ogletree, drafted running back Saquon Barkley at No. 2 overall and recommitted to quarterback Eli Manning.

The new regime of general manager Dave Gettleman and coach Pat Shurmur certainly thought their team would be better than 1-6 at this point. But Shurmur doesn't think they wrongly evaluated the Giants' roster.

“I don’t believe in that,” Shurmur said. “I think we’re constantly evaluating and constantly looking for ways to get better. There is a new GM and new coach because they were 3-13. We’re trying to do what we can do to build a winner and a winner that can sustain. That is what we’re trying to do.”

The stockpiling of draft picks should help.