The New York Giants are clearly in need of quality wide receivers. Their best passing-catching option is arguably Darius Slayton, who led the team in receiving yards this season with 770 yards, the fourth time Slayton has finished as the receiving yardage leader in the last five years.
The Giants may also have an option in tight end Darren Waller, but injury issues, unfortunately, have made him undependable. Many proposed trade and draft scenarios have rightfully centered around the Giants addressing a glaring weakness on their roster.
Receiver will be one of the first positions the Giants will address heading into next season, along with their offensive line. The Giants finished near the bottom of the league this season in total passing yards.
Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report suggests a trade that would help the Giants receiving unit but negatively impact their defense enough to where the trade proposal, while well thought out, is unlikely if Lawrence is included.
Here’s what Moton suggested:
Buffalo Bills receive DL Dexter Lawrence, 2024 second-rounder (No. 39 overall pick) and fifth-rounder (No. 139 overall pick)
New York Giants receive WR Stefon Diggs, 2024 sixth-rounder (No. 197 overall pick). The New York Giants have a few reasons or motives to acquire Stefon Diggs.
New York may have whiffed on its trade with the Las Vegas Raiders for tight end Darren Waller, who caught 52 passes for 552 yards and a touchdown in his first year with the Giants. Waller is headed into his age-32 term, and he’s missed 19 contests over the past three seasons because of various injuries. Lastly, quarterback Daniel Jones will go into the second term of his four-year, $160 million contract that includes $81 million in guaranteed money.
Moton believes Brian Daboll’s familiarity with Diggs from his time in Buffalo and the Giants’ need for a receiver would be enough reason for the Giants to consider trading for Diggs.
The opposite, however, is true given the trade parameters. While there is no question that the Giants could benefit from adding a legitimate No. 1 receiver, they have a chance to do so in this year’s draft if one or both of Malik Nabers of LSU or Rome Odunze of Washington falls to them at No. 6. It would be far more beneficial for the Giants to go the draft route where they would get a younger receiver who could be with them for five or more seasons as opposed to trading for the 30-year-old Diggs.
And under no scenario would the Giants consider trading Lawrence, their best overall defensive player. The Giants don’t have a lot of “untouchable” players on their roster, but Lawrence, along with left tackle Andrew Thomas, are two such untouchables who, to even suggest New York contemplate moving them is just not a realistic scenario.