Giants Country

New Proposal Lays Out Possible Path for Giants to Acquire Top Receiver

According to one proposed trade scenario, the Giants could look to the 49ers to fill the role if Darius Slayton leaves via free agency.

Alex House

Dec 30, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (1) during the game against the Detroit Lions at Levi's Stadium.
Dec 30, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (1) during the game against the Detroit Lions at Levi's Stadium. / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
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It took half a decade, but the New York Giants finally found their next star wide receiver. Fresh off a splendid rookie campaign, Malik Nabers is the most important offensive player on the team. 

Now, the front office needs to get him some help. Six-year receiver and valued locker-room presence Darius Slayton is due to become a free agent and will probably draw interest from other teams. 

Jalin Hyatt, who has yet to take the big step forward the team needs him to take, remains a question mark. And Wan’Dale Robsinon, for as productive as he’s been, isn’t necessarily the tall, deep vertical threat needed to complement Nabers.

That means if Slayton does depart in free agency, Giants general manager Joe Schoen might have to look elsewhere for another pass-catcher to pair with Nabers.

One potential candidate to do that, assuming he’s made available via trade and doesn’t cost an exorbitant draft capital, is 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel. 

Samuel, whose best season was in 2021 when he had career highs in yards (1,405), targets (121), and receptions (77) in what was a Pro Bowl and All-Pro season, hasn’t played a full season since then and has seen his production slowly decline. But for the right price, the Giants could realistically entertain a trade for the versatile receiver.

Tyler Brooke of The 33rd Team laid out a proposal that sounds reasonable enough. Brooke’s hypothetical scenario has the Giants sending the 65th pick (third round) in the 2025 NFL Draft in exchange for Samuel and the No. 112 selection (fourth round).

If the Giants believe the 49ers veteran can still be productive, then a third-round pick is an acceptable sacrifice. However, that might not be all it costs them.

The 28-year-old Samuel has one year left on his contract and will likely want an extension from whichever team acquires him. New York has several roster needs, so it must exercise sound judgment when allocating its funds, as it is not cheap to add a difference-making pass-catcher.

Deebo Samuel Sr.
Dec 30, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (1) during the game against the Detroit Lions at Levi's Stadium. / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Does Trade Make Sense for Giants? 

Samuel posted just 51 receptions for 670 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for another 136 yards in 15 games last season. Injuries continue to hamper Samuel and have limited him to 15 games a piece in the last two seasons.

Besides the modest production and health issues, the 2019 second-rounder generated some bad optics last year. He criticized 49ers kicker Jake Moody on the sidelines after a missed kick and got into an altercation with long snapper Taybor Pepper. He has also made his displeasure about his role on the offense known.

The Giants finished in last place in the entire NFC and cannot afford negative energy in the locker room. Schoen probably cannot build a contender in one offseason, but he must focus on quickly cultivating a positive atmosphere. Would Samuel jeopardize?

Again, this trade talk is all hypothetical, but these are legitimate questions the Giants would need to explore before even agreeing to a deal. Many of the top receivers projected to become available come with a certain degree of risk that must be fully explored before taking things to the next level. 

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Alex House
ALEX HOUSE

Alex House is a passionate sports writer committed to providing readers with insightful and engaging coverage. His experiences in New England as a Connecticut resident and University of Rhode Island journalism student have helped shape him into who he is today. He also writes for ClutchPoints.com.

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