New Report Suggests Three Potential Players Giants Should Consider Trading

The Giants are trying to avoid becoming sellers, but if they do, here are three candidates one report feels the team should consider trading.

New York Giants linebacker Azeez Ojulari (51), New York Giants defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches (93) and the rest of Big Blue were all smiles as they beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 27-10, Sunday, January 7, 2024. / Kevin R. Wexler / USA TODAY NETWORK

Although the 2024 NFL season is still young, the New York Giants have yet to notch their first win ahead of the start of what should be a tough six-game schedule.

Because of the Giants’ struggles, ESPN’s Dan Graziano has already begun thinking about potential trade options for the Giants, whom he believes could be a seller if the season spirals out of control. Graziano named three Giants–receiver Darius Slayton, edge Azeez Ojulari, and running back Devin Singletary–as players who could net the Giants draft picks for future use. 

Ojulari, the Giants’ second-round pick in 2021, was supposed to develop into one of the team's regular edge rushers following a successful career at Georgia. However, injuries in each of his last two seasons have stunted his development, as in that period, he's yet to match his career high in sacks (8.0) set as a rookie.

So far this season, Ojualri has an overall pass-rush win rate of 9.5, fourth among the Giants defenders with at least 20 pass-rush snaps. Ojulari is in the final year of his rookie contract, and with young pass rushers always in demand, if the Giants are going to look to be sellers, it most certainly makes sense to do so with this player.

Like Ojulari, Slayton is in the final year of his contract, which was adjusted after he staged a mini-holdout. Slayton, who was thought to be in direct competition with Jalin Hyatt this summer for playing time, is probably why Hyatt’s chances have been limited thus far.

Slayton has been a solid contributor for the Giants. Still, given the rising cost of re-signing veteran receivers, it’s hard not to fathom the Giants taking a youth approach moving forward.

General manager Joe Schoen said so after the team selected Malik Nabers in the draft. “You see what some of these receivers are getting right now, APY (average per year), and you get a guy at his age (almost 21) where we got him in the draft, and you’re going to have cost control for five years. We’re fired up about that.” 

Slayton has six receptions on eight targets for 59 yards and no touchdowns. The Giant's passing game seems to be going through Nabers (24 targets) and Wan’Dale Robinso (15 targets) right now, so for as much as Slayton brings to the locker room in terms of leadership and overall professionalism, perhaps it does make sense to try to acquire draft capital for him if the season tanks.

Of Graziano’s three suggestions, Singletary makes the least amount of sense. Singletary is under contract for three years and has $3.5 million guaranteed next year. Right now is head and shoulders above second-year man Eric Gray and rookie Tyrone Tracy, not just in rushing attempts and yardage (26 for 132) but also yards after contact average (3.5) and forced missed tackles (12).

His 12 forced missed tackles currently rank third in the league, behind Rhamondre Stevenson of the Patriots and Jordan Mason of the 49ers. That total is also three more than Saquon Barkley has (9) with the Eagles. 

If the Giants fall apart, they will need to upgrade different spots. Still, it would be hard to back the suggestion of trading away Singletary, who has given the Giants a decent running game this season.

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