These New York Giants Bold Predictions Take the Cake

Put these predictions from Bleacher Report in the "Come on, man!" category.

Dec 25, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke (58) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Giants should tank for a premium draft spot next year and consider trading inside linebacker Bobby Okereke and receiver Darius Slayton.

Yes, those are the suggestions made by Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon in his list of early bold predictions for the 2024 NFL trade deadline in which he offers a couple of doozies for the Giants that have about as much of a chance of happening as one finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. 

Let’s start with the idea of the Giants tanking for a top draft slot to spend on a quarterback in next year’s draft.

It’s not happening. No coach who calls himself a competitor and who seeks to uphold the integrity of the game would do that, as it sends a bad message to the locker room.

If that’s not reason enough to dismiss this “prediction” as one that will never happen, consider this. If the Giants didn’t “tank” last year when “DeVito mania” was running wild and keeping the Giants’ slim playoff hopes alive late into the season, what makes anyone think they’d do so this year?

They won’t.

The other part of the “bold prediction” has the Giants moving up into the top five by trading a veteran like receiver Darius Slayton or linebacker Bobby Okereke to move up.

Two things here. First, the chances of the draft order being anywhere close to being settled by the trade deadline are slim. Besides that, in what universe does it make sense for the Giants to even contemplate trading away Okereke, one of their best defensive players?

Spoiler alert: It doesn’t.

The Slayton trade suggestion could make some sense, especially if Malik Nabers becomes the kind of receiver the Giants think he could be. Slayton has been a good receiver for the Giants and has led the team in receiving yards in four of the last five seasons. He’s a solid No. 2 option who should benefit from having Nabers in the lineup with him.

That said, it would not be surprising if Slayton’s pass targets decrease this year. And if it looks as though the Giants have enough elsewhere in the receiving room, then maybe it makes sense to consider moving Slayton, who is in the final year of his contract and who did not get the extension he was looking for earlier in the spring, to a team in need of a solid receiver who’s willing to part with some decent trade capital.

Training camp can’t get here soon enough.

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