Why Trading Darius Slayton Wouldn't be a Good Idea for Giants Right Now

Darius Slayton continues to be mentioned as a player with whom the Giants could part ways at some point.

New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton / Kevin R. Wexler / USA TODAY NETWORK

Perhaps the second biggest debate among the New York Giants external circle outside of the quarterback debate has been calls for the team to trade receiver Darius Slayton, who has been their receiving yardage leader in four of the last five seasons.

Add CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin to that growing list who believes the Giants would be better off moving on from Slayton, the team’s fifth-round draft pick in 2019 and one of the longest-tenured members of the team. 

Slayton, who recently ended his holdout from the voluntary OTAs after his contract was adjusted, is considered expendable because the Giants drafted Malik Nabers sixth overall, a player who people believe will draw the lion’s share of the pass targets. 

Nabers’s presence, Benjamin argues, would “save the Giants anywhere from $3.8 million to $6.4 million.”

(Note: Over the Cap has the savings at $6 million if the team were to move on from Slayton.)

But let’s pump the brakes here about moving on from Slayton. To suggest that the Giants’ receivers room isn’t big enough for both Nabers and Slayton is ludicrous. Slayton, who has been a model teammate and locker-room presence, might not be a classic No. 1 receiver, but he’s been consistent and reliable in keeping the group afloat since being drafted.

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While Nabers certainly has the potential to become the team’s top receiver during his first season in the league, they’ve yet to see him in a meaningful football game at the NFL level. While there is no reason to think Nabers will be a bust at this writing, getting rid of Slayton before they truly know what they have in Nabers could be a mistake.

Some might argue that Slayton has hit his ceiling, but that ceiling was good enough in 2022 to contribute to the Giants’ reaching the postseason for the first time since 2016 and winning a playoff game for the first time since 2011.

Slayton’s deep speed is his calling card, and he’s used that threat to work the comebacks and the middle of the field to get open. While the contested catch isn’t a part of his game, he’s a complementary piece who, in that secondary role, has always been a solid fit and who, as of right now at least, is more proven than second-year man Jalin Hyatt. 

This isn’t to say that Slayton is a lock to remain on the roster–if the Giants get off to a slow start and another team makes them an offer for Slayton before the trade deadline, the Giants can move on from him. 

As for right now, something tells us the Giants would rather have the $12+ million cap savings if tight end Darren Waller retires, as is expected than lose one of their most consistent and reliable receivers. 

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