One of the major needs for the New York Giants this offseason was upgrading the weapons offensively. With Daniel Jones agreeing to a long-term deal and the franchise tag being placed on Saquon Barkley, general manager Joe Schoen was able to focus on bringing in players from outside the organization to improve the roster.
On the second day of the offseason, Schoen made a blockbuster move. While wide receiver was what many people expected New York to target, he swung a blockbuster trade for an impact tight end instead.
The Giants have agreed to a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for tight end Darren Waller. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Giants will trade the No. 100 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to the Raiders in exchange for him.
This is a big move for the Giants to acquire a go-to pass catcher for Jones to target. Waller has struggled with injuries the last two seasons, appearing in only 20 games. He caught 83 passes for 1,053 yards and five touchdowns but was truly dominant in the years prior.
In 2020, Waller earned a spot on the Pro Bowl team catching 107 passes for 1,196 yards and nine touchdowns. If he can remain healthy, the Giants are getting a true difference-maker at the tight end position to pair with Daniel Bellinger.
For the Giants, this trade is a huge win. They used the third-round pick acquired from the Kansas City Chiefs in the Kadarius Toney trade last season. So, essentially, the Giants traded Toney for Waller and a sixth-round pick.
For the Raiders, it is hard to call this deal anything other than a loss. Ahead of the trade deadline in November, the Raiders were offered a second-round pick by the Green Bay Packers but turned down the offer.
Now, today, they accepted a pick a full round later from the Giants. The Packers’ second-round pick is No. 45 overall. So, by waiting a few months to move on from Waller, the Raiders cost themselves 55 spots in the draft order.
