The New York Giants have done a good job of upgrading the talent around quarterback Daniel Jones this offseason. After locking him up to a long-term deal and placing the franchise tag on running back Saquon Barkley, general manager Joe Schoen got to work bringing in more weapons during free agency.
The biggest splash that New York made was a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders. They acquired tight end, Darren Waller, in exchange for a third-round pick via the Kansas City Chiefs. Waller has battled injuries the last two seasons but when healthy is one of the most dynamic pass-catching tight ends in the NFL.
In free agency, the Giants got to work revamping the wide receiver position. Isaiah Hodgins, Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton were all re-signed. Parris Campbell and Jamison Crowder both signed one-year deals, leaving the Indianapolis Colts and Buffalo Bills.
While the wide receiver group has definitely improved, the Giants are still lacking that true, go-to No. 1 receiver. New York has a glut of slot receivers but very few options to deploy on the perimeter. They could try Collin Johnson there again, who was playing well last summer before rupturing his Achilles.
The Giants could also use the 2023 NFL Draft to address that need. Plenty of mock drafts have them selecting a wide receiver in the first round. But, they could also look to the trade market to fill that need.
One suggested trade target for the Giants was Los Angeles Rams superstar Cooper Kupp. The Rams went all-in two years ago to win a Super Bowl and the moves that were made are now coming back to haunt them. They are capped out and without premium draft capital to restock the roster.
They have already traded Jalen Ramsey this offseason and saw numerous key contributors depart in free agency. With a potential rebuild on the horizon, Los Angeles could jump-start the process by taking calls on Kupp.
What could a trade between the Giants and the Rams look like? A suggested trade package would be New York sending a first and third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft (No. 25 and No. 89) along with a 2024 third-round pick to Los Angeles in exchange for Kupp.
The Rams would get premium draft picks to kickstart the rebuild. They have half-heartedly begun that process and might as well go all-in; if they want to turn things around quickly, they have to be committed to it.
Kupp would provide the Giants and Jones the go-to receiver they haven’t had since Odell Beckham Jr. What Kupp accomplished in nine games in an injury-riddled 2022 campaign is more than the top pass catcher in New York accomplished.
The price is steep but could be worth it for an established player of Kupp’s caliber. He is only one season removed from winning the Offensive Player of the Year award. Before the ankle injury, he was on pace to once again challenge some of the all-time receiving records in league history.
