Could the Giants package their disgruntled wide receiver in a trade to move up the draft order?

According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the Giants have “inquired about trading up” in the first round with their eyes set on a quarterback. The right quarterback would need to be available, however, and it’s unclear which prospect the Giants are aiming to trade up to select.

But with Slayton being disgruntled and looking for a new contract, he could be a valuable trade piece in negotiations to move up the draft order. Maybe the Giants aren’t willing to extend Slayton and give him his desired pay raise; maybe another team is willing. Rather than sacrificing an additional draft pick to move up the order, perhaps Big Blue could package Slayton and some picks in a deal to move up to the No. 3 or No. 4 pick in the draft to take a quarterback.

Including Slayton in the deal would allow the Giants to retain some of their draft capital, which in turn would allow them to draft Slayton’s replacement in a draft class filled with talent at the wide receiver position.

Can the Giants afford to lose Slayton?

Over the last five seasons, Slayton has been arguably the Giants’ most productive and dependable playmaker. He rarely misses time with injury and has consistently produced 700 or more receiving yards in four of his five seasons, leading the Giants in receiving in each of those campaigns.

While trading Slayton could be an exciting proposition to help New York land its quarterback, losing their best wide receiver might be too difficult to manage. Slayton posted a career-high 770 receiving yards in 2023 and totaled four touchdowns, his highest mark since his 2019 rookie campaign.

Rather than trading Slayton, the Giants should aim to extend him. He’s only 27 years old, still in the prime of his career, and currently playing on a two-year, $12 million contract that is far below his market value. Giving Slayton a pay raise would allow Big Blue to retain its best-receiving threat and appease a player who has given much to the franchise over the last half a decade.