The rumor mill is working overtime right now and everyone is waiting to see what will happen with Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. The Cardinals are looking to trade him, but nothing has been finalized just yet. Will the NY Giants enter the race to land him?
That's what ESPN's Bill Barnwell thinks could be going down come draft night. In his latest NFL Mock Draft, Barnwell switched things up by projecting trades for each first-round pick. Barnwell has his eyes on the Giants and Cardinals connecting for a blockbuster deal for Hopkins.
Per Barnwell, he thinks NY will send its first-round pick and fourth-rounder in exchange for Hopkins and a second-round pick. Is this something the Big Blue faithful would be interested in?
New (free) column! My favorite article of the year: THE MOCK DRAFT OF TRADES. 31 picks, 31 universes, 31 trades. Including deals with players like Aaron Rodgers, Lamar Jackson, DeAndre Hopkins, and yes, Trey Lance https://t.co/QaMPZ3Tfw2 pic.twitter.com/BoHIjfDMjn
— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) April 19, 2023
NY Giants trade rumors for DeAndre Hopkins are back
""Want to build a receiving corps around Daniel Jones? Trading for TE Darren Waller was a step in the right direction, but Hopkins would be the alpha target the Giants didn't have on their roster a year ago and don't have on their depth chart now. It would take some cap gymnastics to fit Hopkins under the cap, either with an extension for him or a new deal for franchised running back Saquon Barkley, but if New York really thinks Jones is a star quarterback in the making, Hopkins is the sort of player who can unlock the best version of Jones at all levels." "Bill Barnwell
The Giants still need a WR1 to help Daniel Jones out. They invested four years and $160 million in Jones being a top-tier quarterback. In order for Danny Dimes to take the next level, a star wideout will need to make plays for him.
Bringing in Darren Waller was fantastic for the Giants, but more help must be on the way soon. The Giants have been linked to several stud wideouts for the 2023 NFL Draft, with the long list including Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Quentin Johnston, Zay Flowers, Jordan Addison and more.
However, there's a good chance that all four of those guys won't be available when NY is on the clock at No. 25 overall. Trading for Hopkins would be a dream, but with limited cap space, Schoen would have to get quite creative to make things work. From our chair, it would be a complete and total shock if Hopkins plays for Big Blue next season - but never say never.
READ MORE: Daniel Jones delivers awesome quote on Darren Waller