The New York Giants could make a move for one of the game’s top wide receivers. DeAndre Hopkins is on the verge of being traded as the Arizona Cardinals look to ship off assets and rebuild their roster. Hopkins could be acquired by Big Blue to instantly upgrade their offense and fill their WR1 spot.
New York Giants mock trade for DeAndre Hopkins
After serving a six-game suspension to begin the 2022 season, Hopkins went on to total 64 receptions for 717 yards and three touchdowns for Arizona. Hopkins was playing with backup quarterbacks down the stretch after QB Kyler Murray suffered a season-ending injury in Week 14.
It was an impressive outing from Hopkins down the stretch. However, his early-season suspension would come back to haunt him. Hopkins’s six-game suspension for violating the league’s PED policy reportedly forfeited the no-trade clause in his contract according to Joel Corry of CBS Sports.
Thus, the Cardinals have the right to trade Hopkins anywhere they see fit, and there is little that the superstar wide receiver can do to stop them. The Giants make sense as a landing spot for Hopkins as a team in need of a WR1 with extra draft capital and salary cap space to spend. Here’s what a mock trade for DeAndre Hopkins could look like:
New York Giants Receive: DeAndre Hopkins, $10M in salary hit consumed by Arizona
Arizona Cardinals Receive: 3rd round pick , 5th round pick
The Giants have two third-round picks to play with in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft. Rather than rolling the dice on a mid-round draft prospect, Big Blue could package that pick together in a trade with Arizona to land a sure-thing playmaker in DeAndre Hopkins.
The next hurdle to clear for Big Blue will be DeAndre’s big contract. In this mock trade, the Cardinals will retain $10M of Hopkins’s salary, leaving the Giants with significantly less money that they need to pay upfront.
DeAndre Hopkins would immediately become the Giants’ most dangerous weapon in the passing game upon his arrival. He has struggled to stay on the field the past two seasons, but Hopkins is still one of the league’s best. But at 30 years old, the Giants cannot look at Hopkins as a long-term solution in their receiving corps. This might force the team to go in a different, younger direction through the draft.