With A.J. Brown off to yet another slow start to the 2025 season, trade speculation has already begun. The Philadelphia Eagles insist that they will not trade their star receiver, but with Malik Nabers going down in Week 4, the New York Giants need to consider drawing up a proposal.
Without Nabers, the Giants need receivers. Brown might not be entirely available, but he has at least started the process that typically ends with a change of scenery. Brown, who has just 14 catches through four weeks, issued an apology after tweeting a bible verse that said to “shrug your shoulders and be on your way out” if you are “not welcome.”
Realistically, a trade would be difficult to come by. The Eagles will do everything they can to avoid that reality, and sending him to an NFC East divisional rival is the last move they would make.
But regardless, New York needs help. The team has fully committed to the “future being now,” as rookie edge-rusher Abdul Carter put it, with Jaxson Dart starting in Week 4. Dart initially had a promising young core to work with, but without Nabers, the Giants have arguably the worst receiving corps in the league.
The Giants are currently limited to a pass-catching corps comprised of Wan'Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton, Theo Johnson, Jalin Hyatt and Beaux Collins. While all are serviceable complementary options, the front office will have a difficult time evaluating Dart without filling the Nabers-sized hole in its offense.
Acquiring Brown is more of a dream than a reality, particularly with the Giants more focused on their long-term future than a short-term gain. However, if Joe Schoen decides to strike on the opportunity, Dart could certainly use the help.
Giants trade offensive lineman for Eagles WR A.J. Brown
Giants receive: WR A.J. Brown
Eagles receive: OT Jermaine Eluemunor, 2026 fourth-round pick
If the Giants are going to target Brown, they face the difficult task of crafting a package void of any of their young assets. After trading up for Dart in April, New York is already short on draft capital, making that even more valuable than most players on the roster.
The Giants are still going to have to fork over a few assets to get a player of Brown's magnitude. That will come in the form of right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, who has been one of the few solid pieces of the team's offensive line since the start of the 2024 season. Behind All-Pro left tackle Andrew Thomas, Eluemunor is New York's best blocker up front.
Losing a veteran like Eluemunor would be a blow, but the Giants already seem to have a competent successor in place with rookie Marcus Mbow. Mbow has had his struggles, already allowing nine pressures, but he would likely be more comfortable at right tackle than he has been facing the league's premier pass-rushers at left tackle.
The Eagles have shown a desire to add offensive line depth after sending safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans for former first-round pick Kenyon Green. That move ultimately proved disastrous for both sides, as both players have since been released.
After recently extending Landon Dickerson, Jordan Mailata and Cam Jurgens, Philadelphia has most of its offensive line locked in. However, they are still searching for an eventual successor to longtime tackle Lane Johnson. The Eagles can use the 30-year-old Eluemunor as a bridge until a long-term solution is found.
As much as New York would want to avoid relinquishing draft assets, Eluemunor alone would not be enough. The Giants will need to include their fourth-round pick, which is the only Day Two selection they currently own.
Jaxson Dart needs receiver help
Acquiring A.J. Brown would be ideal, but the Giants are aware that it is likely out of the picture. The team still needs to pursue top-end receiving talent immediately.
As good as Dart was in Week 4, the Giants cannot feel good about his development with their current receiving corps. New York cannot depend on winning many more games with just 111 passing yards.
It is too early in the year for trade rumors to truly begin taking form, but Schoen needs to already be working on a list. The New Orleans Saints' Rashid Shaheed, the San Francisco 49ers' Jauan Jennings, the Jacksonville Jaguars' Calvin Ridley and the Indianapolis Colts' Josh Downs are all viable options.
The Giants could target several other players, but Jennings and Ridley are particularly interesting options. Both players come with hefty price tags, but have also proven capable of leading a receiving room. Adding either would be a substantial improvement from what Dart currently has to work with.
While more options will surface as the trade deadline nears, the Giants need help immediately. The situation is not dire, but it is close to it.
Whichever direction they go in, the Giants' offense finally has its most excitement in nearly a decade. Neither Schoen nor Brian Daboll can afford to waste this opportunity, and it starts by getting Dart receiving help.
