The New York Giants appeared to be destined for a last-place finish in the NFC East as the season got underway. They lost their first three games and appeared disorganized and on the verge of collapse. Veteran QB Russell Wilson was trying hard, but the idea of him turning the Giants around appeared laughable.
Giants head coach Brian Daboll looked like he was getting ready to clean out his office. He may have had some support from his players and even management, but the fans were sick and tired of his losing ways. It seemed he needed something just short of a miracle.
Giants show life, but Nabers suffers major injury
Daboll made a significant decision shortly thereafter. He inserted rookie Jaxson Dart into the lineup in place of Wilson and the team responded dramatically. The previously moribund Giants defeated a very solid Los Angeles Chargers team by a 21-18 margin. Dart completed 13 of 20 passes with a TD pass and a TD run, but the Giants suffered a brutal injury in that game to wide receiver Malik Nabers.
The young star was carted off the field in the second quarter with a serious knee injury. He tore his ACL and his meniscus and will be out the rest of the season. The Giants are hoping that he will be ready for the start of the 2026 season.
The presence of Dart has injected new life into the team. While the Giants would suffer a 26-14 defeat to the New Orleans Saints the following week, the Giants played their best game in years when they punished the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles 34-17 in Week 6.
The combination of Dart and Cam Skattebo led the Giants to the victory and have given their long-suffering fan base hope that they can remain competitive and may even have an outside chance at a spot in the NFL playoffs.
However, for that to happen, they need to replenish their WR position after the loss of Nabers by making a trade. The ideal candidate would be Chris Olave of the Saints. To get him, the Giants will have to make a serious offer to Saints general manager Mickey Loomis.
Saints are struggling in NFC South
The Saints may have played a good game in beating the Giants, but as they head into their Week 7 matchup with the Chicago Bears, that is the only game they have won this season.
Spencer Rattler has taken over at quarterback and he is a try-hard signal caller with limited ability. The Saints do not appear to have a realistic chance at making the playoffs, so there's no reason why Loomis can't start looking at the future and attempt to strengthen the team for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
Olave is the Saints' leading receiver. He has caught 39 of 64 targets for 342 yards with a touchdown. He is not a game changer in the category of Ja'Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals or Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings. He has had several drops this season and those have to be taken into consideration. However, he is clearly a talented player.
The 6-foot, 189-pound Olave was the Saints' first-round draft choice in 2022 after a dynamic career at Ohio State. He caught 72-1,042-4 as a rookie and followed up with a brilliant 87-1,123-5 season in 2023.
Olave played in just eight game in 2024 as a result of a season-ending concussion. He has suffered four concussions in his career. The Saints and Olave have been talking about a contract extension, but they two sides have not come to any agreement on a new deal at this point.
Giants would have to compete with Patriots for Olave
The Giants need a big-time receiver, but they are not the only team that has a need at the position. The New England Patriots are climbing the ladder in the AFC East and are technically in first place as they head into their Week 7 game against the Tennessee Titans. Quarterback Drake Maye is clearly improving and he could use a consistent wide receiver who can make the tough catch.
Expect the Patriots to make a pitch, so that means the Giants would have to go one better than the Patriots. Olave would be worth at least a third-round pick, but that won't be enough to get him. The Giants would could offer fourth-round picks in 2026 and 2027 and that could give them an edge over the other teams that have an interest in Olave. Another offer could involve a third-round pick and a player.
The Giants need a receiver and Olave should be their man. General manager Joe Schoen needs to go after him hard.
