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Aaron Robinson has started just four games since being drafted 71st overall by the New York Giants in 2021. Knee injuries wrecked his 2022 season, but the cornerback could help the Giants land multiple-time All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins in trade.
Hopkins still wants out of the Arizona Cardinals, and Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton outlined a scenario to make it happen on draft day, Thursday, April 27. He suggests the Giants offer Robinson, along with their third-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, the 89th-overall choice.
Moton believes “the Cardinals can use an additional top-100 pick for their rebuild under a new regime.” He also thinks owning a threadbare secondary means “Robinson is worth a flier as an add-on in a trade deal” for the NFC West franchise.
The benefits of acquiring Hopkins would be obvious for the Giants. They’d get a wideout who “can handle a high volume of targets in an aerial attack that finished 26th in yards last season.”
Acquiring a weapon like Hopkins without giving up their first-round pick would be another coup for the Giants. It would allow general manager Joe Schoen to focus on selecting a cornerback or interior lineman for either side of the ball with the 25th pick.
Bargain Trade Would Transform Daniel Jones
The main benefit of trading for Hopkins would be the positive impact on quarterback Daniel Jones. Hopkins would be the true No. 1 target Jones needs to produce more big plays outside the numbers.
Hopkins can still do that, despite missing 15 games due to thigh and knee injuries, as well as a suspension for violating the league’s PED policy. When he has made it onto the field, Hopkins has still delivered highlight reel-worthy plays like this one against Jalen Ramsey and the Los Angeles Rams in Week 10.
Ramsey didn’t have his best season in 2022, but he’s still one of the NFL’s premier cornerbacks. His standing and skills made Hopkins’ 8-catch performance all the more impressive, per Next Gen Stats.
Hopkins can still win against the game’s elite, something missing from the Giants’ receiving corps. The 30-year-old also hasn’t lost his knack for stretching the field, evidenced by his 10.2-yard average depth of target in 2022, per Pro Football Reference.
A legitimate field-stretcher on the perimeter would another dimension to Jones’ supporting cast. He’s mostly surrounded by pass-catchers who thrive between the numbers, like Pro-Bowl tight end Darren Waller, acquired in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders earlier this offseason.
Another trade would complete a smart and necessary overhaul of the Giants’ receiving options, provided Schoen could find a way to accommodate Hopkins’ cost.
Dream Trade Has Only One Catch
Value is an essential part of any trade, and this proposal favors the Giants, at least on the surface. Robinson has appeared in only 11 games in two years and is still stuck in recovery following surgery to repair a torn ACL, according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic.
Giving up a little-used player with a lengthy injury history for a three-time first-team All-Pro like Hopkins would be a dream for the Giants. Making the dream come true would involve handling a contract Spotrac.com reveals is set to pay D-Hop a base salary worth $19.45 million this year.
Reworking the terms of Hopkins’ deal would be a must for the Giants. Fortunately, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported in March how “a trade would likely mean an altered contract.”
Schoen already has a lot on his plate, notably trying to get Saquon Barkley to sign his franchise tag, while also preparing to extend the contract of All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II. In this context, adding Hopkins begins to look like a luxury, but if his presence took Jones’ game up a level or two, it would be well worth the investment.
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