New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton was a hot topic at the NFL trade deadline, but general manager Joe Schoen opted to keep him in East Rutherford.
This has been an issue for Slayton in recent years and he has often been the focus of trade attention and contract speculation.
This past offseason, Slayton held out briefly, seeking a long-term deal before ultimately settling on a modified one-year deal with additional incentives. He bet on himself, much like running back Saquon Barkley did a year earlier, and now it appears to be paying off.
Slayton has 32 receptions for 469 yards and one touchdown in nine games played. He is second on the team with 469 receiving yards and his 14.7 yards per reception surpasses all Giants pass catchers.
At his current pace, Slayton will finish the season with around 834 receiving yards, which is slightly above his career average. It is also a testament to his remarkable consistency.
Marcus Mosher from the 33rd team believes Slayton can finally land himself a big contract; one that many believe is well deserved.
The 2025 wide receiver class is full of big-name players and is one of the deeper classes we've seen in recent years.
However, injuries already play a role. Stefon Diggs (torn ACL) and Chris Godwin (dislocated ankle) suffered injuries at the end of the 2024 season. Tee Higgins is the top receiver on the market, but has missed much of this season due to multiple lower-body injuries.
Amari Cooper, DeAndre Hopkins and Keenan Allen are other former No. 1 receivers expected to hit the market. Still, they're all getting older and most teams don't like paying receivers who are already 31 or older. That's why someone like Darius Slayton could be one of the biggest surprises at the wide receiver position in free agency.
We saw Darnell Mooney get a good contract ($13 million per year) from the Falcons despite only totaling 414 yards in the 2023 season. Slayton has already surpassed those numbers in 2024, but he brings similar momentum to a major trader who can win the field.
Slayton turns 28 in January, so he's not the youngest receiver on the market. However, you can expect teams to pursue Slayton's upside in hopes of pairing him with a true No. 1 receiver in a good offense. Since Jerry Jeudy received a $17.5 million contract last offseason, Slayton's numbers should be similar.
Mosher puts Slayton's projected AAV at $17 million per season, which will likely keep him out of the Giants' plans despite their overwhelming respect for him. And with quarterback Daniel Jones also likely to leave East Rutherford, Slayton will be more inclined to seek a deal elsewhere.
If anyone deserves a big payday, it's Slayton.