The New York Giants have had a rough start to their season, to say the least, as they sit with just a 1-4 record through Week 5. Additionally, they lost their most dynamic offensive player, Malik Nabers, for the rest of the season to a torn ACL in Week 4.
With Nabers down, the Giants are now lacking a true top target, and they could definitely use one with rookie Jaxson Dart taking over at quarterback. Fortunately, there are a number of receivers on the market, and there’s one that could be the perfect replacement for Nabers.
Who Should the Giants Trade for Ahead of the Deadline To Replace Nabers?
In a recent article, PFSN predicted one blockbuster trade that every team should make ahead of the deadline. One of those proposed moves landed the Giants a replacement for Nabers in former Ohio State Buckeye Chris Olave.
From the article: “After another tough loss for the Giants, it may be time to turn the page to next season after a tough start. The Russell Wilson experiment was a failure, Malik Nabers is out for the season, and now, at least, Jaxson Dart is showing flashes of what will come for them at quarterback. But, without Nabers, he is working with arguably the worst wide-receiver corps in the entire NFL, and bringing in a player like Chris Olave would help address that issue.”
While Olave has yet to fully “break out” in the NFL, the Giants will take any help they can get at receiver, as their offense is currently ranked 29th according to PFSN’s Offense Impact metric.
The Giants WR core for tonight…
Wan’Dale Robinson
Jalin Hyatt
“Beaux Collins”
Gunner Olszewski pic.twitter.com/2t4atVflSE— Underdog Picks (@UnderdogPicks) October 9, 2025
Furthermore, Olave has still been a very good receiver in the NFL, going for over 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons. Olave then played in only eight games last season due to a concussion, making it the only year he’s seen a dip in numbers thus far.
He’s also heading into a contract year in 2026, which could make him an ideal one-season-plus “rental” player for the Giants as they navigate the rest of this season and set Dart up for a productive rookie campaign without Nabers. If he could potentially have a true breakout season with New York, he could earn himself a big contract with another team.
Because the Saints picked up Olave’s fifth-year option this past offseason, he won’t be a free agent until 2026. However, his market value won’t necessarily take a hit if his numbers dip with Nabers’ return next season. In fact, the latter’s presence could certainly benefit Olave by alleviating the defensive attention he’d be subjected to.
Even though the Giants aren’t necessarily competing for the playoffs this year, a trade for Olave could still be a win-win scenario for both parties.