The Houston Texans lost wide receiver Stefon Diggs to a season-ending knee injury, and they could trade for someone like Darius Slayton to try and fill that void. After dominating through the air with homegrown talents in C.J. Stroud, Nico Collins, and Tank Dell, Houston added the veteran Diggs as the missing piece on this would-be contender. Through eight games, the four-time Pro Bowler recorded 47 receptions for 496 yards and three touchdowns but will now miss the remainder of the season. With Collins also battling injury and Dell still not 100% after his 2023 season-ending injury, Houston could look for outside help at the receiver position.
With big-name players like Davante Adams, Amari Cooper, and Diontae Johnson already traded, Darius Slayton might be the best player remaining on the trade block. After a slow start to the season, the former fifth-round pick has returned to his old form, recording two 100-yard games in his last four outings. Set to hit free agency after the season, the 2-6 Giants will likely move forward with first-round pick Malik Nabers and Wan’Dale Robinson leading their passing attack. Trading Slayton makes all the sense in the world, but the Houston Texans won’t be the only team interested in his services.
Texans Could Trade For Darius Slayton After Stefon Diggs Injury
The Los Angeles Chargers might have the worst group of wide receivers in the league. They’re making it work, as a now-healthy Justin Herbert has played like the NFL’s best quarterback over the past three or four weeks. Second-round pick Ladd McConkey is coming into his own, and Herbert is even getting production out of journeymen players like Jalen Reagor. Head coach Jim Harbaugh wants to be a run-first team, and Herbert can get it done with his current weapons, but a Darius Slayton trade could give this offense a much-needed vertical threat.
Slayton excels at using his speed to get open deep. So far, the wide receiver has made a name for himself despite catching passes from a well-past-his-prime Eli Manning and Daniel Jones. Justin Herbert throws one of the prettiest deep balls in the league, so a trade could unlock the best of Darius Slayton. Even if he continues to play like his good-but-not-great self, Slayton’s presence will prevent teams from stacking the box, which should lead to improved results in the run game.
Chiefs Going All-In
The Kansas City Chiefs already addressed the wide receiver position with the DeAndre Hopkins trade. However, even with the 32-year-old in the mix, the Chiefs could still use another weapon to make this passing attack come to life. Kansas City entered the season believing they’d have two dangerous speed threats in veteran Marquise Brown and first-round pick Xavier Worthy. Worthy has flashed some playmaking ability but has yet to find consistency while Brown missed the entire season thanks to a preseason injury. If they want to fill this role in the offense, the Chiefs will trade for Darius Slayton.
DeAndre Hopkins is a lot of things, but he’s not a burner. The three-time First-Team All-Pro always earned his targets by being bigger and stronger than everyone else, and that’s still the case. However, in terms of pure speed and nothing else, Slayton is the superior player. Patrick Mahomes and his rocket arm are wasting away with the lowest average depth of target in football, and a Darius Slayton trade could add some much-needed verticality to this dink-and-dunk passing attack.
Main Photo: Brad Penner – USA Today Sports
