The Giants are back from their bye and heading into Week 9 with a firm grip on the NFC East, but the roster still has some obvious holes. The biggest one is up front on defense, where the injuries to Brian Burns and Tremaine Edmunds have left New York searching for help before the trade deadline arrives.
That’s why a recent proposal from CBS Sports feels like the kind of move that fits the moment. Bryan DeArdo floated a deal that would send Khalil Mack, Charlie Kolar and Keaton Mitchell to the Giants in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick, a 2028 fifth-round pick and Devin Singletary.
“The Giants lead the NFC East despite having one of the league's worst pass rushers. They also need help at running back and pass catcher," DeArdo wrote.
"John Harbaugh is familiar with both Kolar and Mitchell dating back to his time with the Ravens. Jim Harbaugh would get Singletary (who, like Johnston, would benefit from a change of scenery) and draft picks to help jumpstart the Chargers' inevitable rebuild.”
There’s at least some logic to the fit. New York’s pass rush has struggled badly without Burns, and the numbers show how thin the production has been.
Before his season-ending shoulder injury, Edmunds led the Giants with two sacks. Dru Phillips also has two, while rookie linebacker Arvell Reese is next with only 1.5.
Mack wouldn’t be the same player he was in his prime, but he still has three sacks this season at age 35. For a Giants defense that needs a jolt, that kind of veteran presence would be hard to ignore.
The running back side of the deal makes sense too. Cam Skattebo is still dealing with the hamstring injury he picked up against Houston, and Tyrone Tracy Jr. is on injured reserve with a hamstring issue of his own. That leaves the Giants thin in the backfield, which is part of why Mitchell shows up in the proposal.
The Chargers, meanwhile, are sitting at 0-7 and look headed for a teardown. Mack has become one of the biggest names on the market, and with Jim Harbaugh’s team staring at a rebuild, moving him would fit the direction of the roster.
New York has already handled one major quarterback issue, with J.J. McCarthy stepping in after Jaxson Dart’s season-ending injury and flashing in recent wins over the New Orleans Saints and Houston Texans.
The defensive side still needs a fix, and a move for Mack would be a bold one. If the Giants are serious about making a run at their first division title since the 2011-2012 season, this is the kind of trade that would make sense.
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