Giants Reportedly Pursued Trent McDuffie Trade Before Rams Acquired CB from Chiefs

Trent McDuffie changed addresses on Wednesday, as the Los Angeles Rams reportedly acquired the star cornerback from the Kansas City Chiefs in a blockbuster trade. But a team on the opposite coast had eyes for him as well.

According to Sam McDowell of the Kansas City Star, the trade "came down to the Rams and the New York Giants, I'm told. In the end, the Rams were the team willing to give up a first-round plus."

The Chiefs ultimately received a first-round pick (No. 29 overall), a fifth and a sixth in this year's draft and a 2027 third-rounder.

There's no doubt that the Giants need to address the secondary.

As Dan Salomone of the team's website noted, "Nine different defensive backs started at least two games for the Giants last season. Of those, five started at least nine games. Of those, two are set to become unrestricted free agents—cornerback Cor'Dale Flott and safety Dane Belton. Shoring up the secondary will be a priority for John Harbaugh."

The Giants have a lot of needs around the entire roster, however, and draining their cupboard of draft assets wouldn't have been the wisest decision. The Rams are legitimate Super Bowl contenders and now have a shutdown cornerback, and they also have another first-round pick in this year's draft. They are better positioned to pay a high price on win-now moves.

There's no doubt that McDuffie is a lockdown option at the position, however, and the type of player the Giants need for their defense. The 25-year-old is already a two-time champion and one-time first-team All-Pro (2023) in his career and registered 63 tackles, seven passes defensed, an interception, a forced fumble and a sack across 13 games in 2025.

PFF graded him as the 12th-best cornerback in the sport last season, calling him "one of the most well-rounded cornerbacks in the NFL" and noting that he finished "in the top 18 in coverage (74.7, 17th), run-defense (78.5, 14th) and tackling (83.1, third) grades."

That made him worth a high price on the trade market (and surely will cost the Rams plenty in the extension likely to follow). It was too rich a cost for the Giants, and rightfully so, but addressing the cornerback position remains a top priority.