New York acquired safety Kenny Hill from the Los Angeles…
New York acquired safety Kenny Hill from the Los Angeles Raiders on August 27, 1984 for a 1985 seventh-round pick. Hill became a long-term Giants starter, appearing in 68 regular-season games with 62 starts from 1984 through 1988, recording six interceptions and three sacks. He started every regular-season and playoff game during the Giants' 1986 Super Bowl championship season.
Las Vegas Raiders Received
- pick 1985 seventh round pick (#186-Kevin Belcher)
New York Giants Received
- player Kenny Hill
Trade Analysis
The documented exchange is simple and the legacy row's undisclosed-consideration placeholders are unnecessary. The Giants acquired defensive back Kenny Hill from the Los Angeles Raiders shortly before the 1984 season for a 1985 seventh-round draft choice. Raiders historical transaction material identifies that Giants pick as the selection eventually used at No. 186 on Wisconsin tackle Kevin Belcher. Pro Sports Transactions independently traces the same No. 186 pick from New York to the Raiders for Hill.
Hill became an immediate and lasting contributor for New York. The Giants' 1989 media guide states that Hill was obtained from the Raiders for a seventh-round pick before the 1984 season and won the starting strong-safety job soon afterward. NFL and Pro Football Reference records show 12 games and seven starts in his first Giants season, followed by 11 starts in 1985 and full-season starting roles in 1986, 1987 and 1988. Across five Giants seasons he appeared in 68 regular-season games and started 62.
His peak value came during New York's championship run. Hill started all 16 regular-season games in 1986, intercepted three passes, recorded a sack and finished among the club's leading secondary tacklers. He also started every playoff game as the Giants went on to win Super Bowl XXI. That championship-season role is exactly the kind of outcome a team hopes to find from a low-cost veteran acquisition, and it continued rather than disappearing after one year.
The Raiders' return was far smaller. They used the acquired seventh-round choice at No. 186 on Kevin Belcher. NFL records credit Belcher with four regular-season games for Los Angeles in 1985 and no starts. He later appeared in one game with one start for Denver in 1987, but that Broncos contribution came after the Raiders no longer controlled him and therefore does not count as Los Angeles trade value.
The hindsight verdict is decisively in New York's favor. The Giants acquired a five-year defensive back who made 62 starts and played a full starting role on a Super Bowl champion for the cost of a seventh-round selection. The Raiders converted that pick into four reserve appearances. An A for the Giants and D for the Raiders reflects the enormous difference in realized team value without overstating Hill as an individual star beyond his actual role.