New York Giants Position Review: Receivers
The 2023 NFL season yielded good and bad news for the New York Giants wide receiver group.
The good news is that the team seems to have a young core group of receivers who can do multiple things. There is Wan'Dale Robinson, who, pound for pound, is one of the toughest players on this roster.
Robinson, who was slowed at the start of last year as he completed rehab from a torn ACL, is turning out to be everything the Giants likely hoped that failed receiver Kadarius Toney would be: a guy who is capable of running a gadget play, who adjusts well to the ball, who makes lightning-quick cuts, and who has big play capability, primarily from the slot, where he saw the majority of his snaps this past season.
We mention toughness--although Robinson isn't the biggest guy the Giants have at the receiver position and doesn't find himself in many contested catch situations, he still finished with the best-contested catch percentage (80%) among the team's wideouts. He also led the receivers with 60 receptions and a 78.9 percent reception rate.
There is also Darius Slayton. Slayton showed no signs of slowing down one year into the two-year contract with the team. A 2019 fifth-round draft pick, Slayton finished as the team leader in receiving yardage for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
He cut down on his dropped passes and was masterful at working the comeback routes and in the middle of the field to get himself open. That said, he's not a big contested catch guy, nor a true No. 1 receiver, but he has shown he's a solid complementary piece. A consummate professional since landing with the Giants, Slayton is in the final year of his contract with the team with a $7.95 million cap hit.
Lastly, there is Jalin Hyatt, the rookie who dazzled onlookers in the summer with his great speed and ability to get open. He finished with just 23 catches and 373 receiving yards, was active for all 17 games, and showed toughness in getting after a contested catch. So why wasn't he targeted more? No one will admit to it, but his transition from Tennessee, where he was deployed one way, to the Giants, where they were looking to deploy him in an expanded role, might have had something to do with that.
Okay, so what's the bad news?
The Giants don't have a true No. 1 receiver among their rostered guys who can draw the double teams. Last year, general manager Joe Schoen held his water in not trading for a No. 1 receiver nor trying to jam a square peg into a round hole by reaching for one in the draft.
But just think how much better this unit would be if they could find their own Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, or Tee Higgins. Think about how a guy that dangerous could open things up for the rest of the playmakers. With a deep receiver class awaiting them in this year's draft, it wouldn't be surprising if, in the first round, the Giants dip into that pool if they decide quarterback isn't the way to go.
Let's look at the rest of the receivers who finished the year on the 2023 roster.
OTHER POSITION REVIEWS
Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Tight Ends
Isaiah Hodgins
Hodgins sort of became an afterthought this year after an impressive showing the year prior. It was as if he settled into the backup role behind Slayton, a role we think fits him, given that he's not fast or explosive enough to be a part of that starting trio. That said, when the ball went his way, Hodgins responded. In 17 games played (9 starts), he caught just 21 balls, which includes three touchdowns.
Parris Campbell
This 26-year-old versatile and speedy young veteran never seemed to find a role in the Giants offense. The extent of his playing time was spent motioning across the formation pre-snap but rarely drawing attention from either side of the line of scrimmage. He finished with 20 catches for 104 yards (5.4 yards per catch), which is a career low for him and a sin given his ability to streak down the field, which he was so rarely asked to do in this offense.
Sterling Shepard
The Giants rewarded this eight-year veteran with an opportunity to leave the game on his terms rather than as an injured player. Although Shepard was often an afterthought in the offense, his locker room presence and leadership were highly valued by the coaches and the front offense.
Shepard finished the season with 10 catches for 57 yards and a touchdown, his receptions landing him in fifth place on the Giants all-time receiving list.
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