It is no secret that the New York Giants will likely be looking to improve their wide receiver unit this off-season, whether through the draft or by trying to acquire a proven commodity via trade.
If they fail to land a significant talent, they can always wait until the 2025 free agency class, which is supposed to be stacked with quality quality players.
Of course, many of these teams will either franchise tag or finish extensions before the expected free agents hit the market. Still, the Giants may be in line to make a strong push if they secure a quarterback prospect in this year’s draft class and save as much as $30 million from Daniel Jones’s contract next year.
However, while many are focused on the receivers currently off the roster, there is one young playmaker who could explode in 2024, coming off his first season post-ACL injury.
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The Giants Need to Maximize Wan’Dale Robinson
23-year-old second-round Wan’Dale Robinson played in 15 games this past season, enjoying 76 targets with 60 receptions, good for a 78.9% reception rate, 525 yards, and one touchdown.
Robinson dropped three passes over that sample but produced 291 yards after the catch, including 4.9 yards per. As one of the shiftiest players on the Giants’ offense, Robinson has the skill set and upside to expand his production significantly.
In 2023, the Giants heavily targeted Robinson in the short ranges of the field, 0–9 yards from the line of scrimmage — 375 of his total yards came in that zone, as the Giants only gave him five targets 10–19 yards from the line of scrimmage, which is just 6.6% of his share. In fact, he had more opportunities 20+ yards downfield, enjoying six targets for two receptions and 51 yards.
Obviously, given his size and speed, the Giants like to get him into space and let him operate after the catch. That is how his primary usage will develop in the future, but the Giants need more reinforcement to help take attention away from one of their top playmakers moving forward. Many are excited about the prospect of potentially landing Malik Nabers or Romo Odunze in the draft, which would completely open up the offense but leave the quarterback position in question.
Despite that, Robinson will have one year post-ACL injury under his belt, so he should be confident and secure about his rehabilitated knee next season.
As long as the Giants have a few playmakers to spread the ball to and all the attention is bearing down on Robinson, he has the talent to be an exciting offensive weapon, and the Giants shouldn’t hesitate to make him a focal point on offense.