The New York Giants sent a bounty of front office executives and coaches to the University of Washington pro day on Thursday, presumably to scout QB Michael Penix Jr. However, Washington had a number of other prospects displaying their talents at the event, including a pair of dynamic wide receivers that the Giants could target on day two of the NFL Draft.
The Giants could add size to their receiving corps with Ja’Lynn Polk
As things stand, the Giants’ receiver corps is lacking a big-body perimeter receiver. Washington’s Ja’Lynn Polk fits that mold and could be a target on the second day of the draft.
Polk is a 6-foot-1, 203-pound wideout who served as an elite deep threat for the Huskies in 2023. He recorded a receiving grade of 99.9 on deep passes according to Pro Football Focus. Polk finished the season with 69 receptions for 1,159 yards and nine touchdowns.
The Draft Network’s Damian Parson describes Polk as “a talented wide receiver with the speed, run-after-the-catch ability, and ball skills to be an impactful contributor to an NFL offense.” He’s expected to be available when the Giants are on the clock with the No. 47 overall pick and could possibly last until the third round if they want to try to draft him with their No. 7 overall pick.
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Drafting Jalen McMillan would bring another slot option to the Giants’ offense
Jalen McMillan possesses a similar size profile to Polk at 6-foot-1, 197 pounds, but his playing style is far different. Rather than being a physical contested-catch wide receiver on the outside, McMillan played as more of a vertical burner in the slot for Washington.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein describes McMillan as “a long-striding field-stretcher” who “has adequate build-up speed to create opportunities down the field but needs the ball on target.”
McMillan racked up 79 receptions for 1,098 yards and nine touchdowns in 2022, but regressed to a stat line of 45 receptions for 559 yards and five touchdowns in 2023. If the Giants want to add another slot option with vertical field-stretching ability, however, they could look to add McMillan in the third round of the draft or possibly even later.