The New York Giants have a potential star in the making on their offense. WR Isaiah Hodgins burst onto the scene last season after being claimed off waivers by the Giants midway through the regular season. Hodgins quickly established himself as QB Daniel Jones’ favorite target and propelled the team to victory in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.
Despite his success with New York last season, Hodgins has yet to establish himself as a household name around the league. As such, he was recently named the most underrated player on the Giants by William Moy of Pro Football Focus. Entering 2023, Hodgins is seeking a breakout campaign that places him firmly on the list of the NFL’s top young receiving talents.
Giants WR Isaiah Hodgins one of the NFL’s most underrated players
Hodgins appeared in eight regular season contests for New York last season, totaling 33 receptions for 351 yards and four touchdowns. He exploded onto the scene in the postseason, however, racking up a single-game career-high 105 receiving yards on eight receptions with one touchdown in the win over the Vikings.
PFF favored Hodgins down the stretch of the regular season, as Moy writes:
With the exception of Week 18 when the Giants sat him, Hodgins saw at least 25 receiving snaps in every game from Week 11 through the end of the season. Over that stretch, he ranked 29th out of 87 receivers who saw at least 150 snaps on passing plays with a 74.2 receiving grade. Hodgins ranked 12th over that stretch by catching 62.5 percent of his contested targets and the 124.2 passer rating that his QB had when targeting him ranked sixth-best.
William Moy of Pro Football Focus on Isaiah Hodgins
This is not the first time PFF has praised Hodgins. Following the conclusion of the 2022 season, Marcus Mosher of PFF labeled Hodgins a “secret superstar” after he scored four touchdowns over the last five regular-season games of the season.
“The Giants struggled to find competent wide receiver play for most of the year, but it appears they have found a diamond in the rough,” Mosher wrote. “Hodgins finished the season as the team’s third-highest-graded offensive player (76.1), behind only Andrew Thomas and Saquon Barkley… Hodgins doesn’t completely solve their WR need, but he is a nice piece to have moving forward.”
Hodgins does appear to be a diamond in the rough that general manager Joe Schoen uncovered. Entering 2023, Hodgins is expected to elevate to a full-time starting role as the Giants’ boundary receiver. If he can maintain his productivity from the final stretch of last season, Hodgins could establish himself as a top dog in Big Blue’s offense.