Giants’ WR2 is playing a new role and is thriving as a result

The New York Giants are looking for unsung heroes in their receiving corps after losing Malik Nabers for the season due to a torn ACL.

This season, they have gotten some big-time performances out of fourth-year receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, who could be breaking out as a result of Nabers’s absence.

The Giants are utilizing Wan’Dale Robinson in a new role

Robinson has been on pace to put up career-best numbers this season — due in large part to a role change that was made after Nabers’s injury.

From Weeks 1-4, Wan’dale Robinson lined up on the outside on 22.3% of his snaps. Since Nabers’s injury, Robinson has seen a nearly 30% increase in his snaps on the outside (51.9%), according to NFL+ (h/t Patricia Traina of Sports Illustrated).

Since moving to play more on the outside, Robinson has received seven targets in back-to-back games and totaled five or more receptions in both contests.

Robinson was electric in the Giants’ Week 7 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, totaling six receptions for 84 yards and one spectacular catch-and-run touchdown.

Robinson is having the best season of his career — in a contract year

Currently, Robinson is averaging 58.5 yards per game, shattering his previous-best of 41.1 yards per game from last season. He is also averaging a career-high 12.1 yards per reception — a dramatic increase from his previous career-high 9.9 yards per reception set back in 2021.

The Giants’ receiving corps is far from a finished product, hence their reported interest in making a trade for a playmaker. But, in the meantime, Robinson is becoming a focal point for the offense.

Playing his best ball in a contract year, Robinson is set to get paid handsomely in the upcoming offseason, either by the Giants via an extension, or as an unrestricted free agent. Robinson is elevating his worth and value this season by making himself a more versatile receiving option.