New York Giants: Cody Latimer has competition for the No. 3 wide receiver spot

Over two preseason games for the New York Giants, the number three wide receiver position has completely opened up. After Corey Coleman suffered a torn ACL, the starting roll automatically went to Cody Latimer.

So far, Latimer has looked good in two preseason matchup’s, hauling in two receptions for 36 yards against the Jets and two receptions for 60 yards against the Bears.

Latimer has the most chemistry with Eli Manning, the Giants’ starting quarterback for the 2019 season. That gives him a significant advantage over other options.

However, one new receiver has been making waves and is looking very impressive and efficient through two games. Former Detroit Lion T.J. Jones managed six receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown against the Jets in week one of the preseason, and week two he managed three receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown.

https://twitter.com/Giants/status/1162528379075084288

“I think that the opportunity, when its presented you make it what you want it to,” Jones told reporters on Wednesday. “If you come in leaving here, just a camp body then that’s what you put out on film. You won’t believe you have a shot so you won’t put your best foot forward, but if you come in with the mindset that I’m here to earn a spot, to earn a job whether it’s here to put out good film or if I were let go for someone else to see good film. That’s on you, so I came to make the best of the opportunity and to definitely not let the timing of it, kind of effect the way I approached it.”

Jones is a capable wide receiver that can play on the boundary and in the slot. He has shown versatility and speed in his game so far. He was overshadowed in Detroit behind players like Golden Tate and Kenny Golladay in previous seasons, but he is a solid pass catcher and can be an impact player for the Giants next season. At this point, Latimer seems to be the favorite option, but Jones is creeping up quickly.

Jones is more than capable of handling the workload against first-string opponents, as he has been dominating the reserves of other teams.

What has been most impressive from the five-year veteran has been his touchdown receptions. His first score was on a  back-shoulder pass from Alex Tanney that Jones tracked down perfectly and rotated his body to secure in the end zone. Against the Chicago Bears, he enjoyed a beautiful fade route that saw Daniel Jones drop the ball in his breadbasket.

One thing that has stood out to me is that Jones can run a good portion of the route tree. The Giants and head coach Pat Shurmur have been utilizing him in different ways to see what he’s capable of and how they can extract the most value during the regular season. He can be a significant contributor moving forward. Whether or not he can beat out Cody Latimer for the number three receiver spot is a whole different story.