The New York Giants are heading in training camp with a surplus of talent behind the top wide receivers on the team, the question ultimately boils down to — who will earn the starting job?
It seems as if the No. 3 WR spot will be allocated to either Corey Coleman or Cody Latimer, but I don’t see both staying on the roster after the position battle comes to a close. With more than enough pass-catchers after drafting Darius Slayton, one of the two will likely be cut.
Coleman, a talented former first-round pick was confident he can take his game to the next level with the Giants in 2019, the issue is he must compete with Latimer for the starting role. The former Bronco has the advantage given his production before succumbing to injury in 2018 and the plays he’s made to back up his case.
Coleman only secured five targets for 71 yards last season, so he’s far from a proven pass-catcher with Eli Manning at the helm. The general worry when it comes to Corey is his catch-rate, securing 45.2 percent in his rookie season, his best to date. With only five receptions last year, it’s not worth factoring that number into his statistics.
He must elevate his game to stick around in 2019, but the odds are unfortunately stacked against him. The Giants, however, seem to be confident that he can be a playmaker. The value he offers was cut by a fraction when the Giants brought in Jabrill Peppers in the trade that sent Odell Beeckham Jr. to Cleveland.
Peppers will likely be the primary return man, forcing Coleman to really come into himself as a receiver. Latimer, though, faces a challenge as well. He will need to prove he’s 100% healthy after going down with a foot ailment in 2018. So far, he’s looked good in limited reps, connecting with Daniel Jones multiple times in the end zone.
At this point, I see Latimer holding on to the starting gig, and while it’s not a guarantee the Giants cut Coleman, it makes logical sense to do so.