The New York Giants need to bolster their wide receiver corps. After an inefficient season on offense from the Giants in 2020, general manager Dave Gettleman and co-owner John Mara vowed to add offensive playmakers in the 2021 offseason. Whether the Giants acquire an offensive weapon in free agency or the draft remains to be seen, though.
In March, the Giants are expected to be in the market for a top-tier free-agent wide receiver. Depending on how that goes, the Giants could double-dip or snag their first big acquisition at the position in April during the NFL Draft.
There are numerous options for the Giants to consider in free agency. Names like Kenny Golladay, Allen Robinson, Corey Davis, and other top wide receivers are being projected to sign with New York. But the Giants might struggle to sign one of these playmakers at an affordable price. This could lead New York to look towards the draft.
The top, first-round wide receivers in the 2021 NFL Draft class have received most of the attention from Giants fans. But there are actually more lesser-known names that could be a good fit with the New York Giants in the middle rounds of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Mid-round receiving targets
The Giants need a primary wide receiver. Many fans think the Giants would benefit most from getting a big-bodied, X-receiver. Currently, the biggest wide receiver starting for the Giants is Darius Slayton at only 6 feet 1 inch, 190 pounds. Arguing that the Giants need more size outside is fair.
But what sizeable options are there for the Giants in the NFL Draft? What if they cannot acquire one of the draft’s wide receiver prospects and have to wait until the middle rounds? Well, in that scenario, there are a few options for the Giants to consider.
Terrace Marshall Jr.
While he might not be a “mid-round” target, Terrace Marshall Jr. is an intriguing target for the Giants if he slips into the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Terrace Marshall Jr. played that complimentary, WR2 role in LSU’s offense in 2019. As the secondary receiver, Terrace recorded 671 yards and 13 touchdowns. Moving into a more expanded role in 2020, Marshall was legit, racking up 731 yards and 10 touchdowns in only 7 games.
Marshall averaged more than 100 receiving yards per game as the primary target in LSU’s 2020 offensive attack. Terrace Marshall is 6 feet 3 inches, 200 pounds. Marshall could be a solid big-body outside wide receiver option for the Giants, something they are currently lacking in their offensive scheme.
According to Joe Marino of The Draft Network, Terrace Marshall Jr. “offers terrific size, physicality, hands, ball skills, run after catch ability, route-running skills, and overall technical-refinement.†Terrace would be a perfect fit for the Giants if they go wide receiver in round two.
Nico Collins
When discussing outside wide receiver prospects with size, any writer would be remiss not to mention Nico Collins out of Michigan. Nico is the definition of size at the wide receiver position. He stands tall at 6 feet 4 inches and weighs in at a strong 215 pounds.
Nico Collins did not play football in 2020, opting out of the NCAA season due to COVID-19 concerns. But this big-play, vertical threat has been training for the NFL tirelessly. When watching Nico Collins, it is hard not to notice how he overbears opposing cornerbacks with his size and strength.
Nico may be big, but he is not big and slow. Collins has impressive speed and athleticism for a wide receiver his size. While he can be a bit slow or sluggish coming out of his breaks, he has the speed to get vertical and take the top off of defenses.
Nico Collins is a deep-ball machine in a big-play weapon. Five of his seven touchdowns in 2019 came on passes 20+ yards downfield. For this reason, though, Nico is not a top-round talent. He has a lot of developing to do at the next level. With proper coaching, Nico Collins could develop into a more complete wide receiver and become the focal point of an NFL offense.
Tamorrion Terry
One last name to keep an eye on for the Giants is FSU’s Tamorrion Terry. This is another wide receiver with supreme size. Tamorrion is tall and lanky, listed at 6 feet 4 inches, 203 pounds.
Tamorrion Terry is absolutely a project prospect. He is by no means a finished product and will not be ready to dominate the league in year one. But he has some tools that an NFL coaching staff might love to build with. His height, weight, and athleticism could lead an NFL team to fall in love with Terry as a late-round pick.