The New York Giants revamped their offseason and added some serious firepower to the lineup in the first round of this year’s draft. With the No. 6 overall pick in the draft, the Giants selected LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers — an elite playmaking prospect who could transform New York’s offense as a rookie.
Nabers immediately upgrades the Giants’ receiving corps without ever having taken a snap in the NFL. He looked like a truly elite playmaker throughout the spring practices and has gotten fans excited about the potential of the team’s offense. However, not everyone is convinced that Big Blue possesses a great receiving corps.
PFF ranks the Giants’ receiving corps No. 28 in the NFL
While Giants fans seem to be high on their team’s group of playmakers entering this season, not everyone seems to be as convinced. Pro Football Focus’s Trevor Sikkema ranked Big Blue’s receiving corps No. 28 in the NFL recently, citing the amount of pressure being placed on rookie WR Malik Nabers as a reason for concern:
“The Giants’ receiver room will go as rookie Malik Nabers goes,” Sikkema wrote. “If he is a star, Wan’Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton, and Jalin Hyatt could all look like great complementary pieces.”
Sikkema also expressed concerns with Big Blue’s tight end and running back rooms following the departures of Darren Waller and Saquon Barkley this offseason:
“After Darren Waller‘s retirement, Daniel Bellinger and Theo Johnson are the main options at tight end,” Sikkema wrote. “Subbing out the pass-catching abilities of Saquon Barkley for Devin Singletary is a downgrade, as Singletary hasn’t brought much in the receiving game in his career.”
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Could the Giants’ receiving corps exceed expectations this season?
Although Sikkema is right in highlighting the importance of Nabers’s success as a rookie, it is also important to acknowledge the level of pre-existing talent the Giants had in their receiving corps before Nabers arrived. Along with Nabers and second-year breakout candidate Jalin Hyatt are a couple of more proven players.
Darius Slayton has led the Giants in receiving yards in four of the last five seasons. He’s proven to be a consistent and reliable playmaker, totaling 700 receiving yards or more in four of his first five career seasons. He totaled a career-high 770 yards last season while also adding four touchdowns. As far as No. 2 wideouts go, Slayton is a quality player.
Then there’s also Wan’Dale Robinson. While he has not yet reached his potential, he’s already blossomed into a reliable and high-quality player. Robinson totaled 525 yards last season, hauling in 60 receptions on 78 targets for an incredible 76.9% catch rate.
While Nabers and Hyatt are the two playmakers with boom potential, Slayton and Robinson are consistent producers who should elevate the floor of this group. It’s on Nabers and Hyatt to raise the ceiling.