The New York Giants will be in the market for a wide receiver this off-season. The question is, how will they find that new primary receiving threat to pair with Daniel Jones? They could acquire an NFL receiver via trade or the free agency market. Or the Giants could go with a young, developmental star in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
The options are plentiful as the Giants target an offensive game-changer this spring. Some of those options are far more popular with the fans than others. But there is no doubt that all fans would rejoice if general manager Joe Schoen were to finally land a weapon X for Big Blue’s offense.
Ranking Giants’ most popular WR targets this offseason
The Giants have a long list of wide receiver options they could target this offseason. However, five names, in particular, have become extremely popular among the fanbase.
- Jordan Addison
- Brandon Aiyuk
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba
- Zay Flowers
- Tee Higgins
USC WR Jordan Addison (trade)
ESPN Draft Analyst Mel Kiper had the Giants landing USC wide receiver Jordan Addison in his first mock draft of the offseason. “I like what the Giants are building, but they have to give [Daniel] Jones some help,” Mel Kiper said when explaining his mock draft selection for the Giants.
Addison would provide Jones with all the help he needs as a refined route-runner that put up elite production numbers during his collegiate career. Addison totaled 1,593 receiving yards with 17 touchdowns on 100 receptions for Pitt in 2021, winning the 2021 Biletnikoff Award, presented annually to the country’s most outstanding receiver. He then followed that up by transferring to USC and totaling 59 receptions for 875 yards and eight touchdowns, establishing himself as one of the top receivers in this year’s draft class.
Jordan Addison is a 6-foot, 175-pound wide receiver with the ability to play both inside the slot and on the outside. As a premier route runner, Addison is a perfect fit in the Giants’ offense and could be an essential building block for several years.
San Fransisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk (trade)
Brandon Aiyuk is a veteran wide receiver that the Giants could target in a trade scenario. Aiyuk at only 24 years old is still young enough to develop and has yet to reach his full potential. But after posting a career-high 1015 receiving yards in 2022, Aiyuk has put himself on the map as one of the NFL’s brightest up-and-coming receivers.
The Giants might be able to acquire Brandon Aiyuk for a second-round pick and change, but the 49ers could seek a first-round pick as compensation. Aiyuk could be on the move, though, as he is entering a contract year and the 49ers recently invested over $23 million in wide receiver Deebo Samuel. Aiyuk, a tremendous route-running with run-after-the-catch abilities, could be a perfect fit in the Giants’ offense.
Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba (draft)
The biggest boom or bust receiver prospect for the Giants to consider is Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. “JSN” was a dominant force at Ohio State when he was healthy. However, he really struggled to stay healthy and was stuck on the sideline for the majority of the 2022 season. Smith-Njigba played in only three games this year, totaling five receptions for 43 yards following a historic 2021 season.
In 2021, Smith-Njigba posted 95 receptions for 1606 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, making him a first-round lock in 2023. JSN holds the FBS Bowl Game and Ohio State single-game record for most receiving yards with 347 in the 2022 Rose Bowl. A proven stud when on the field, however, staying on the field has been a struggle.
The Ohio State product dealt with a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the majority of his junior year. That injury makes Jaxon Smith-Njigba a tough evaluation and a big question mark entering this year’s draft. He is a talented player, but are the Giants willing to take a chance on a player with such a concerning injury history?
Boston College WR Zay Flowers (draft)
Zay Flowers is another prospect the Giants could consider drafting with the 25th overall pick. Flowers posted 1077 yards and 12 touchdowns in his senior season at Boston College before declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft. He was very productive in his collegiate career, however, Flowers’s 5-foot-11, 172-pound frame could force him into a slot-only role at the next level, despite playing on the outside in college.
Zay Flowers was recently mocked to the Giants by NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks. He makes sense for the Giants as a shifty receiver who is “an electric player in space,” according to The Draft Network. However, in the second round of last year’s draft, Big Blue selected a player with a similar skillset to Flowers in Wan’Dale Robinson. This could prevent the Giants from selecting the dynamic Boston College playmaker.
Cincinnati Bengals WR Tee Higgins (trade)
Tee Higgins would be the Giants’ most expensive option on the list. Acquiring the Bengals wideout would likely cost Big Blue at least a first-round draft pick and a mid-round draft pick. On top of that, the Giants would have to pay Higgins north of $20 million per season.
No doubt, Higgins would be an instant-impact playmaker for the Giants. But the cost might be too steep for Joe Schoen who has proven to be frugal with his spending in his first season as general manager. The Giants would be getting a dominant, outside wide receiver in Higgins who has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in each of his last two seasons. But when comparing the cost of Higgins (multiple picks and a $20M+ salary), the Giants might be better off investing in a young rookie to develop in their offense.