Giants 2023 Position Breakdown: Did Big Blue get better at wide receiver?
The Giants head into the 2023 season looking to build momentum off of last year's playoff run. Pieces have been added via free agency and the draft, but are the Giants ready to take that next step toward becoming a Super Bowl contender?
Let's take a look at how the Giants are shaping up at each position, focusing this time on the wide receivers...
WR Projected Depth Chart
Starters: Isaiah Hodgins, Parris Campbell, Darius Slayton
Key Reserves: Sterling Shepard, Wan'Dale Robinson, Jamison Crowder, Jalin Hyatt
Practice squad/roster bubble: Collin Johnson, Jeff Smith, Kalil Pimpleton, Makai Polk, David Sills V, Bryce Ford-Wheaton, Jaydon Mickens
Overview
The 2022 Giants shocked plenty of people by not just making the playoffs, but even going as far as winning a playoff game on the road.
Their offense was good enough, led by quarterback Daniel Jones, but the wide receiver crew, quite frankly, was a huge disappointment. Kenny Golladay was an expensive non-factor. Wan’Dale Robinson played in just six games. Isaiah Hodgins ended up being the team’s default No. 1 receiver down the stretch and in the playoffs.
Simply put, the Giants needed to get better at receiver. But did they?
Golladay and Richie James are now gone, but both Slayton and the oft-injured Sterling Shepard have returned. Hodgins is back in the mix as well, but the Giants added just two veteran receivers in free agency in Parris Campbell and Jamison Crowder, who have had plenty of injury issues of their own.
Big Blue did add Jalin Hyatt, a big-play threat from the University of Tennessee, in the third round of the draft, but did the Giants do enough to address the position?
Key Concern: Who do they turn to in big moments?
It should be noted that the Giants did add Darren Waller, one of the better pass-catching tight ends in the NFL, in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason. But we're focusing here strictly on the wide receivers, and when the game is on the line and the Giants simply need a receiver to make a play, who will they turn to?
Hodgins, really by default, became the go-to guy in the playoffs. Shepard has been reliable when he's on the field, but it's hard to know if he'll be the same player coming off of Achilles and ACL injuries in back-to-back seasons. Then there's Robinson, who showed flashes of explosivity but played just six games before tearing an ACL.
There were some big-name receivers who changed teams this offseason, including D.J. Moore getting traded to the Bears, and DeAndre Hopkins trade rumors have been floating around, but the Giants haven't really added that impact, No. 1-type of receiver. Big Blue's current group features a number of players perhaps better suited to play the slot (Campbell, Shepard, Robinson, Crowder) than to make a big play outside the numbers.
X-Factor: Jalin Hyatt
When was the last time the Giant had a true burner at the wide receiver position? They took a flier on John Ross a couple of years ago and Slayton has had some big plays over the course of his career, but Hyatt brings an ability to stretch the field that has eluded the Giants for quite some time.
Hyatt averaged 16.4 yards per catch over his three seasons with the Volunteers, and that number was even better during his senior season (18.9 yards per catch). If you want a real taste of just how explosive Hyatt can be, just look at his numbers from Tennessee's game against Alabama this past season: six catches, 207 yards (34.5 yards per catch), five touchdowns.
If Hyatt can consistently get behind the defense as a rookie, he'll see plenty of playing time and get his fair share of deep balls, while also opening up the field for the other receivers to work without a safety lingering in the box.
Biggest Camp Battle: Darius Slayton vs. Jalin Hyatt
With a plethora of options to line up in the slot, the bigger question for the Giants is who starts on the outside. At 6-foot-4 and coming off an impressive second half of the season, Hodgins is probably in line to take one of the starting outside spots, but then who? With a big body like Hodgins on one side and a shifty slot receiver in the middle, the other outside spot is probably best suited for a burner.
Slayton has the experience, but Hyatt is such an intriguing speed threat that it may be hard to keep the rookie off the field when the Giants go with at least three receivers on the field.
2023 Outlook
Heading into the season, there's no question that the Giants have depth at the receiver spot. They have veterans like Shepherd, Slayton, and Crowder while mixing in younger players like Hyatt, Robinson and Hodgins.
There are a lot of different combinations that the Giants can roll out at receiver, and Brian Daboll is likely to move them around often, but the lingering question remains: Do the Giants have a true, standout No. 1 option?
