Despite reaching the postseason for the first time since 2016 (and winning a playoff game for the first time since 2011), last year’s New York Giants featured one of the NFL’s most anemic passing attacks. They finished 26th in passing yards (185.7 per game) and tied for 24th in TDs (17), and yet they still allowed the fifth-most sacks (49).
Injuries bore some of the blame as both Wan’Dale Robinson (knee) and Sterling Shepard (knee) were lost to ACL injuries, and 2021 high-priced free-agent signee Kenny Golladay was a massive bust, forcing the team to rely on the likes of Darius Slayton, Richie James, and Isaiah Hodgins.
Of the six wideouts mentioned above, four return — Golladay was released, and James signed with the Kansas City Chiefs — and two more were added as the G-Men signed Parris Campbell and drafted Jalin Hyatt. Add it up and you have an absolute mess. While the preseason will hopefully sort some of it out, let’s take a sneak peek at what you might expect from New York’s receivers in 2023.
Darius Slayton
When training camp opened last year, it appeared Slayton might be cut. He eventually restructured his contract to return but didn’t record his first catch until Week 4. Even with that, and not playing in Week 18, Slayton still led the team in receiving yards (724) on 46 catches. He was re-signed to a two-year deal and is perhaps the safest bet to man one of the starting roles. In three of his four seasons, Slayton has finished between 720 and 755 yards, so perhaps that’s his ceiling.
Wan’Dale Robinson
Injuries were the name of the game for Robinson. Coming off a strong camp, Robinson hurt his knee in Week 1 and missed a month. He returned for a five-game stretch, averaging 4.4 receptions, 44.4 yards, and 0.2 TDs per game, before a torn ACL ended his debut season on Nov. 20. While updates have been positive, and Robinson has indicated he hopes to be ready to roll in the opener, that’d be less than 10 months since the injury, which could be optimistic.
What’s clear is this: Robinson is the preferred option in the slot, and his ability to make things happen in space is a nice fit for an offense that prioritized safe throws for Daniel Jones. You’d be hard-pressed to argue anyone else here offers more upside than Robinson.
Sterling Shepard
Shepard operated as the nominal No. 1 receiver to open last season, collecting 13 receptions in three games before suffering a season-ending injury for the second time in as many years. When he’s on the field, Shepard can be a nice possession option. The problem is he hasn’t played more than 12 games since 2018, and at age 30 there’s no reason to think his durability will improve.
Jalin Hyatt
New York nabbed Hyatt in the third round, and he has the speed to get deep at the NFL level. He has a wiry frame, however, and needs to add strength while improving his precision as a route runner. Those two things are unlikely to come to fruition quickly, though, so look for Hyatt to be deployed in certain packages to work downfield while developing toward more regular action in the future.
Isaiah Hodgins and Parris Campbell
Rounding out the group are Hodgins and Campbell. Hodgins was claimed off waivers from Buffalo on Nov. 2, and he posted a 33-351-4 line in just eight games with the G-Men. Campbell, meanwhile, caught 63 passes for the Indianapolis Colts last seasons after his first three years in the league were ruined by injury — he appeared in just 15 of 49 games from 2019-21.
The Giants gave Campbell, a former second-round pick, close to $5 million for this season, so he figures to have a role, assuming he stays healthy. Hodgins played well down the stretch and could be a fallback option if others underperform or get injured.
Fantasy football outlook
As things stand, nobody here is a top-50 fantasy wideout — probably not even a top-60. Look for TE Darren Waller and running back Saquon Barkley to shake out as the primary targets more often than not. If you wanted to roll the dice in the later rounds on upside, Robinson would be the one to try. His skill set is a good match for New York’s offense, and he showed some juice before getting hurt. In larger leagues, Slayton and Hyatt could hold depth appeal at the tail end of drafts. Beyond that, it’s watch list material, at best.
