The common assumption is that the Giants will be adding a wide receiver or two in the offseason, be it by draft, free agency or both. But while that’s probably the case, I don’t think their receiving corps is quite as awful as most paint it be. They got unusually good production from some seemingly modest wide receivers last year.
Isaiah Hodgins for one. Plucked off Buffalo’s practice squad, Hodgins played well enough in the second half of the season that they signed him to a contract extension last week. He has limited speed, but he was playing well enough at the end of the year that I don’t think it’s a given that he’ll be beat out by whatever receiver they might pick in the second or third round.
And the Giants got equally surprising production out of Richie James. They made him their slot receiver for the final third of the season, and he helped get them into the playoffs with reliable production out of that position.
James caught 57 of the 70 passes thrown his way last year, which translates to an unsual 81 percent completion rate. In the last 10 years, only two receivers with at least 50 catches have finished seasons with a higher completion rate.
I’m not suggesting that James will be the next Julian Edelman or Wes Welker, but he’s going to make their roster, with the potential to play some in the slot. The Giants were thinking Wan’Dale Robinson (a second-round pick last year) would be their slot receiver, but he tore his ACL in Week 11. James gives them the luxury of not having to rush Robinson back.
| CATCHING 75 PERCENT OF TARGETS (last 10 yrs) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | No | Yards | Avg | TD | Tgt | Pct |
| 2018 | Michael Thomas, N.O. | 125 | 1405 | 11.2 | 9 | 147 | 85.0% |
| 2021 | Rondale Moore, Ariz. | 54 | 435 | 8.1 | 1 | 64 | 84.4% |
| 2022 | Richie James, NYG | 57 | 569 | 10.0 | 4 | 70 | 81.4% |
| 2018 | Tyler Lockett, Sea. | 57 | 965 | 16.9 | 10 | 70 | 81.4% |
| 2022 | • Greg Dortch, Ari. | 52 | 467 | 9.0 | 2 | 64 | 81.3% |
| 2019 | Michael Thomas, N.O. | 149 | 1725 | 11.6 | 9 | 185 | 80.5% |
| 2021 | Hunter Renfrow, L.V. | 103 | 1038 | 10.1 | 9 | 128 | 80.5% |
| 2020 | Curtis Samuel, Car. | 77 | 851 | 11.1 | 3 | 97 | 79.4% |
| 2021 | Kendrick Bourne, N.E. | 55 | 800 | 14.6 | 5 | 70 | 78.6% |
| 2020 | Chris Godwin, T.B. | 65 | 840 | 12.9 | 7 | 84 | 77.4% |
| 2022 | • JuJu Smith-Schuster, K.C. | 78 | 933 | 12.0 | 3 | 101 | 77.2% |
| 2020 | Davante Adams, G.B. | 115 | 1374 | 12.0 | 18 | 149 | 77.2% |
| 2021 | Chris Godwin, T.B. | 98 | 1103 | 11.3 | 5 | 127 | 77.2% |
| 2017 | Golden Tate, Det. | 92 | 1003 | 10.9 | 5 | 120 | 76.7% |
| 2020 | Cole Beasley, Buff. | 82 | 967 | 11.8 | 4 | 107 | 76.6% |
| 2022 | • Cooper Kupp, LAR | 75 | 812 | 10.8 | 6 | 98 | 76.5% |
| 2016 | Cole Beasley, Dall. | 75 | 833 | 11.1 | 5 | 98 | 76.5% |
| 2020 | Stefon Diggs, Buff. | 127 | 1535 | 12.1 | 8 | 166 | 76.5% |
| 2016 | Michael Thomas, N.O. | 92 | 1137 | 12.4 | 9 | 121 | 76.0% |
| 2021 | Cooper Kupp, LAR | 145 | 1947 | 13.4 | 16 | 191 | 75.9% |
| 2020 | JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pitt. | 97 | 831 | 8.6 | 9 | 128 | 75.8% |
| 2020 | Tyler Lockett, Sea. | 100 | 1054 | 10.5 | 10 | 132 | 75.8% |
| 2015 | Doug Baldwin, Sea. | 78 | 1069 | 13.7 | 14 | 103 | 75.7% |
| 2017 | Ted Ginn, N.O. | 53 | 787 | 14.8 | 4 | 70 | 75.7% |
| 2014 | Brandin Cooks, N.O. | 53 | 550 | 10.4 | 3 | 70 | 75.7% |
| 2014 | Jarvis Landry, Mia. | 84 | 758 | 9.0 | 5 | 111 | 75.7% |
| 2015 | Jamison Crowder, Was. | 59 | 604 | 10.2 | 2 | 78 | 75.6% |
| 2021 | Amon-Ra St. Brown, Det. | 90 | 912 | 10.1 | 5 | 119 | 75.6% |
| 2015 | Keenan Allen, S.D. | 67 | 725 | 10.8 | 4 | 89 | 75.3% |
| 2016 | Doug Baldwin, Sea. | 94 | 1128 | 12.0 | 7 | 125 | 75.2% |
| 2015 | Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz. | 109 | 1215 | 11.1 | 9 | 145 | 75.2% |
| 2020 | Julio Jones, Atl. | 51 | 771 | 15.1 | 3 | 68 | 75.0% |
| 2020 | Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz. | 54 | 409 | 7.6 | 1 | 72 | 75.0% |
| 2016 | Adam Thielen, Min. | 69 | 967 | 14.0 | 5 | 92 | 75.0% |
| 2016 | Stefon Diggs, Min. | 84 | 903 | 10.8 | 3 | 112 | 75.0% |
The Giants also have Darius Slayton, who’s got more ability to run downfield routes than either Hodgins or James.
I expect the Giants will add one more notable wide receiver, and that should give them enough a strong enough position group for the kind of offense Brian Daboll is trying to run.
—Ian Allan