Training camp preview: New York Giants biggest question at wide receiver

After Malik Nabers, do the Giants have enough weapons at receiver?

The New York Giants were 31st in the NFL in points scored during the 2024 season. One of the biggest reasons was an inability to create explosive plays.

The Giants finished 2024 with just 29 plays of 25 or more yards, with only five teams compiling fewer.

The biggest issue wasn’t weapons — it was the Giants’ quarterbacks inability to connect with those weapons on big plays.

Daniel Jones was 8 of 31 (25.8%) on throws of 20 yards or more before being benched and departing for the Minnesota Vikings. Strong-armed Drew Lock was worst in the league among 42 qualifying quarterbacks. Per Pro Football Focus, Lock was 4 of 23 (17.4%). Tommy DeVito was 0 of 2.

That made the Giants’ quarterbacks 12 of 56 (21.4%) on throws of 20 or more yards.

The Giants took care of that issue this offseason. Russell Wilson led those 42 qualifying quarterbacks by completing 54% (27 of 50) deep throws. Jameis Winston was 13 of 35 (37.1%).

Matt Waldman of The Rookie Scouting Portfolio, questioned the vertical accuracy of first-round pick Jaxson Dart in Waldman’s annual draft guide. NFL analyst Doug Farrar provided numbers during a recent appearance on the ‘Valentine’s Views’ podcast that contradicted that stance. See the 28-minute mark.

“In 2024 Jaxson Dart led the nation with 17 touchdowns on throws of 20 or more air yards. Overall on deep passes he completed 37 of 88, the most in the nation as well, for 1,517 yards, also the most in the nation, with 17 touchdowns, four interceptions and a passer rating of 109.8,” Farrar said.

“The deep ball’s not a problem.”

All of that preamble leads to the real subject — do the Giants have enough playmakers at wide receiver to take advantage of all of that deep ball ability from the team’s quarterbacks?

The Giants, of course, have Malik Nabers. After the Giants bypassed selecting a quarterback to take Nabers No. 6 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, Nabers justified that decision by having a phenomenal rookie season.

Nabers broke Steve Smith’s franchise record for receptions in a season with 109. That also surpassed Puka Nacua’s previous NFL rookie record of 105 catches, but rookie tight end Brock Bowers of the Las Vegas Raiders bested Nabers by three receptions, grabbing 112.

Nabers also finished with 1,204 receiving yards, seventh in the NFL and ninth-best in franchise history, and was seventh in the NFL with 80.3 receiving yards per game. All of that despite the Giants’ 3-14 record and struggles at quarterback.

Unless the toe injury that kept him sidelined all spring becomes a real issue, Nabers’ ascent to superstardom should continue this season. Even modest improvements in quarterback and offensive line play could help assure that.

The question is, do the Giants have enough receiving weapons beyond Nabers to capitalize on the big-play abilities of their quarterbacks?

If tight end Theo Johnson develops as the Giants hope he will, and running backs Tyrone Tracy and Cam Skattebo both provide reliable targets out of the backfield. The lifeblood of the passing attack, though, generally comes from the wide receivers.

Wan’Dale Robinson had 93 catches last season. You would think that would make him a clear, quality, No. 2 wide receiver. Does, it, though? Robinson is a 5-foot-8, 185-pound slot receiver with 27⅝-inch arms that are zero percentile for receivers. He averaged just 7.5 yards per reception a year ago, and averages 8.2 yards per catch over his three-year career.

That makes him a tiny target who generally catches the ball when it’s within his limited reach, but has yet to show in three seasons that he can do much with it once he has it.

Can better quarterback play lead to more big plays for Robinson? Or, will a 5-11 quarterback (Wilson) who does not like to throw over the middle, trying to throw to a 5-8 receiver who does most of his work in the middle, lead to limited production for Robinson?

Darius Slayton has probably been under-appreciated for most of his six-year career with the Giants. Slayton has averaged 41.2 receptions, 649.5 yards, 15.0 yards per catch and 3.5 touchdowns. He has had four seasons of at least 700 receiving yards.

Slayton surprisingly returned to the Giants this offseason, signing a nice three-year, $36 million contract with $22 million guaranteed. That despite a slight dip in his 2024 production, when he had 39 catches for 573 yards and the lowest passer rating when targeted of his career, a 79.1.

The 28-year-old remains a deep threat. His Average Yards per Target of 13.4 last season was 11th in the NFL, per Next Gen Stats.

Can Wilson & Co. get Slayton the ball another 10-15 times during the 2025 season?

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images

The biggest curiosity among the wide receivers will be Jalin Hyatt.

The truth to this point regarding the third-year wide receiver is that the Hyatt Hype has always exceeded the Hyatt Reality. Far exceeded it.

The 4.4 40-yard dash Hyatt ran at the 2022 Combine was fast, but it’s 85th percentile among all receivers ever timed at the Combine. Maybe not quite as fast as were promised it would be.

Nonetheless, the Giants wanted that speed badly enough that they traded up in Round 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft to select him.

During 2023 training camp, while Hyatt was showing game-changing potential, there was talk of him following in the footsteps of Odell Beckham Jr. and becoming Offensive Rookie of the Year. Former Giants cornerback Adoree’ Jackson thought Hyatt looked like “a complete receiver” that summer.

Hyatt ended the season with just 23 receptions for 373 yards, with no touchdowns and a single five-catch, 109-yard game to point to as a highlight.

In 2024, Hyatt spent most of the spring and summer working with the first team. Again, he impressed. When the season began, though, Darius Slayton was the starter and Hyatt was an afterthought. He caught just eight passes all season, four of them in one game.

The Hyatt Hype is again in full swing. He has added roughly 25 pounds to his frame, basically a toddler-sized human being. Will that help him, or slow him down?

Quarterback Russell Wilson sang Hyatt’s praises all spring, saying “he’s a guy that I really believe in.”

Will the Hyatt Hype once again be much ado about nothing? Or, can the speedster finally become an impact player for the Giants’ offense?

Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The other questions involve the scramble for the remaining wide receiver roster spots.

• Will the Giants keep six wide receivers or seven?
• Could former Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Gabe Davis still be added to the roster?
• Can return man Ihmir Smith-Marsette and special teams coverage player Bryce Ford-Wheaton keep their roster spots?
• Can either of the two veteran free agent signees, Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Zach Pascal, earn a roster spot?
• Can one of the plethora of undrafted free agent rookies the Giants added after the draft make the 53-man roster?