With Darius Slayton headed to free agency and Jalin Hyatt being a question mark, the position remains a need
The New York Giants were 31st in the NFL in scoring in 2024. That, though, was not because they lacked playmakers at the wide receiver position. Let’s take a look at wide receiver as we continue our position reviews for the 2025 Giants.
2024 in review
The roster
Malik Nabers, Wan’Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton, Jalin Hyatt, Bryce Ford-Wheaton, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Gunner Olszewski (IR), Isaiah Hodgins (practice squad), Kearis Jackson (practice squad)
With the selection of Nabers No. 6 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft as the pièce de résistance, GM Joe Schoen stitched together the best group of wide receivers for the Giants in the Daniel Jones era.
The biggest issue was that Jones, Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito were not able to take full advantage of Schoen’s handiwork.
Nabers still had a historic rookie season. With 109 receptions he broke the Giants’ franchise rookie record of 91 previously shared by Odell Beckham Jr. and Saquon Barkley. That total is the second-most ever for a rookie receiver. Las Vegas Raiders rookie tight end Brock Bowers set the mark this season with 112 catches.
Nabers finished seventh in the league in receiving yards with 1,204, becoming the first Giant since Beckham in 2018 to gain more than 1,000 receiving yards.
The only real issue was that the Giants weren’t fully able to tap into the big-play ability he showed at LSU in 2023, averaging 17.6 yards per catch. Nabers averaged just 11.0 yards per catch in 2024, 88th in the NFL among qualifying receivers. Nabers was 25th in the NFL in yards after catch with 462, averaging 4.2 yards after catch per reception.
The Giants saw a similar issue with Robinson. He was 13th in the league with 93 receptions, but only 51st in receiving yards (699) and 162nd in yards per catch (7.5). Robinson’s average depth of target was only 4.8 yards, and his yards after catch was 3.9 yards per reception, both career lows.
Robinson has never averaged more than 9.9 yards per reception, and his career average is 8.2. He is a dependable, chain-moving slot receiver — 36 of his receptions resulted in first downs. After three seasons, you begin to wonder if this is what Robinson is, or if the Giants’ offense has simply been unable to unlock more yards after catch and explosive plays from the 5-foot-8 former second-round pick.
With so many targets going to Nabers and Robinson, there weren’t as many passes available for Slayton. His 39 receptions were the second-lowest total of his six-year career. His 14.7 yards per catch was a solid number, but again the second-lowest of his career.
Jalin Hyatt, a player the Giants traded up to draft in the third round in 2023, was a disappointment. His snap share dropped from 51% (557) as a rookie in 2024 to 33% (346) in 2024. He caught just eight passes for 62 yards, 7.8 yards per catch, with his longest reception of the season being for 19 yards.
2025 outlook
Nabers and Robinson are the only players certain to return.
Hodgins has already joined the San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad. Slayton is heading to free agency, and it is clear that six years of mostly bad football with the Giants has worn him him down. He will almost certainly look for a new beginning. Hyatt seemed to hint at the end of the season that he wasn’t certain of his future with the Giants. Smith-Marsette and Ford-Wheaton are special teams players. Smith-Marsette, a valuable return man, can be a free agent.
It is clear that if they can’t re-sign Slayton, and maybe even if they can, that another quality wide receiver is a need. Perhaps not as big a need as a quarterback or as defensive line help, but a need nonetheless.
