What is the WR and TE outlook for New York?
The Giants wide receivers were nothing short of underwhelming this year. The top 4 options on the depth chart all missed games with various ailments, and even when on the field were often invisible. Pricey free agent signing Kenny Golladay was often ignored and barely cracked 500 receiving yards. Sterling Shepard could not stay on the field and eventually tore his Achilles, knocking him out for the season. Darius Slayton suffered from the drops and missed five games with various ailments. Rookie Kadarius Toney certainly flashed a tantalizing skillset but missed seven games with several different injuries. Shepard is likely to be a cut, with a high salary and bad injury history. Slayton certainly took a big step, making this a position of more need than it appears.
Options in the Draft
This is a solid draft for wide receivers, with plenty of talent stretching through the middle rounds. Some names to watch include David Bell, John Metchie, Jahan Dotson, and Jalen Tolbert. Metchie is a true speedster, with the ability to stretch the field and keep defenses honest, a similar profile to Jaylen Waddle. Bell and Tolbert are excellent route runners, and can use double moves to fake out defenders. Dotson can do a little bit of everything, and has really good hands, something the Giants could use, as their receiving corps has been dealing with drops for a couple years now
Free Agent Options/Trade Market
This is an avenue I can almost guarantee the Giants will not take unless it is a flyer. They have no cap space to spend big money on another wide receiver after forking over $18M a year for Golladay. A shame, as this year’s free-agent class, is deep, with names like Mike Williams, Chris Godwin, Davante Adams, and Allen Robinson. The same goes for the trade market. The Giants need every single one of their many drafts picks to plug holes in more important spots on the team.
Concluding Thoughts
Outside of a mid to late draft pick, do not expect the Giants to invest any resources in the wide receiver position. The offseason goal will be to make sure Golladay, Toney, and Slayton return healthy and in shape for next season. The hope is that a new head coach and offensive coordinator will push the offense in the right direction.
This is a position that is going to be very interesting to watch heading into the offseason. Evan Engram, former first-round draft pick in 2017, is going to be a free agent. Kyle Rudolph is likely going to be cut, as he has a high salary with minimal usage. The Giants will have to decide if they want to bring Engram back, or look elsewhere for a solution.
New York Giants tight end outlook
Options in the Draft
There will be a few options in the draft if the Giants choose to invest a draft pick at the tight end position. The best of the bunch is Jalen Wydermyer out of Texas A&M. Wydermyer has been a consistent producer for three straight seasons despite having a different quarterback each year. A huge physical player, Wydermyer stands at 6’5″, and weighs in at 265 pounds. As you can see from the clip above, he possesses an amazing catch radius, and his size makes him a premier red-zone threat. This would make him a reliable target for Daniel Jones, or whichever QB is at the helm for New York. Other options that could be drafted include Isaiah Likely, Trey McBride, and Cade Otton.
Trade/Free Agency Options
This is an avenue unlikely to be explored, simply because the Giants have no cap space to work with. However, if they find ways to free up some room, David Njoku is a player to keep an eye on. Drafted in the same class as Evan Engram, he possesses a blend of speed and power that is tough to beat. His opportunities were limited in a run-first offense in Cleveland, but a new team could give him a better opportunity. Other free-agent tight ends include Zach Ertz, Gerald Everett, and Dalton Schultz.
Concluding Thoughts
If I had to guess, I would think the Giants will attempt to bring back Engram on a cheap one or two-year deal. If that is unsuccessful, they will shop in the bargain bin, and draft a tight end in the middle rounds of the draft. Daniel Jones will need a reliable 3rd down/red-zone target with good hands, and there are some quality choices if the Giants know where to look.
