The New York Giants headed into training camp with what looked to be a solid wide receiver room. As camp progressed, many players began to stand out.
Rookie wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson stole the show on the field. He was consistently making big plays.
Second-year pass catcher Kadarius Toney looked to finally be healthy and was making his presence felt.
Veteran wide receiver Kenny Golladay looked to finally be finding his footing with the Giants in year two.
Darius Slayton, who many people have speculated could be traded prior to the start of the regular season, had also turned in several solid performances.
And a trio of receivers in Alex Bachman, Collin Johnson, and David Sills were all steadily showing why they deserved to be on the team.
Now with the start of the regular season just two weeks away, this wide receiver room looks like it could be in trouble.
Injuries have begun to pile up, and several receivers have struggled to make their presence felt.
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The Injury Bug Has Struck
Earlier in the week, the Giants welcomed back their longest tenured player in wide receiver Sterling Shepard. Shepard had been out for the last nine months due to a torn achilles. His return brings a much needed boost to a wide receiver room in need of proven pass-catchers as other players are dealing with injuries.
Kadarius Toney has made strides towards being back to 100%. A hamstring injury has kept him limited. During his rookie season, he missed seven games with multiple injuries. But when wealthy, he is a dynamic player. He has shown this throughout training camp.
During Thursday’s joint practice with the New York Jets, Toney was able to make some big plays, specifically in 7 on 7 drills.
Daniel Jones-Kadarius Toney in 7s, Sauce in the area
The receiving room suffered a major loss when wide receiver Collin Johnson went down on wednesday. Unfortunately for Johnson, his season came to an end due to a torn achilles.
Prior to going down, Johnson was making a strong case as to why he belonged on the final roster. He was turning in big performacne both in practice and during games.
Kenny Golladay has been ready to go throughout training camp, but he has been plagued by injuries in the past. Much of the Giants success this season could fall on Golladay’s shoulders. He was brought in to be an elite-pass catcher. While he struggled with that last season, hopefully he can correct course in 2022.
Receivers Who May Step Up
With the Giants wide receiver room at less than 100% at the moment, other pass catchers will have the opportunity to step up.
One receiver in particular could be David Sills. Sills has been a permanent fixture on the Giants practice squad. He has also built a strong connection with quarterback Daniel Jones.
Head coach Brian Daboll has given Sills a fair amount of praise throughout training camp, even hinting that he could have a role on the offense come the regular season.
Alex Bachman, much like Sills, has dominated at points in training camp and the preseason. If the receivers in front of him aren’t able to stay healthy, he could have even more opportunities to shine .
It is still unknown what the Giants will do with Darius Slayton. The team is set to save $2.5M if he is off the roster come the start of the season, but with injuries mounting up, he may be needed on the roster.
Slayton is a proven pass catcher who, while struggling at times, can still make a big play. If he can prove why he belongs on the roster over some of the other notable receivers, he could earn his spot.
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The Current State of the Giants Wide Receiver Room