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When the New York Giants made it to the playoffs, they brought with them the manta of doing things “our way.” The Giants did that by signing and starting players that media personalities didn’t think had a shot of being successful.
On Nov. 2, 2022, the Giants claimed a wide receiver from the Buffalo Bills, adding another name to their “Long Island of Misfit Toys.” His breakout season in New York has earned him a new contract with the Giants.
According to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team, Isaiah Hodgins will be signing a one-year deal for a minimum salary with the Giants as a win-win for both parties.
Hodgins, 24, has been familiar with head coach Brian Daboll since coming into the NFL. He was drafted by the Bills in 2020 when Daboll was their offensive coordinator. When the Giants claimed Hodgins during the season, he talked about having familiar faces to lean on helped his quick transition to a new team.
“It’s been a smooth transition,” Hodgins said in an interview with Brandon London of the New York Post. “The coaches have done a good job of just kind of bringing me in and helping me get on the playbook, ya know, a lot of similarities and similar coaches, familiar faces, and players have welcomed me in to, so it’s been a good transition.”
That transition earned Hodgins extended playing time and a new contract after coming off a breakout season with high expectations coming into 2023.
Hodgin’s Impact On The Offense
The wide receiver position was an area of concern for the Giants in 2022. The offense got little to no production from their highly-paid receiver Kenny Golladay, and Sterling Shepard was out for the season with a torn ACL by Week 4. Former first-round pick Kadarius Toney never found a role in Daboll’s offense and was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs by the trade deadline.
Outside of Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones at quarterback, the offense had no explosion. According to Football Outsiders, the Giants had the 27th-ranked offensive DVOA from Week 1 to Week 8. The front office took a chance on Hodgins, having already known Daboll’s offense, and it paid off.
Coming off of their bye week to play the Houston Texans, the Giants used Hodgins in the offensive game plan immediately. He finished the game with two catches for 41 yards. After that, No. 18 saw his target share and production increase as the season progressed.
Including the playoffs, Hodgins’ final stat line for the year was 37 receptions for 392 yards and four touchdowns. His biggest game of the season came when it mattered most in the playoffs against the Minnesota Vikings. Jones targeted his wide receiver 12 times for eight receptions, 105 yards and one touchdown.
The Giants could look to free agency to help their roster at the receiver. Still, with Hodgins returning for at least another season, it gives Daboll stability at a position that lacked a lot of it during his first season as head coach.
Social Media Highlights of Hodgins
After New York won their first playoff game since the 2016 season, Hodgins decided to capture the energy on social media with his teammates in the locker room.
Before the playoff matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles, Hodgins took time to reflect on his season and how he was “blessed to be here.”
Once the deal was announced to be official, the young wide out made sure to share his love and appreciation with a hype video to announce he was back.
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