As part of The Post’s 2022 NFL Draft preview, we examine what the Giants might do at each position. Today: Wide receivers Next up: Tight ends.
By the end of April 2021, the Giants believed they had fortified their wide receiver position by paying a king’s ransom for Kenny Golladay in free agency and then trading down in the first round of the NFL draft to select Kadarius Toney with the No. 20 overall pick.
Golladay would bring the towering physical factor and Toney the stop-and-go elusiveness the offense needed to start to hum. Instead, it was a season of wrong notes, as Golladay and Toney struggled to stay on the field and neither managed to haul in a touchdown pass, which is an indictment on the entire passing operation.
Both are back, supposedly healthy and ready to roll and the Giants need them to be big-time performers this season.
Golladay needs to show more urgency and Toney more of a professional demeanor. Sterling Shepard, the longest-tenured Giants player, accepted a massive pay cut to stay around but the torn left Achilles’ tendon he suffered last December is not expected to be fully healed by the start of the season. The only other proven receiver on the roster, Darius Slayton, caught 98 passes his first two years, but only 26 in 2021.
Could the Giants take a wide receiver early in this draft? Sure they could, although selecting one in the first round would come as a surprise. This is another loaded receiver class, with plenty of talent available on Day 2 (second and third rounds).
This could be the sweet spot for Skyy Moore (Western Michigan), Jahan Dotson (Penn State) or Christian Watson (North Dakota State). The new coaching staff must build trust and a relationship with Toney. Adding another young target is not a top priority, but it could not hurt.