Wide receiver might be the most interesting New York Giants position as we look ahead toward training camp in 2024.
Although there were several injuries at the tail end of OTAs and minicamp, the roster currently runs 14 deep in this area when healthy, and that means there will likely be one or two unexpected cuts ahead of Week 1. The Athletic’s Dan Duggan dropped his first 53-man roster prediction on June 17 and one of the bigger surprises was his decision to snub veteran WR addition Allen Robinson II.
And Duggan decided to release the former $46.5 million playmaker and three-time 1,000-yard pass-catcher despite keeping seven players at the position.
“Seven wide receivers feels excessive, but the Giants carried that many in 2022,” he wrote. “The trouble with whittling the position is the top five receivers don’t contribute on special teams.”
Included in that top five was staff favorite Isaiah Hodgins, who appears to beat out Robinson head-to-head in this prediction. However, Duggan did add that Hodgins’ lack of special teams impact “will likely need to change” if he’s going to make the roster — and you could say the same for Robinson who only has 26 special teams snaps on his career.
3 Giants WR Battles Have Begun to Take Shape
The Giants have brought in a lot of competition at wide receiver, and the cream will likely rise to the top at the end of the day.
Assuming Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, Wan’Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt make the Week 1 roster — which is a near lock barring injury or trade — that leaves one to three roster spots for the remaining role players and reserves. Duggan discussed a few of the clear battles that are beginning to take shape here in June.
“[Isaiah] McKenzie and [Gunner] Olszewski should battle for the top returner spot,” the NYG media member noted. Deducing: “McKenzie’s history with [head coach Brian] Daboll in Buffalo and his more productive track record as a receiver should give him an edge.”
“[Miles] Boykin and [Bryce] Ford-Wheaton will likely battle for a core special teams role,” Duggan went on. “Boykin was ahead on the special teams depth chart this spring and the Giants should be able to get Ford-Wheaton to the practice squad after he missed his rookie season with a torn ACL.”
It’s also important to remember that Ford-Wheaton sprained his shoulder during minicamp.
With McKenzie and Boykin earning roster spots due to their special teams ability in this scenario, that left one final clash between two red zone threats. At this time, Duggan chose Hodgins over Robinson, as stated above, but he did admit that the latter “provides a quality veteran insurance policy if there are injuries during camp.”
Allen Robinson’s Contract Does Not Guarantee Him a Roster Spot
At age 31 in August, nothing will be guaranteed for Robinson — perhaps for the first time in his career. The Giants only signed the former Pro Bowler to a veteran salary benefit contract, so there’s no real financial commitment if younger WRs outplay the big-name veteran.
Over the Cap lists Robinson’s base salary at $1.31 million if he were to make the team. There’s only a $25,000 dead charge if he doesn’t though, and that’s the more important figure to keep in mind.
If Robinson is going to line up for the Giants in 2024, he’ll have to earn it. The aging star has only recorded 69 catches for 631 receiving yards and three touchdowns over his last 28 NFL appearances with the Los Angeles Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers.
The 25-year-old Hodgins has put up 689 receiving yards throughout the course of his 27 appearances with the Giants, on the other hand, including eight total touchdowns and nine receptions for 108 yards in the playoffs.
This will be an intriguing roster battle to watch as preseason games get going in August.
