WR Kenny Golladay: The Good, the Great and the Ugly

Kenny Golladay's first season as a Giant didn't go according to expectations. But there's still enough to like about his game if he can stay healthy.

In most cases, a wide receiver's production is based on who calls the plays and delivers them the ball. So while receiver Kenny Golladay’s first season in New York was disappointing, it is hard to know who is to blame for the worst production in his five-season career. 

After only playing in five games in his final season in Detroit, Golladay started 14 games for the Giants, but he was not fully healthy in many of those contests. When you combine that with poor quarterback play and an extremely conservative/risk-averse offensive philosophy, you almost have to justify giving Golladay a pass for the lack of consistent production in 2021. 

If the Giants hope to have a much improved season this year, they will need the Golladay of 2019 to emerge. The question becomes, does that guy still exist? We look at the good, the great, and the ugly of New York's highest-paid receiver.

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The Good: Catch Radius

Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com via Imagn Content Services, LLC

The technical definition of catch radius is the space occupied by the circle your arms make when outstretched. For those with a truly talented catch radius that expands beyond the standing reach. They can haul in passes whether the ball is thrown high, low, in front, or behind.

A good catch radius is a quarterback with accuracy issues' best friend, and Golladay can use his superior radius to turn a bad pass into a completion. He hauled in "worm killers" and "cloud touchers" in his first season with the Giants.

In this first clip, he can extend his arms to keep it away from the defender who is closing in on him to make the tackle. Then in the second clip, he makes a catch on a back-shoulder throw that he needs to turn and extend out to make the reception.

The third clip is a pass that he gets led too far on.

He has to leave his feet to dive, extend his arms out to snatch the ball, and then pull it in while landing on the ground.

The Great: Concentration on Contested Catches

Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

There are a lot of receivers whose catch percentage goes down when there are defenders around. The term "alligator arms" is a real thing. It is a natural instinct to protect yourself when danger is imminent, which can result in receivers not extending their arms when trying to catch a ball.

Their concentration also lapses as they focus more on the potential hit by a defender than the ball, but Golladay has a knack for thriving in these situations. He tracks the ball well in traffic, uses his body positioning, and trusts his hands to haul in passes even when a defender is draped over him or bearing down on him.

In the first clip, he brings in a good pass by Jones with a Broncos defender there to try and knock the pass away.

The second clip is of a ball thrown slightly behind him with a cornerback on his hip. He can keep his eye on the ball and bring it in.

The third clip is of Golladay pulling in a pass with the cornerback hugging him and a linebacker making a direct line for his head. He can make the catch and avoid getting blown up by the defender.

The Ugly: Lack of Separation

Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

Go and look at any highlight video of Golladay from the 2021 season and see many impressive catches and plays that get you excited about him being healthy in the Giants' offense.

You will not see a bunch of plays with him flying past a defensive back going deep down the field. In Detroit, he was not simply a possession receiver but a dynamic deep threat.

He operated as a short and intermediate receiver in his first season with New York. Because he was not a serious threat, defensive backs could sit on his underneath routes in man-to-man, which is why he had to make so many contested catches.

These clips show him not separating on deep shots. The first clip is a fade ball where he does not get away from the corner. He catches the ball, but we know he can catch contested passes in traffic.

In the second clip, he puts a move on the defensive back but still doesn't separate and cannot get to a rather close pass.

Final Thoughts

Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com via Imagn Content Services, LLC

There's a chance that Golladay will never regain the explosiveness that he possessed in Detroit. There's never a legitimate way to gauge what injuries rob one of. But even if he does not, he can still be a valuable piece of a collective.

His good is really good. The ability to snatch the ball when the quarterback is not accurate can save a play.

His great is great. Being able to haul the ball in with defensive backs draped all over him or when the quarterback has to fit it into a tight window is comforting for the guy making the pass. Will he be there? I think he will and will have an improved season over his first with the Giants.

It will prove that he still can be an asset on a team, but I also believe he will show that the production may not be worth the amount of money he is due to make, so at the end of the year, don't be surprised if the Giants look to possibly move on. 

 

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