Landing This Week 7 Opponent Would Cripple a Giants Division Opponent

The Washington Commanders have a stud receiver in Terry McLaurin who sure would look good in Giants blue--and would cripple the Commanders if they lost him.

Author:
Quinn Slaven
Publish date:
Jul 16, 2023 6:17 PM EDT

In this story:

New York Giants

As we count down to training camp, the Giants Country editorial team went through the rosters of each of the Giants' 2023 regular-season opponents and selected a player that, if the Giants could acquire for the upcoming season, they absolutely should.

Who did we pick from each team? Stay tuned--and yes, for the NFC East teams, we picked two players since the Giants play them twice.

Mar 17, 2022; Ashburn, VA, USA; The helmet of Washington Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz sits on display for his introductory press conference at Inova Sports Performance Center Auditorium. — John McCreary-USA TODAY Sports

Terry McLaurin, Wide Receiver

Height: 6-foot | Weight: 210 lbs.
College: Ohio State | Exp.: 4 years
Career Stats: 63 games, 299 receptions, 4,281 yards, 21 touchdowns

Last season, the New York Giants and Washington Commanders had two close contests, one ending in a tie and the other a 20-12 Giants victory. Though evenly matched as a whole, both teams have reason to envy certain skill positions on the other sideline.

The NFC East rivals have both struggled to form identities on offense and suffered from patchwork offensive lines. Still, quite a few Commanders players could create immediate positive impacts playing for New York, perhaps none more so than receiver Terry McLaurin.

In 2022, McLaurin lived up to his contract extension, collecting 77 receptions for a career-high 1,191 yards. Pro Football Focus considered him the 17th-best receiver in the NFL last season, noting his reliability and 95.1% catch rate.

McLaurin has also lacked an elite counterpart at quarterback, catching passes from six different quarterbacks in his four seasons. Playing in an offense built with one quarterback in mind could unlock McLaurin’s potential even further.

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Where Would He Fit In?

Known primarily for his speed and route-running ability, McLaurin's deep-threat capability could create opportunities for Jones to confidently showcase his arm strength.

With his expansive route tree, McLaurin would also fit in with the Giants’ current offensive scheme by creating separation and finding pockets of open grass on intermediate and underneath routes.

In recent years, teams have prioritized pairing quarterbacks with a favorite, go-to target. Aaron Rodgers was at his best with Davante Adams. Joe Burrow has Ja’Marr Chase and AJ Brown bailed out Jalen Hurts on countless plays. The Giants have revamped the wide receiver room with Parris Campbell and Jalin Hyatt, but Jones still lacks an elite receiver. Terry McLaurin would fit the bill on Day 1.