Countdown to Camp: Who Will Emerge As Daniel Jones’ No. 1 Receiver?
Daniel Jones had a respectable rookie season, throwing for over 3,000 yards and 24 touchdowns.
What makes his first year in the NFL even more impressive is that he did not have a true No. 1 wide receiver to throw to.
Surprisingly, wide receiver is one of the positions that general manager Dave Gettleman did not address this offseason, so it will be interesting to see who emerges as Jones’ top target during the 2020 season.
The Giants’ leading receiver in 2019 was not on a lot of people’s radars heading into the season. A fifth-round draft pick out of Auburn, Darius Slayton amassed 740 receiving yards and reeled in eight touchdowns during his rookie season.
As the year went on, Slayton became one of Jones’ favorite options to throw to, the only other Giants receiver seeing more targets than Slayton being Golden Tate.
Tate is certainly a worthy candidate to be Jones’ No. 1 receiver this year. Despite serving a four-game suspension at the start of last season, he still had 676 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
According to Pro Football Focus, Tate was among the highest-graded wide receivers in the league when lined up in the slot in 2019. With Tate excelling in his slot role, the 11-year veteran is still an effective weapon in the passing game.
The other guy who has a chance to be the Giants’ top option in the passing game is Sterling Shepard. The connection between Jones and Shepard was immediate. The latter caught seven passes for 100 yards and a touchdown during his rookie quarterback’s debut start in Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
However, he would only have 100 or more receiving yards one other time during the 2019 season. Two concussions forced Shepard to miss over a month of action. Because of this, he was unable to develop lasting chemistry with Jones.
Shepard has been a solid option in the passing game over the past four years, but injuries have forced him to miss significant time in two seasons. For him to have a chance to emerge as Jones’ top receiver, he’s going to have stay healthy in 2020. If he can, Shepard has a great opportunity to fulfill this role for the Giants.
Some of you are probably wondering, “What about tight end Evan Engram?” Although he may resemble a wideout due to his size, speed and route-running, he is still a tight end. Engram could indeed be one of Jones’s primary targets this season, but he also needs to stay healthy for the entire year.
When considering all of these options, Slayton seems to have the best chance to emerge as Jones’ No. 1 receiver in 2020. He and Jones had very good chemistry last season. They will be even more comfortable with each other this season, as they now have one year of experience together.
Shepard, Tate, and Engram all still have an opportunity to significantly impact the Giants’ passing game. However, Slayton is the guy to watch out for in 2020. If last year is any indication, Slayton is primed for a breakout season.
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