Giants Receivers Ranked Last in NFC East in New Analysis

When the Pittsburgh Steelers traded their top receiver, George Pickens, to the Dallas Cowboys, it sent Shockwaves through New York Giants fans, the NFC East, and the entire NFL.

Pickens has the potential to be among the best receivers in the league, which has prompted many national media members and NFL content creators to comment on the situation.

Add the Dallas move to the Commanders trading for 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel, and you can understand why people are excited about the potential of the receiving tandem in this division.

Pro Football Talk hosts Mike Florio and Chris Simms graded the NFC East receiver duos, with two teams adding potentially massive pieces to their squads.

Both hosts gave the Eagles' AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith duo the top grades. Florio gave the duo an A, and Simms topped him with an A+.

The Giants duo of Malik Nabers and Wan'Dale Robinson ranked at the bottom of the division, receiving a B- from Florio and Simms.

brown and smith — Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (6) celebrates a touchdown with A.J. Brown (11) against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LIX at Ceasars Superdome. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

While it is hard to argue against the Eagles duo being the best in the division, it does not seem that difficult to argue that the Giants have the second-best duo in the division.

Both Florio and Simms' grades seem skewed by the team's lack of success in 2024. If you consider age, current, and potential production, the Giants should probably be second with an eye on the top spot.

While the Giants were barely a B, the Cowboys received a B+ by Florio and an A- by Simms, and the Commanders were graded as a B by Florio and a B+ by Simms. The question should be, what makes those two duos more special than Nabers and Robinson?

Jan 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) runs with the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

First, we need to consider the order of the best receivers in the division. Brown and Lamb are the only two guys anyone would consider better than Nabers, and Nabers is coming for the top spot fast.

If the question were, "Who do you think will be the best receiver in the next 2-3 years?" Everyone would say Nabers. While many would put Robinson as the last receiver on this list based on talent, would he be last based on reliability?

Pickens has been a powder keg throughout his career. It is probably one of the main reasons why he was traded to Dallas, and now he has to deal with being in that environment, which has many more distractions than Pittsburgh.

Samuel is another issue. It is fair to ask how good he really is. Samuel has never consistently produced elite numbers. He has been living off the memory of his 2021 season.

He never came close to those numbers before that season or after. His next best season was 892 receiving, 225 rushing yards, and 12 total touchdowns. Last season was his worst season as a full-time starter. At age 29, he may be on the back end of his career.

Meanwhile, Robinson is 24 years old and heading into a contract season, so he is highly motivated to continue to improve. He has received more targets than Samuel and Pickens; with better quarterback play, he should improve his yards per reception. This puts him on a similar level as the other guys in Dallas and Washington.

Dec 29, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson (17) breaks a tackle by Indianapolis Colts safety Julian Blackmon (32) during the second half at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Interestingly, if you add a third receiver to the group, the Giants have even more of an argument for having the best trio in the division. Darius Slayton is a much more accomplished receiver than any guy the other three teams can roll out there. Jahan Dotson is the Eagles' third receiver.

The Commanders, Noah Brown or Luke McCaffrey, will not put any fear into the opponents. The Cowboys' Jalen Tolbert could be a comparison, but what type of role will he fill now that Pickens is there? We already know what the Giants look like with their three guys.

The Giants receivers are being graded poorly based on their team's ineptitude in 2024. This year, several things have been upgraded on the offense, specifically at the quarterback position, which the team hopes will elevate production.

JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA! Follow and like us on Facebook. Don't forget to check out our YouTube channel. And if you want to send a letter to our mailbag, you can do so here.

More New York Giants Coverage