Why NY Giants Passing Game Should Lean on Isaiah Hodgins Down the Stretch

Isaiah Hodgins has the size, physicality, and comfort level in the Giants offense, all of which give him a competitive advantage.

New York Giants wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins has a chance to make an impact down the final stretch of the season. | Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

The New York Giants' wide receiver room has been in a state of disarray since Malik Nabers suffered his season-ending injury in Week 4 against the Chargers. However, in Week 11, the offense saw a new wide receiver make an impact.

Isaiah Hodgins made his return to the Giants in Week 11, suiting up for the first time after the team claimed him off Pittsburgh's practice squad. And the 27-year-old Hodgins, just as he did in his first tour of duty with the Giants, made a statement right away, as if he had never left.

Hodgins and quarterback Jameis Winston hooked up on six targets, with the receiver catching a team-leading five balls for 57 yards, Hodgins stepping in for Darius Slayton, who was inactive due to a hamstring injury.

Hodgins, who has always been somewhat underrated when it comes to the Giants’ offense, showed, as he did in his first tour of duty with the team after the Giants acquired him off waivers from the Bills in Week 8 of the 2022 season, that he has continued that trend.

Thus far with the Giants, he has hauled in 61 receptions for 650 yards and seven touchdowns. He also posted eight receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown in the Giants' 2022 Wild Card victory over Minnesota.

New York Giants wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins | Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

Hodgins, who mysteriously saw his opportunities with the Giants shrink in 2024 when he went from having played in 17 games the prior season to just three that year, left the team in free agency last offseason, signing with the 49ers.

After failing to stick with the 49ers, he signed with the Steelers' practice squad, where he sat until the Giants came along to bring him back to their 53-man roster.

Giants have a valuable asset in Hodgins

At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, Hodgins has always had the size and physicality to be an impactful wide receiver on the outside for the Giants. His physicality is something the Giants' offense desperately needs, as the team has lacked a physical playmaker on the outside.

Although Hodgins isn't on the same level skill wise as Nabers, there's no reason to think he can't be part of the receiver rotation beyond this year, especially since his next contract isn't expected to be a backbreaker.

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