Revealing the Biggest Forgotten Giant Poised for a Bounceback Season

When people talk about the Giants receiver corps, the focus is often on why the Giants decided to pass on drafting a receiver from a historically deep class.

The answer to that question could very well be tied to Corey Coleman and his return to the Giants roster after a year away due to a torn ACL.

Originally a first-round draft pick, No. 15 overall, by the Browns in 2016, expectations were sky-high for the 5'11" former Baylor star. Unfortunately, Coleman has yet to live up to his potential due to a combination of injuries and other external factors.

The Browns traded him to the Bills on August 6, 2018, for a seventh-round pick. Less than a month later, the Bills cut Coleman as part of their final training camp roster cutdown.

The receiver went on to have a quick cup of coffee with the Patriots, before finding his way to the Giants practice squad on October 18.

A week later, he was promoted to the 53-man roster and began showing hints of that first-round draft pedigree.

Appearing in eight games with one start, he caught five out of eight pass targets, all five going for first downs. He also embraced a role as a kickoff returner, averaging 26.0 yards per return for the Giants.

In 2019, having had a full off-season under his belt to understand the playbook better, Coleman was all set to compete for a more significant role on offense when he suffered a season-ending ACL injury on the second day of training camp.

Since then, a lot has changed. Darius Slayton, the team's fifth-round draft pick last year, emerged as a legitimate No. 3 receiver behind Golden Tate and Sterling Shepard, delivering the deep vertical threat that Coleman was being counted on to deliver.

But rather than move on from the 25-year-old, the Giants brass still believes that Coleman can potentially be part of the solution. They re-signed him to a one-year deal worth $1.1 million that includes a $100,000 roster bonus.

By the time training camp opens, Coleman will be a little over one year removed from the injury. His focus will be on making the most of his opportunity this summer to carve out a spot on the Giants wide receiver depth chart behind Golden Tate, Sterling Shepard, and Darius Slayton. He will also likely be in the mix at kickoff returner.

@TheCoreyColeman coming off ACL tear last year @Giants he is getting right!!! Stay tune... He will be ready 👀👌🏾💪🏾
“Train Like A Pro”
🎬: @lynnestouch 🔥 pic.twitter.com/sjiFQjF1Vc
— David Robinson (@drobalwayzopen) March 31, 2020

If Coleman can recapture the vertical speed and the quick-twitch movement he had before his injury, any concerns over why the Giants decided to pass on drafting from this year's historically deep receivers class will hopefully be put to rest.

As the potential fourth receiver on the depth chart, no one is expecting Coleman to put up numbers that are commonly associated with a No. 1 receiver.

However, given all the false starts Coleman's career has taken since he entered the NFL, delivering a solid season as a support player on offense and a returner on special teams would be a significant contribution for a player that three teams so far have given up on.