Brian Daboll praises ‘intelligent’ Wan’Dale Robinson, excited about what he’s seen from Giants’ receivers

Just about every aspect of the Giants last season was disappointing, but perhaps the most frustrating unit in 2021 was the wide receiver corps.

The Giants went out and spent big money on Kenny Golladay and drafted Kadarius Toney in the first round to help Daniel Jones take the next step – and they combined for zero touchdowns.

We broke down what the receivers need to do in 2022 to be better – which isn’t much. That’s how bad it was last year.

But new head coach Brian Daboll is putting them to the test early, and is pleased with what he’s seen thus far in OTAs.

“Kenny and KT are involved in the meetings and picking up the things…. All those young guys, and really, some of the older guys, [Darius Slayton] have done a good job for us. All those guys are picking it up and doing what they can.

“The more you can do [on the field], the better off it is, because you’re out there actually doing it. It’s one thing looking at it on a book, but even the walkthroughs are helpful for those guys.”

Despite an already-crowded receiver room (Sterling Shepard is still here), Joe Schoen wanted some more fresh blood and took Wan’Dale Robinson in the second round out of Kentucky.

All reports from East Rutherford say he’s been very impressive, and Daboll confirmed that on Thursday. But the head coach also praised how much of a sponge the flashy receiver has been this offseason.

“We throw a lot at him. And he can handle it. He’s smart,” he said. “That was part of the evaluation process, in terms of getting ready for the draft with the position coaches and the coordinators, of really trying to teach these guys as much as we can in that process to see what they can grasp and how smart they are….

"We place a high premium on intelligent players, and he’s certainly one of them.”

“Wan’Dale is obviously a rookie,” Daboll added. “He’s got a long way to go, but smart, he’s picked up stuff very well, and really has done a nice job out here for us.”

The talk around the Giants with the last regime was “culture.” Well, no matter how hard they tried, they certainly did not have a winning one.

Daboll, of course, is trying to change that. And it starts with the camaraderie of the receivers – keep in mind, they make a lot of money, and it was an awful ROI last year.

And while the coach knows things won’t turn around overnight, it’s going to be on the players to improve as the season rolls along.

“I think it’s really important, because you’re gonna have to weather the storms,” said Daboll. “That’s what you try to do right now this time of year. It’s the guys’, their football team. You try to do the best job you can to lead and put a good culture together, bring in the right kind of people, and then let those guys take it over.”