Giants 2022 Position Breakdown: How will wide receivers bounce back after awful year?

Giants minicamp is right around the corner, which means it's time to break down each position for Big Blue's new coaching staff to evaluate.

We'll kick it off with the wide receivers group...

Player Breakdown

Projected Starters: Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, Sterling Shepard
Depth: Wan'Dale Robinson (R), Darius Slayton, David Sills, Richie James, Robert Foster
Bubble/Practice Squad: Khalil Dorsey, Collin Johnson, Travis Toivonen

Overview

Well, Brian Daboll knows there needs to be a massive change production-wise -- immediately. 

It was injuries. It was lack of separation. It was quarterback issues. It was literally anything you can think of that hurt this group and made them one of the worst units in the NFL last season. 

But there's many who believe they weren't used correctly and Jason Garrett's offense wasn't in tune with the modern schemes in the NFL. That's where Daboll, new OC Mike Kafka and the rest of the coaching staff will be working to ensure they're getting the ball in the hands of their receivers to do some damage. And they have the players to do so. 

First, Golladay, who signed a four-year, $72 million contract last year, was a big disappointment at that price range. He's still a big body who has sticky hands, but his issue is separation. Can the Giants figure out a way to get him the ball despite having that limitation? 

The answer could revolve around Toney and Robinson, two speedsters who are extremely elusive with the rock. It'll be interesting to see how Daboll & Co. deploys them, since they're the same type of player, but they are certainly playmakers. 

Then, there's Shepard, who is coming off that torn Achilles last season. He restructured his deal because he wanted to remain a Giant and prove his worth. It's also the final year of his contract, so this is a showcase for the rest of the league, too. 

Depth pieces like Slayton and Foster could be of use, too, but the main focus will be on Toney and Robinson, a young duo who could be Giants for quite some time. 

Key Concern: Golladay's Production

As we mentioned, yards of separation was a huge problem for receivers last season, but none worse than Golladay. He was under 2.0 yards in that category.

He was fighting through some injuries throughout the year, but that mark is really bad compared to the rest of the league. Without separation, it's hard for a quarterback to trust that he can thread the window to his receiver. 

The Giants obviously want good things to happen for Golladay this season, but it's a major concern because it's hard to change that aspect of the game when defenses have you figured out. That will be up to Golladay to get better in some areas to create that separation so he can get the ball and get upfield.

Also, he wants that first Giants touchdown. He's waited long enough for it. But the Giants need more than one from the big man if they want success in 2022.

X-Factor: Wan'Dale Robinson

Sure, Golladay is the man with the big bucks and Toney one-ups Robinson because he flashed in his rookie campaign. But neither has shown he can be trusted.

That said, Robinson hasn't ... yet. But the Giants clearly see something in the Kentucky product to draft him in the second round higher than many had him projected.

He plays much bigger than his 5-foot-10 frame, with quick feet, great hands, twitchy moves in space, and much more. If Daboll and Kafka use him correctly, Robinson could be Daniel Jones' safety blanket because he has the ability to create in the short and moderate windows and be a deep ball threat.

Biggest Camp Battle: Robinson vs. Darius Slayton

Again, the Giants drafted Robinson for a reason. But that doesn't bode well for Slayton, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal.

Slayton had a solid rookie campaign that showed potential for more good things to come. But that hasn't happened the past two seasons, which leaves him on the bubble for a depth position. He should get it over the others on the depth chart, but who knows?

As for playing time in the regular season, these two will be battling it out to see who gets the snaps. Robinson has a vastly different skill set than Slayton, so it will be fun to watch who has the upper hand. My money is on Robinson.

2022 Outlook

It's a brand new offense, so who really knows what to expect from this group? The educated guess would be to say it's definitely an improvement from last year, but honestly that isn't a high bar to pass.

As long as health is on their side, the Giants do have the weapons capable of making some big things happen on offense. Golladay is still a big body in the end zone, Toney and Robinson can ham and egg their way to small catches for big yards, and Shepard is looking to prove he still has what it takes to make it in the this league.

We're not saying that the Giants are just going to turn it right around with this group, but the potential is there to get the job done. I'd be looking hard at Toney and Robinson because those are the two biggest playmakers of the group. As they go, the rest of the unit should follow.