STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
With three No. 2 types, Giants can get job done without a true No. 1 WR
Two wrongs don’t make a right, but three healthy second-tier receivers might be just right for the Giants.
The top of the Giants’ receiver corps features three weapons proven capable of breaking open any game. Golden Tate, Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton would be coveted as a No. 2 option by nearly every NFL team — the perfect complements to a Julio Jones, Mike Evans or Odell Beckham Jr.
Together, they form one of the league’s most dangerous trios. Individually, do the Giants have a true No. 1 receiver?
“The only thing that’s important, when it all boils down, is can you trust the guy to make a play,” Shepard said. “We have a lot of guys who can make plays. I don’t think we’re focused on putting a number on any of us.”
Tate has been here before. He had a team-high 63 catches, pacing Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse, for the Super Bowl XLVIII champion Seahawks, and he flanked Anquan Boldin and Marvin Jones for the Lions after future Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson’s retirement.
“We don’t even have time to listen to outside [opinions] because everything is so intense right now trying to learn the playbook and standard of play,” Tate said. “I try not to compare to other organizations and other players.’’ As the oldest of the group, Tate, 32, might be the top option. He averaged 13.8 yards per catch last season — a personal-best since 2013.
“When you have a couple star players on your team like Sterling and Saquon [Barkley], it definitely opens it up for you,” Tate said. “There is no rhyme or reason to it besides trying to work hard. The personal stats don’t really matter too much. I just want to win.” As the highest-paid and longest-tenured of the group, Shepard, 27, might be the top option. He has ranked among the elite receivers in receptions made in traffic during his fiveyear career.
“It’s an offense that utilizes everyone’s skill set,” Shepard said. “It’s a lot of moving pieces, as well. I like to move around the field and the guys that I’ve played with like to move around, too. It makes it tough on defenses.”
As the youngest of the group, Slayton, 23, might be the top option. He finished tied for first among NFL rookies with eight receiving touchdowns and fifth with 740 yards in 14 games, taking advantage of missed time by Tate (four-game suspension, concussion) and Shepard (two concussions).
The trio lined up together for only 197 of 1,012 offensive plays (19.4 percent) last season.
“In a league where there is a lot of turnover across the board, it’s huge to have two veteran guys,” Slayton said. “Just to continue to learn from and draw from them is definitely huge for somebody like me.”
Fantasy football experts can’t agree which of the three is worth the highest draft pick. The Giants are hoping defenses have the same problem, guessing who warrants a double team.
“I’ve played against those guys before,” coach Joe Judge said. “Golden is a really good competitor, a tough dude, and I’m glad to have him on our team. Sterling brings a lot of athleticism and juice to practice. Watching how Darius has developed from his rookie year and the advancement he is making playing a little faster and decision-making, that’s really the enjoyable part.”
Judge coached receivers for the Patriots last season and retained Tyke Tolbert as the position coach when he came to the Giants.
“What I like about all of our receivers is how they are willing to do the dirty work,” Judge said. “They block aggressively in the run game. Whether it’s a clear-out or a decoy, they run every route with the intent they are getting the ball on every play.
I like the attention to detail.”