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With the 2024 NFL Draft approaching closer, there has been a ton of speculation on what the New York Giants will do with the sixth overall pick.
The team seems poised to move on from Daniel Jones following the 2024 season. This is why some feel they’ll take either Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy or Washington’s Michael Penix Jr.
However, the team is also void of a number one wideout, which is why several mock drafts have them drafting either LSU’s Malik Nabers from LSU or Washington’s Rome Odunze.
Fortunately for New York, this is a deep and talented receiver class, and they’ll be several talented wideouts still on the board when they make their second pick (47th overall), if they decide to take a quarterback with their first pick.
As all good general managers do, Joe Schoen hasn’t given any indication on which direction he’ll decide to go. But here’s a look at three receivers he might target in Round 2.
Xavier Legette, South Carolina
At 6-foot-3 and 227 pounds, Legette would bring a size and physicality which is sorely lacking from New York’s receiving core. Not only does he have the ideal size to come away with contested passes, but he also has the speed to make dynamic plays downfield as he illustrated with his 4.39 40 time at the NFL Combine.
In his first four years with the Gamecocks, he was plagued by injuries including a motorcycle accident in 2021. He appeared in just 41 games where he had 42 receptions for 423 yards and five touchdowns.
But last season he had a breakout year catching 71 passes for 1,255 yards and seven touchdowns, and was named Second Team All-Sec. If not for his injury history, a case could be made that he should be drafted in Round 1.
Troy Franklin, Oregon
Franklin’s statistics significantly improved each year in his three seasons with the Oregon Ducks. After catching 61 passes for 891 yards and nine touchdowns in 2022, he had 81 receptions for 1,383 yards and 14 touchdowns last year and was named Second-Team All-American by the Associated Press.
At 6’3 he has the ideal height for an NFL receiver but will need to add to his 187-pound frame if he’s going to consistently win his one-on-one matchups with top-tier cornerbacks.
Not only does he have good speed as his 4.41 40 time illustrated but he’s also a crisp route runner that can be relied upon when the team needs a big play. He had eight games last season with over 100 receiver yards and would give the Giants passing game a much-needed boost.
Roman Wilson, Michigan
Wilson would be higher up on draft boards if he didn’t play in a run-heavy offense . But the six foot 192 wideout made the most of his opportunities last season catching 48 passes for 789 yards with 12 touchdowns in helping the Wolverines win a National Title.
He has a ton of playing experience having played in 46 collegiate games which New York’s brass always views as a plus, and he showed he has good speed running a 4.39. He’s also physical and can come away with contested passes and can break tackles after the catch.
He’s projected to be a more explosive player in the NFL than he was in college. New York is high on Wilson’s college quarterback J.J. McCarthy, they’ve seen a ton of film on Wilson. If New York takes McCarthy in the first round, they might be intrigued to take his favorite wideout in round two as their familiarity with one another should help their development into the NFL.
Whether it’s one of these wideouts or one of the other standout collegiate wideouts, expect New York to draft a receiver with one of their first two picks when the NFL Draft begins on April 25th.