Wide receiver is an obvious need for the New York Giants and plenty of mock drafts have had Jerry Reese looking to Ole Miss WR Laquon Treadwell to fill that void. But Jordan Raanan of NJ.com makes the case that Treadwell, or any receiver in this draft, wouldn’t be a wise pick in the first round.
“Treadwell is likely the top wide receiver this year, but he’ll never be Beckham. He doesn’t have the explosion to be that type of player. And he’s never going to be their No. 1 receiver. It’s why he’s not going to be their selection at No. 10.” That pick would fill a need, but Raanan’s argument is that it would waste the value of the tenth overall selection.
There’s little doubt that wide receiver will be addressed at some point during the draft, however, and many forecast as early as the second round. Pittsburgh’s Tyler Boyd could be the answer to the Giants’ receiving woes.
Boyd was a three-year starter with three different quarterbacks, yet still left Pitt with their all-time receiving records, some of which were held by Larry Fitzgerald. His junior year, Boyd was the lone unanimous First Team player on the All-ACC team.
What Boyd lacks in breakaway speed, he ran a 4.58 40-yard dash at the combine, he makes up for with precise route running and, according to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, “vice grips for hands.” He has a quick release off the line of scrimmage and attacks the ball in the air, rather than waiting for it.
Ed Valentine of Big Blue View addressed the ideal type of receiver for the Giants’ roster. Valentine would like to see “a big-bodied guy who can make tough catches in traffic. That’s really something they don’t have, at least they don’t have a ‘proven’ guy who fits that mold.” Boyd isn’t necessarily “big-bodied” but he’s tough over the middle and his strong hands clamp on to the ball in traffic.
Other than less-than-optimal speed, another knock on Boyd is his nose for the end zone. He did have three different quarterbacks which could have led to his lack of touchdowns over his three years at Pitt. The Giants ranked 30th in red zone efficiency in 2015 and could certainly use some help in that area.
Paul Schwartz of the New York Post had Boyd as a receiver for the Giants to target in the second along with Will Fuller, Pharoh Cooper and Braxton Miller. How do you think Boyd stacks up?