NY Giants: Breaking down early expectations for Kenny Golladay

As the NY Giants prepare for the next phase of the NFL offseason with training camp, preseason action, and the upcoming regular season, all eyes will be on how their offense clicks. It’s no secret that the microscope is under several players and positional groups on offense to see if 2021 will be the year that everything falls into place and they combine to be an offensive juggernaut.

Will quarterback Daniel Jones show a big step forward in his progress as he enters his third season? Can running back Saquon Barkley stay healthy all season long and go back to being an x-factor? How will the wide receiver corps shape up?

All these questions and more will hopefully be answered but during the offseason, general manager Dave Gettleman made a big splash in signing wide receiver Kenny Golladay. At 6-4 and 214lb, Golladay brings with him a plethora of experience and finally, some big-play potential to the Giants’ offense from everything he’s achieved on the Detroit Lions.

Expect Kenny Golladay to be a huge factor on the NY Giants offense

In just four seasons with the Lions, Golladay totaled 183 receptions for 3,068 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns. His receiving yards per reception is at 16.8 which means lots of first downs, clutch catches, and the ability to push the envelope in the heat of the moment. The impact Golladay will have immediately upon arrival will be fun to watch over these next few important months as the final roster takes shape.

Make no mistake about it, the Giants spent a good amount of money (four-year contract, $72M) in free agency to acquire Golladay’s services and he should be a big part of their offense. Not only should it be expected that he gets a lot of passes thrown his way but one can easily see him being the top receiver on offense provided he stays healthy and continues to be an impact player.

Jones should make Golladay his top target and get that connection going early and often as the regular season unfolds. Even though last season was all about tight end Evan Engram being the top receiving target of Jones, with him potentially being on the roster bubble, it’s now time for the wide receiving corp to thrive with Golladay leading the way.

Golladay is not only expected to be the top receiving target on offense but what he brings to the locker room will only help the cause. He’s already shown an excellent team-first mentality right off the bat that’s already making headlines. In an article written by Jordan Raanan of ESPN, Golladay had this to say when it came to individual accomplishments when compared to final results:

"“To be honest if I go out there and have a monster game, 300 receiving yards and we lost, it really doesn’t mean anything,” Golladay said during minicamp. “It’s definitely team first.”"

It’s expected the Giants’ offense will continue to be a balanced one between the ground game and passing attack with a heavy emphasis on spreading the ball around. Hopefully, Golladay will continue to make the most of this big opportunity to thrive in the city that never sleeps on an offense that was in dire need of a playmaker with his core abilities.

Early expectations for Golladay are great as he’s going to be a touchdown-making machine with his ability to score on big plays and be a difference-maker in the red zone. Considering he’s coming off an 11 touchdown season in 2019, expect to see him have a big first season with the Giants and do his part to make life a lot easier for Jones to keep those chains moving.

The Giants’ passing offense was dead last as a whole in 2020 with just 12 passing touchdowns scored and bringing Golladay into the mix will immediately fix that. He’s got the size, experience, and skill to finally address one of the biggest issues on offense as he’s going to be a ton of fun to watch this upcoming season.