The New York Giants entered training camp with an overcrowded wide receiver room that lacked any established pecking order. As they pack up to leave West Virginia and turn their focus toward the preseason opener, the picture is a bit clearer.
Multiple Giants receivers have made waves at training camp, either climbing up the depth chart or falling behind their competitors.
With a more solid view of the hierarchy, we can finally see Jaxson Dart's group of weapons take shape.
JuJu Smith-Schuster and Jalin Hyatt are falling behind in Giants' WR battle
Big Blue completely overhauled its pass-catching depth this offseason, adding six receivers to the roster. They signed Darnell Mooney, Calvin Austin III, Odell Beckham Jr., JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Braxton Berrios, and drafted Malachi Fields in the third round.
Entering camp, the competition behind Malik Nabers was wide open. A couple of weeks of practice in West Virginia have cleared things up a bit.
Starting at the bottom of the group, Smith-Schuster and former third-rounder Jalin Hyatt have struggled to make a strong impression on John Harbaugh and his staff. Per Dan Duggan, Smith-Schuster has been quiet in camp. Duggan also said, "Smith-Schuster doesn’t play special teams, so he’ll need to pick it up soon to make a serious push for a roster spot."
Hyatt was a long shot to make the roster heading into the offseason, but his chances look almost impossible now. He'll hope to land in a favorable situation with a different team.
Berrios seems to be on the roster bubble, though his impact as a returner could help him out.
Austin is a roster lock, but he may not be featured as much as initially expected. He's had a relatively quiet stretch of practices this summer. Even Darius Slayton is fading into the background at camp, potentially losing his starting spot.
Malachi Fields and Odell Beckham Jr. are trending up
Fields has consistently been making noise at camp. The rookie has displayed his deep-threat ability while offering a reliable target for Dart in the short and intermediate areas, as well. According to Duggan, "Fields has made an early claim for the No. 2 receiver spot opposite Nabers."
Beckham Jr. may not be in the running for the WR2 spot, but he has shown his value throughout training camp. The veteran has earned first-team reps and has been consistently getting open and making impressive catches.
Former undrafted free agent Dalen Cambre has been a surprise in camp, even earning encouraging words from Harbaugh. His impact on special teams makes him an intriguing option for a spot at the end of the roster.
The depth chart isn't fully established quite yet. Preseason performances are bound to cause more movement in the coming weeks. But training camp performances would indicate that Nabers and Fields will start, with Austin, Mooney, Slayton, and Beckham Jr. filling in behind them. This wide receiver group is shaping up to have significantly more depth than Dart had at his disposal last year.
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