You know what they say: if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. No one on the New York Giants embodies that more right now than Chase Lane. If you don’t recognize the name, you’re not alone, but his addition to the team comes at a pretty intriguing time, and in a rather unorthodox way.
Lane originally signed with the Giants as an undrafted free agent in April but didn’t exactly stick on the roster. He was part of a deep UDFA wide receiver class that included Beaux Collins, Da’Quan Felton, Jordan Bly, and Dalen Cambre. And let’s be real, outside of Malik Nabers, Big Blue’s receiver room isn’t exactly overflowing with top-end talent.
In the Giants’ preseason opener, Nabers, Darius Slayton, and Jalin Hyatt all sat out due to injury. With plenty of other options getting the snaps, Lane decided to put his talents to use in a different way. The former Texas A&M and Georgia Tech wideout turned his training camp invite into a new scouting role through the Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship, which gives aspiring personnel staffers a chance to learn from NFL front offices.
Chase Lane turns Giants' camp invite into scouting role
In one of the stranger ways to “make the team,” Lane will now put his receiving skills to work in a different way — trying to catch Big Blue’s next wave of wideouts.
The specifics of Lane’s application and selection for the fellowship aren’t public, but it’s fair to say his years as a wideout in college gave him plenty of firsthand insight into evaluating talent and understanding the finer points of the game. That kind of background makes him an easy fit for the fellowship.
His hiring certainly comes at an interesting time. The G-Men are in full-on preseason mode, and instead of putting on the pads, he’s putting his notebook through the ringer.
The team is in semi-desperate need of a stronger receiver room. Aside from Nabers, can anyone really say they have another fearsome weapon? Wan’Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton are nice pieces, but they don’t exactly scream stardom.
While it’s unlikely Lane puts his scouting efforts to work in time to help the 2025 season, New York could use the help. Joe Schoen hasn’t exactly hit it out of the park with his wide receiver draft picks so far. Nabers looks like a superstar, but Hyatt and Robinson aren’t necessarily keeping defensive coordinators up at night.
For now, Lane’s role is a small but unique twist to a Giants preseason that’s already been full of storylines. And if his scouting eye is as sharp as his hands were in college, maybe one day Big Blue’s future No. 2 receiver will owe their shot to the guy who joined the team without ever catching a preseason pass.