The New York Giants added six wide receivers to their roster this offseason. One by one, they have fallen away. JuJu Smith-Schuster and Odell Beckham Jr. have been released. Calvin Austin III and Braxton Berrios have suffered season-ending injuries. The only newcomers left are Darnell Mooney and rookie Malachi Fields.
Fields seemed ready to step into the Giants' WR2 role after the preseason. He made highlight-worthy catches, dominated in practices, and drew praise from his coaches.
So far, he hasn't quite been able to translate that preseason success into the regular season. He has had just two catches in each of his five games, and while he's been efficient with those opportunities, he hasn't been able to carve out a bigger role.
For the sake of the Giants' passing attack, Fields needs to be more involved moving forward.
Giants have to prioritize Malachi Fields in their offense
Nearly all of the receiving work in New York's offense has been funneled to Malik Nabers and Isaiah Likely. In Week 5, they combined for 63.5% of Jameis Winston's targets. Likely currently ranks second in the league in target share for tight ends, while Nabers ranks fourth among receivers across Weeks 4 and 5.
That strategy worked just fine against the Washington Commanders' porous pass defense. The Commanders didn't have anyone who could match up with Nabers or Likely, so the Giants had no problem making the two pass-catchers the focus of the attack.
But when the G-Men face tougher defenses, they'll need someone else to step up. Two of the Giants' next three games are against the Houston Texans and the Philadelphia Eagles. Those are two of the best secondaries in football. They won't allow Nabers and Likely to take over like they did against the Commanders.
When Nabers and Likely are shut down, Fields will need to step up. He's been used primarily as a deep threat this year, logging an average depth of target (ADoT) of 14.8 yards, though every receiver gets a bit of an ADoT bump with Winston at quarterback.
He has shown that he can be more versatile, though. His lone touchdown this season came on a short crossing route that he bent upfield. He can be worked in on quick passes more often, giving Winston an outlet when his primary read is covered.
The Giants can't survive with such a concentrated passing offense, especially against better defenses. Unless Fields or Mooney commands more targets, the passing attack will continue to be limited.
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